Joseph Conrad was a Polish-born English novelist celebrated for his profound explorations of the human psyche and the darker aspects of colonialism. Drawing heavily from his own seafaring experiences, his works delve into the complexities of morality and human nature under extreme duress. Conrad's distinctive voice emerged from a unique synthesis of French, Russian, and Polish literary sensibilities with his later mastery of English. He is lauded as one of the most powerful and insightful novelists in the English canon, offering readers deeply compelling and often disturbing fictional journeys.
A great novelist of the sea, a poet of the tropics, a harbinger of the modern spy novel, and an observer of the moments in which people are stripped of their illusions, Joseph Conrad is one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. This title features some of the best known and most enduring of Conrad's works.
This hardcover book is part of the TREDITION CLASSICS series, which aims to preserve and promote timeless works of classical literature that have been out of print for years. By reading these books, readers support the mission to save significant literary works from oblivion and make them available worldwide again.
Resting one night on a boat on the River Thames, Charlie Marlow tells his friends about his experiences as a stream-boat captain on the River Congo. There, in the heart of Africa, his search for the extraordinary Mr Kurtz caused him to question his own nature and values - and the nature and values of his society.
Joseph Conrad's memoir on the voyages he made in the Golden Age of Sail, a personal meditation on the sea and its meanings by one of the twentieth century's most important novelists.
Exploring the complexities of human relationships and the nature of art, this collection of six stories delves into themes of love, betrayal, and the search for meaning. Each narrative presents a unique perspective, showcasing Conrad's masterful storytelling and deep psychological insight. The characters navigate their inner conflicts and moral dilemmas against richly drawn backdrops, reflecting the intricate interplay between personal desires and societal expectations. This work highlights Conrad's enduring relevance in examining the human condition.
To begin with I wish to disclaim the possession of those high gifts of imagination and expression which would have enabled my pen to create for the reader the personality of the man who called himself, after the Russian custom, Cyril son of Isidor -- Kirylo Sidorovitch -- Razumov. If I have ever had these gifts in any sort of living form they have been smothered out of existence a long time ago under a wilderness of words...
Drawing upon his experiences as the captain of a steamer on the Congo River, Joseph Conrad wrote "An Outpost of Progress," a sharp critique of British colonialism that the master storyteller considered his best tale. A precursor to Heart of Darkness, it traces the physical and moral degradation of two English overseers at a remote African trading post, offering a compelling view of the destructive effects of cultural isolation. This compilation presents four additional short stories: "An Anarchist (A Desperate Tale)," centering on an ex-convict's association with a radical political faction in nineteenth-century England; "The Informer (An Ironic Tale)," a character study in political contradictions focusing on an anarchist's embrace of bourgeois values; "Il Conde (A Pathetic Tale)," in which a violent crime disrupts a nobleman's visit to Naples; and "A Smile of Fortune," which recounts how a seafarer's romantic inclinations lead him into misplacing his loyalty.
JOSEPH CONRAD (1857-1924) was one of the most remarkable figures in English literature. Born in Poland, and originally named Josef Teodor Konrad Walecz Korzeniowski, he went to sea at the age of seventeen and eventually joined the crew of an English vessel, becoming a British citizen in the process. He retired from the sea in 1894 and took up the pen, writing all his works in English, a language he had only learned as an adult. Despite this, he was a master stylist, both lush and precise. His outsider's eye gave him special insights into the moral dangers of the great age of European empires.
Great Ghost Stories is a volume filled with strange sights, spirits, words and actions from beyond the grave.This rich and diverse collection brings together some of the best spooky writing of all time.
