Within the Tides: Tales

Written at various times, under various influences, the four stories contained in Within the Tides are linked by Conrad's treatment of loyalty and betrayal. They range in setting from the Far East via eighteenth-century Spain to England. The tone shifts from the tragic inevitability of The Planter of Malata and the pathos of Because of the Dollars to the gothic The Inn of the Two Witches and the grim humour of The Partner. The form of the stories was experimental but does not obscure Conrad's humanity or his search for moral truth.

This is a fun collection of short stories. All four are centered around the sea, though none of them ever really make it out to sea. They touch on supernatural (The Inn of the Two Witches is flat out creepy) without being ghost stories per se. Three of the four stories are from the perspective of a rugged, individualistic man. The other, The Partner, shows what'll happen to you if you're NOT a rugged individualistic man.

Contents

The planter of Malata -- The partner -- The inn of the two witches -- Because of the dollars.