First Impression Friday will be a meme where you talk about a book that you JUST STARTED! Maybe you’re only a chapter or two in, maybe a little farther. Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions and predict what you’ll think by the end.

Synopsis:

A gripping tale of capitalist exploitation and rebellion, set amid the mist-shrouded mountains of a fictional South American republic, employs flashbacks and glimpses of the future to depict the lure of silver and its effects on men. Conrad’s deep moral consciousness and masterful narrative technique are at their best in this, one of his greatest works.” (Source: Goodreads)

It’s the end of the workweek—yay! Technically, it is already Saturday. Still, I hope the week has been kind to everyone and that you’re all ending it on a high note. How time flies! We are already in the sixth month of the year, inching closer to its midpoint. Time takes its natural course. Nevertheless, I hope the first five months of the year have proven promising. I hope conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world continue to de-escalate—or, better yet, are resolved soon. As the year progresses, I hope everyone is given plenty of opportunities to grow and improve. With the weekend here, I hope everyone has a great one and truly ends the workweek on a high note. It’s time to dress down and wear more comfortable clothes. I hope everyone spends the weekend wisely—whether by resting from the rigors of a demanding career, pursuing passions, completing household chores, spending time with loved ones, or simply relaxing. I hope you’re all doing well—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

With the start of a new month comes a new reading adventure. Or perhaps not. I was supposed to wrap up my three-month venture into European literature in May. However, I realized that I have yet to read the works of several European writers I included in my reading challenges. I find this ironic because the main reason I started reading works by European writers this early was to tackle the books I had already listed for those challenges. I usually read such works later in the year. I actually thought this extension would be short, but upon checking my reading challenges, I realized I might spend more time here than planned. I have about five more books left to read, most of which are part of my 2026 Beat the Backlist Challenge. Regardless, I am looking forward to reading these books. Completing them will make a dent in my Backlist Challenge. Hopefully, I can finish them before June ends.

Among the books I included in the aforementioned challenge is Joseph Conrad’s Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard. It was various must-read lists that first introduced me to the British writer. I would later learn that he was born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski in what is now Ukraine. He was the only child of Apollo Korzeniowski, a writer, translator, political activist, and would-be revolutionary. He was orphaned while still in his early teens; both of his parents died of tuberculosis. He was then raised by his maternal uncle, Tadeusz Bobrowski, a lawyer. He would eventually follow in his father’s footsteps. As a young boy, he read the works of Sir Walter Scott, James Fenimore Cooper, Charles Dickens, and William Makepeace Thackeray in Polish and French. Interestingly, Conrad only started writing in English when he was twenty. He would go on to become one of the most renowned novelists in the English language, with many of his works being staples of must-read lists.

This then brings me to Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard, a book I purchased during the 2018 Big Bad Wolf Sale. Yes, the book has been on my bookshelf for nearly a decade, hence its inclusion in my 2026 Beat the Backlist Challenge. This is also the first Conrad novel I am going to read. Originally published in monthly installments in T.P.’s Weekly in 1904, the novel transports readers to the fictitious South American republic of Costaguana. While the country is fictional, several commentators have noted its geographical similarity to Colombia. Furthermore, Costaguana’s history has been marked by tyranny, revolution, and warfare. The story, however, unfolds in the port city of Sulaco, located in the Occidental Province. There, a local man of English descent named Charles Gould has taken over his father’s silver mine near the city. The silver-mining concession is important, but Gould has grown weary of the rampant corruption and political volatility that permeate the region.

Gould plans to use the wealth generated by the mine to support the political career of Don Vincente Ribiera. Hoping that the would-be leader can bring stability to the country, he brings his English-born wife, Emilia Gould, to Sulaco to help him. Together, they refurbish and reopen the mine, which eventually becomes highly lucrative. As their wealth grows, so too does their influence within Costaguana’s political circles. They are able to help Ribiera secure election to a five-year term as national leader. His regime is initially promising. After a long succession of self-serving dictators who had been ruinous to the country, Ribiera succeeds in steering Costaguana toward a period of relative socio-economic and political stability. However, this stability does not last. The silver mine and the wealth it generates inspire a new wave of revolutions and ambitious warlords, among them the revolutionary forces led by General Montero, Ribiera’s former Minister of War. They eventually overthrow Ribiera, plunging the country into chaos.

When the capital city is captured, Montero’s men turn their attention toward Sulaco, prompting Gould to panic. Refusing to allow his silver mine to become spoils of war, Gould enlists the help of the titular Nostromo, the trusted Capataz de Cargadores (Head Longshoreman) of Sulaco. An Italian sailor named Giovanni Battista Fidanza, Nostromo is entrusted by Gould with the daunting task of smuggling the mine’s most recent shipment of silver ingots offshore to safety amid the civil unrest. Gould has also arranged for the destruction of the mine complex with dynamite should the coup leaders attempt to seize it. For his part, Nostromo serves as the foreman of the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company (OSN), whose workers oversee activity along the Sulaco shoreline. This position earns him widespread respect throughout the city. He commands the loyalty of the local working-class men and is therefore highly valuable to the capitalists who depend on their labor.

Nostromo is also renowned for his bravery and boldness. These qualities allow him to rise through the ranks and become the trusted intermediary for virtually every powerful figure in Sulaco. His name derives from the phrase nostro uomo, meaning “our man.” The word nostromo also means “boatswain” or “shipmate” in Italian. Meanwhile, Fidanza means “trust.” In many ways, Nostromo is literally a trusted everyman. He is viewed by the wealthy as a useful instrument and is widely regarded as incorruptible. From what I can glean from the opening chapters, he is certainly a captivating character. I have only just begun reading the novel, but he has already made a strong impression.

I also learned from the author’s note that the novel was inspired by a story Conrad heard when he was seventeen. While serving aboard a ship in the Gulf of Mexico, he heard the story of a man who had single-handedly stolen “a whole lighterful of silver.” He initially shook it off; he was still a adolescent man, after all. Conrad forgot about the tale but was reminded of it nearly three decades later when he came across a travelogue in a used-book shop. The American author of the travelogue recounted working for years aboard a schooner whose captain claimed to be the very thief who had stolen the silver.

Nostromo is often cited as Conrad’s magnum opus, or at least as one of his finest works. That reputation only makes me look forward to reading it even more. And yes, Conrad apparently spent a significant portion of his youth at sea. I suppose that helps explain the novel’s Latin American setting, given that he sailed to the Gulf of Mexico and the Indies. I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds. The novel also captures aspects of the continent’s tumultuous post-colonial history. I suspect that colonialism is one of its central themes. The premise of an Englishman supporting a local political leader certainly underscores that possibility. The novel is rather lengthy, so I expect many more developments to emerge as the story progresses. So far, it has been a promising start to my first Conrad novel.

How about you, reader? What book or books are you taking with you this weekend? I hope you all have a great one—and that whatever you’re reading provides a welcome respite from the demands of daily life.