In 1894, aged 36, Conrad reluctantly gave up the sea, partly because of poor health, partly due to unavailability of ships, and partly because he had become so fascinated with writing that he had decided on a literary career.
I 1894 gik Conrad modvilligt i land i en alder af 36, dels pga. dårligt helbred, og dels fordi han var blevet så fascineret af at skrive, at han besluttede sig for en litterær karriere.