A Personal Record · Character

Nicholas B.

A one-time soldier of Napoleon wounded in the heel like Achilles, reduced by lost wars and family treachery to a quiet, phlegmatic old age.

supporting

Also known as Nicholas, Mr. Nicholas B., poor Mr. Nicholas B., dear Nicholas, Mr. B., Captain Nicholas B.

First appearance: A Personal Record

As a supporting figure in A Personal Record, Nicholas B. is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Granduncle who ate a dog, mentioned as part of family lore.

In the storyA Personal RecordOpen this moment free

See Nicholas B. in A Personal Record Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Mr. Nicholas B. is the narrator's great-uncle, a veteran of the Hundred Days who shrank from returning to his province after Napoleon's fall and never quite explained how he crossed an armed Europe. His dry, deliberate indignation—summed up in the single word 'Imbecile'—and his assumed indifference about a heel wound worthy of emperors reveal a man both proud and resigned. His ruined inheritance at the hands of a charming stepfather shadows the family history that Conrad weaves into his own origins.

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Nicholas B. sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Nicholas B. in A Personal Record

Character Web

1 connection

A slice of how Nicholas B. sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Friendship

Character groups

Maritime and Literary Acquaintances
Protagonist

Explore ties, sentiment, and clusters while you read

Open in reader

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This passage marks the dramatic climax because it reveals the psychological turning point where Conrad, despit…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

Relationships

Narrator
friendship · positive
Narrator
friendship · positive

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Nicholas B. in A Personal Record

In the story

Nicholas B. appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

A Personal Record
Granduncle who ate a dog, mentioned as part of family lore.
Chapter II
Granduncle who ate a Lithuanian dog on active service; his deed is recalled with childish horror.
III
Mr. Nicholas B. is the central figure of the chapter. His military career under Napoleon, his survival of the retreat from Moscow (including eating a dog), his service in the Polish Army, and his later life of silent contradiction are detailed.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Nicholas B. unlock in the free preview.

See Nicholas B. in A Personal Record