Conrad Joseph. Lord Jim

Webster’s Thesaurus Edition for PSAT, SAT, GRE, LSAT, GMAT, and AP English Test Preparation.When this novel first appeared in book form a notion got about that I had been
bolted away with. Some reviewers maintained that the work starting as a short
story had got beyond the writer's control. One or two discovered internal
evidence of the fact, which seemed to amuse them. They pointed out the
limitations of the narrative form. They argued that no man could have been
expected to talk all that time, and other men to listen so long. It was not, they
said, very credible.
After thinking it over for something like sixteen years, I am not so sure about
that. Men have been known, both in the tropics and in the temperate zone, to sit
up half the night 'swapping yarns'. This, however, is but one yarn, yet with
interruptions affording some measure of relief; and in regard to the listeners'
endurance, the postulate must be accepted that the story was interesting. It is the
necessary preliminary assumption. If I hadn't believed that it was interesting I
could never have begun to write it. As to the mere physical possibility we all
know that some speeches in Parliament have taken nearer six than three hours in
delivery; whereas all that part of the book which is Marlow's narrative can be
read through aloud, I should say, in less than three hours. Besides-though I have
kept strictly all such insignificant details out of the tale-we may presume that
there must have been refreshments on that night, a glass of mineral water of
some sort to help the narrator on.
But, seriously, the truth of the matter is, that my first thought was of a short