This is the original and unabridged text of Lord Jim, a Joseph Conrad classic ranked as one of the best English-language novels of the 20th century.

Jim (his surname is never disclosed), a young British seaman, becomes first mate on the Patna, a ship full of pilgrims travelling to Mecca for the hajj. When the ship starts rapidly taking on water and disaster seems imminent, Jim joins his captain and other crew members in abandoning the ship and its passengers. A few days later, they are picked up by a British ship. However, the Patna and its passengers are later also saved, and the reprehensible actions of the crew are exposed. The other participants evade the judicial court of inquiry, leaving Jim to the court alone. The court strips him of his navigation command certificate for his dereliction of duty. Jim is angry with himself, both for his moment of weakness, and for missing an opportunity to be a 'hero'.

We follow Jim as he later attempts to come to terms with his past. He tries to remain incognito, but whenever the incident catches up with him, he abandons his place and moves further east. Eventually moving to a remote inland settlement, where Jim's past can remain hidden.