Аннотация

This was the first book of the trilogy To the Ends of the Earth, and went on to win the 1980 Man Booker Prize, beating Anthony Burgess' Earthly Powers. It focuses upon the account of a trip to Australia, and takes the form of a journal written by Edmund Talbot, a young, aristocratic passenger aboard a British warship. His influential godfather, having secured him employment with the Governor of New South Wales, presented him with the journal in which to record the significant events of the journey.

Talbot begins his commentary by detailing the various passengers and crew members, who encompass a motley yet representative collection of early 19th century English society. The journal quickly becomes concerned with the account of the downfall of a passenger, the Reverend Colley. Talbot has a somewhat ambiguous role in this: whilst he quickly assumes a mediator's role between the Reverend and Captain Anderson, the initial problem was caused by Talbot's presumption of preference and status within the group of passengers and, inappropriately, the crew. Class division, or the assumption of a higher status than is warranted, is a running theme of the book. This theme focuses upon the proper conduct of a gentleman; however, it also deals with his often-stormy friendship with one of the officers, Lieutenant Summers, who sometimes feels slighted by Talbot's ill-thought-out comments and advice.

Like many of Golding’s books, it also looks at man’s reversion to savagery in the wake of isolation. Talbot is ambivalent about presenting the account, which he considers may not show him in the best light, to his godfather, though he does not consider that he has a choice and eventually has the journal sealed so he cannot tamper with it.