Customer Reviews

The Arrow of Gold

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After the masterpieces had all been written Conrad began writing a purer kind of adventure story. These late books are interesting and though not masterpieces themselves there is something in each one that makes them well worth your while. The young man in Arrow of Gold has fallen under the allure of old Europe in the form of the lovely Spaniard Dona Rita (Conrads most complete and most attractive portrait of a woman) and finds himself involved in her schemes to smuggle guns to her countrymen from Marseilles. High adventure ensues, including a breathtaking boat chase, but every cause and every ideal is corruptible and Conrad with this book contrasts the heady ideals of youth with worldly experience and wisdom. In these last books(Rescue, Arrow of Gold, Rover) it feels as though Conrad felt he had already tackled his great themes so there is a calm in the writing of them that is very pleasing and one imagines he is enjoying the writing of them in his retired captains easy chair as much as we enjoy the reading of them. The arrow is a gold pin, a rich symbol, the fate of which must be left unknown to potential readers. The historical setting of 1870's Marseilles is one Conrad knew well as that is the port from which he set off to sea for the first time and the gun running episode as well as the boat(especially the boat)Conrad spoke of with great fondness in his memoirs.