The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket and Related T... by Edgar Allan Poe

However, the journey of Pym and Augustus is anything but monotonous, as they face unforeseen events that challenge both their physical and psychological endurance. Consequently, he follows Augustus as a stowaway on board a whaling vessel, the Grampus, which is bound on an expedition to the southern seas and is incidentally captained by Augustus’s father. Despite the frightening ordeal, Pym is only further thrilled by the idea of sailing, and it is this enthusiasm that incites his next sea adventure. Unfortunately, their trip is cut short due to a perilous storm, from which the two young men just barely escape, owing their lives to a passing whaling ship. Their first open water adventure is initiated one evening after an alcohol induced whim witnesses the pair set sail aboard Pym’s sailboat, the Ariel. His best friend Augustus Barnard and son of a sea captain, spurs Pym’s dangerous love for life at sea. The adventure begins with the introduction of its narrator, the decorous young man, Arthur Gordon Pym from the island of Nantucket, who commences the marvelous tale by giving a descriptive account of his reputable family background and upbringing. Shipwreck, starvation, mutiny, near death experiences and cannibalism are just some of the issues endured in the gripping, and at times gruesome novel. The novel follows Arthur Gordon Pym, who finds himself in the center of gloomy occurrences on board numerous vessels, as his anticipated sea adventure takes a drastic shift in the wind.

Published in 1838, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket is Poe’s only complete novel and concentrates on several sea adventures gone awry.

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket and Related T... by Edgar Allan Poe