In the classic form of an adventure story, this short novel journeys deep into the human soul to explore man's infinite capacity for both good and evil. Five men who share the bond of the sea enjoy a jaunt on the Thames. The youngest among them, Marlow, the only one still follows the sea, tells of the time when he did turn fresh-water sailor for a bit - when, in pursuit of a childhood fascination for a blank place on the map, he encountered the map, he encountered the enigmatic Kurtz-a European who had reverted to savagery in an isolated native trading post. In Marlow's progress from innocence through a comprehension of evil to maturity and self-awareness, the contemporary moviegoer will recognize the archetypal story retold in Apocalypse Now. Rendered by a master storyteller, it acquires an especially luminous quality that sheds light on a great mystery of human existence.