The Rescue, A Romance of the Shallows is a 1920 novel by Joseph Conrad. It is one of his works contained in what is sometimes called the Lingard Trilogy, a group of novels based on Conrad's experience as mate on the steamer Vidar. Although it was the last of the three novels to be published—after Almayer's Folly (1895) and An Outcast of the Islands (1896)—the events related in the novel chronologically precede those of the earlier two.
Background and Publication
Conrad began writing The Rescue in 1896 but set it aside in 1898, doubting his ability to effectively execute the story. He moved on to write The Nigger of the "Narcissus", Lord Jim, and Heart of Darkness before resuming work on the novel in 1918. The novel was finally published in 1920 by Doubleday, Page & Co. in the United States and J. M. Dent in the United Kingdom. In his Author's Note for the 1920 Malay Edition, Conrad described the abandoned project as "a dark speck in the misty distance" that he never fully lost sight of, and expressed gratitude for its critical reception.
Plot Summary
The story follows Captain Tom Lingard, the recurring protagonist of the Lingard Trilogy, who commands a sailing ship called the Lightning in the Malayan archipelago. Lingard is committed to helping his native friend Hassim reclaim his rightful land in Wajo. When he encounters a stranded yacht, Lingard meets the enigmatic Edith Travers, wife of the hostile British gentleman Mr. Travers. Lingard falls in love with Mrs. Travers, and this romantic entanglement complicates his plans to assist Hassim. The novel explores themes of loyalty, honor, passion, and the clash between European and native cultures. It culminates in a dramatic confrontation involving local leaders Belarab, Tengga, and Sherif Daman, and concludes with the destruction of the schooner Emma by the old sea-captain Jorgenson, followed by Lingard and Mrs. Travers parting ways.
Genre and Style
The novel is subtitled "A Romance of the Shallows" and is classified as both a romance and an adventure novel, specifically a sea story. It is written with an omniscient narrator and employs a sequence of unannounced time shifts, both forwards and backwards, a technique characteristic of Conrad's major works. The narrative features lengthy descriptive passages that create an atmosphere of suspense.
Critical Reception
Shortly after publication in 1920, a review in The Sewanee Review described The Rescue as "deeply and sincerely imaginative" and "Conrad at his best." Also in 1920, The New York Times published an article discussing the 20-year delay in the novel's completion, with reviewer Louise Maunsell Field noting a change in writing style that coincided with the narrative's demand for expediency, and praising the book as "absorbingly interesting: dramatic, subtle, fascinating with allurement."
