Best Selling Books by Joseph Conrad

Jane Eyre. Heart of Darkness. The Scarlet Letter. You’re familiar with these pillars of classic literature. You have seen plenty of Frankenstein costumes, watched the film adaptations, and may even be able to rattle off a few quotes, but do you really know how to read these books? Do you know anything about the authors who wrote them, and what the authors were trying to teach readers through their stories? Do you know how to read them as a Christian? Taking into account your old worldview, as well as that of the author? In this beautiful cloth-over-board edition bestselling author, literature professor, and avid reader Karen Swallow Prior will guide you through Heart of Darkness. She will not only navigate you through the pitfalls that trap readers today, but show you how to read it in light of the gospel, and to the glory of God. This edition includes a thorough introduction to the author, context, and overview of the work (without any spoilers for first-time readers), the full original text, as well as footnotes and reflection questions throughout to help the reader attain a fuller grasp of Heart of Darkness.

A bold young English sailor has despised himself ever since an impulsive moment of cowardice. Jim moves East to Patusan, where natives worship him-and he may be able to find redemption...

The story of Marlow travelling upriver in central Africa to find Kurtz, an ivory agent as consumed by the horror of human life as he is by physical illness, has long been considered a classic, and continues to be widely read and studied. This edition, edited by one of the leading figures in ‘the Conrad controversy,’ includes an introduction and explanatory notes, as well as a fascinating variety of contemporary documents that help to set this extraordinary work in the context of the period from which it emerged. The introduction and bibliography have been updated, and two new appendices have been added; the second of these is a selection of Alice Harris’s extraordinary but little-known photographs documenting the horrors of colonialism in turn-of-the-century Congo.

Heart of Darkness centers around Marlow, an introspective sailor, and his journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz, reputed to be an idealistic man of great abilities. Marlow takes a job as a riverboat captain with the Company, a Belgian concern organized to trade in the Congo. As he travels to Africa and then up the Congo, Marlow encounters widespread inefficiency and brutality in the Company''s stations. The native inhabitants of the region have been forced into the Company''s service, and they suffer terribly from overwork and ill treatment at the hands of the Company''s agents.

Returning to the steamy backwater of Costaguana in South America, Charles Gould is determined to make a success of the silver mine he inherited. However, his dreams of wealth and power are thwarted when the country is plunged into revolution.

''Heart of Darkness'' is a small, but perhaps the most famousadventure story written by Joseph Conrad. The narrative is writtenon behalf of the sailor Marlowe, who tells the reader about his pastadventures.In the African wilds, there is an illegally operating elephant bonemining company. While crossing the continent, Marlowe travels to oneof its divisions. As he is getting closer to his destination, the maincharacter hears more and more stories about some almighty Kurtz, anagent of the company, whom the locals mention with fear and hatred.What awaits Marlowe after meeting him?Pretty illustrations by Vladislav Trotsenko provide you with newimpressions from reading this legendary story.

This carefully crafted ebook: "Nostromo - A Tale of the Seaboard (Unabridged Deluxe Edition)" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard is a 1904 novel, set in the fictitious South American republic of "Costaguana". Conrad set his novel in the mining town of Sulaco. The book has more fully developed characters than any other of his novels, but two characters dominate the narrative: Señor Gould and the eponymous anti-hero, the "incorruptible" Nostromo. In his "Author''s Note" Conrad relates how, as a young man of about seventeen, while serving aboard a ship in the Gulf of Mexico, he heard the story of a man who had stolen, single-handedly, "a whole lighter-full of silver". But Conrad forgot about the story until some twenty-five years later when he came across a travelogue in a used bookshop in which the author related how he worked for years aboard a schooner whose master claimed to be that very thief who had stolen the silver. F. Scott Fitzgerald said, "I''d rather have written Nostromo than any other novel." Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), was a Polish author who wrote in English after settling in England. Conrad is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in English, though he did not speak the language fluently until he was in his twenties. He wrote stories and novels, often with a nautical setting, that depict trials of the human spirit in the midst of an indifferent universe. He was a master prose stylist who brought a distinctly non-English tragic sensibility into English literature. Contents: Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard Memoirs & Letters: A Personal Record; or Some Reminiscences The Mirror of the Sea Notes on Life & Letters Biography and Critical Essays: Joseph Conrad (A Biography) by Hugh Walpole Joseph Conrad by John Albert Macy A Conrad Miscellany by John Albert Macy Joseph Conrad by Virginia Woolf

Joseph Conrad''s Lord Jim, first published in England in 1900, has long been acknowledged as a very difficult book for readers to understand, especially on the first read. However, those who have taken the time to understand the book acknowledge that the effort is worth it. Lord Jim, which Conrad began as a short sketch, grew into a novel that is widely recognized for its modernism-its tendency to buck the conventional narrative trends of its day. The most obvious technique that Conrad used was a shifting form of narration, in which the reader hears a tale first from one narrator, then another, and finally from several disparate accounts.

The novel "Lord Jim" is recognized as Joseph Conrad''s best work. But what does the author think? Here is a quote from his preface to one of the editions of the novel: " I have been asked at times whether this was not the book of mine I liked best. I am a great foe to favouritism in public life, in private life, and even in the delicate relationship of an author to his works. As a matter of principle I will have no favourites; but I don''t go so far as to feel grieved and annoyed by the preference some people give to my Lord Jim''''.Pretty illustrations provide you with new impressions from reading this legendary story.Illustrated by Vladislav Trotsenko

Presenting Heart of Darkness (Large Print Edition) by Joseph Conrad. This classic is part of The Great Books Series by Golding Books. An allegorical novel (or precisely a novella) like no other, Heart of Darkness is a masterpiece of psychological fiction and one of many classic sea stories from Joseph Conrad, though the action predominantly takes place on the Congo River. Charles Marlow captains a steamboat for an ivory trading company, and grows obsessed with ivory trader Kurtz, who has turned himself into a charismatic demigod of the local tribes. Heart of Darkness examines what it means to be civilized, and in asking questions about imperialism and racism it suggests much about who people at the time called "savages" and who is the cause of darkness. It is one of the most gripping and incisive of dark classics, and is also an excellent introductory point to classic and complex short novels or more serious literature (including its suitability as young adult literature). Golding Books'' Great Books Series, along with its Essential Series, comprises a wide variety of classic, influential and important books. These two series aim to champion not only remarkable and recognized literary achievements, but also to highlight the meaningful and significant works of lesser-known authors. Get your copy of the titles through convenient online purchase as an eBook or in paperback (including some Large Print editions). Joseph Conrad was born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski in the Russian Empire (now Ukraine, and once part of the Kingdom of Poland) in 1857. Because of his father''s attempts at farming and political activism, the family moved repeatedly (such as to Warsaw, Vologda, and Chernihiv) and Conrad was home-schooled. An aloof and often depressed man, 20-year-old Conrad attempted suicide by shooting himself in the chest with a revolver. Born a Russian subject, he was granted British nationality in 1886 after joining the British merchant marine in 1878, and eventually settled in Kent, England. About half of his 19-year merchant marine career was spent at sea; he achieved captain''s rank after working in numerous crew roles. His most popular novels include The Nigger of the ''Narcissus'' (1897), Heart of Darkness (1899), Lord Jim (1900), Typhoon (1902), Nostromo (1904), and The Secret Agent (1907). After suffering throughout his life from issues with his physical and mental health, Conrad died of a likely heart attack at the age of 66.

Joseph Conrad was an English-language writer, best known for works like "Nostromo," "Lord Jim," and "Heart of Darkness," immortalized on screen by Marlon Brando in "Apocalypse Now." Of Polish origin but settled in England, Joseph Conrad was considered one of the most important authors in the English language, and "Nostromo" is regarded by critics as his finest work. The novel is set in the fictional South American republic of "Costaguana," which has a long history of tyranny, revolution, and war but experiences a period of stability. The character Nostromo is an Italian expatriate who rose to his position through bravery and is seen as a useful instrument to the local oligarchy. Nostromo is tasked with removing the silver from Sulaco to keep it away from the revolutionaries. Unfortunately, Nostromo''s exploits do not bring him the expected recognition, leading him into corruption and eventual destruction. The captivating work "Nostromo" is part of the collection "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die."

The Secret Sharer is a short story that takes place at sea, near the Gulf of Siam, and is told from the perspective of a young nameless Captain. The captain is unfamiliar with both his ship and his crew, having only joined their company a fortnight earlier. The Captain is furthermore unsure of himself, questioning his ability to fulfill the role of such an authoritative figure.

Jim este secundul vasului „Patna” şi, din cauza unui accident, vasul este ameninţat să se scufunde. Convins că vasul nu mai are nici o şansă, Jim îl părăseşte alături de ceilalţi câţiva ofiţeri şi se salvează, lăsându-i pe cei de la bord în voia sorţii. Dar „Patna” să fie salvat de un vapor francez, iar Jim şi ofiţerii sunt chemaţi în faţa unui tribunal naval. Ei sunt acuzaţi de încălcarea acelei legi elementare care spune că orice om în stare să acţioneze datorează loialitatea şi sentimentul solidarităţii faţă de cei aflaţi în pericol. Acuzaţia este cu atât mai gravă cu cât inculpaţii erau ofiţerii navei, deci trebuiau să fie ultimii care părăsesc locul dezastrului. Jim trebuie să suporte consecinţele judecăţii, adică anularea brevetului de marinar, dar mai greu de suportat i se par remuşcările, conştiinţa că e un om copleşit de slăbiciuni pe care nu poate să le stăpânească, gândul că a pierdut încrederea oamenilor pe care i-a părăsit când erau în mare primejdie. Strădaniile lui Jim de a-şi ispăşi vina constituie materialul care compune partea a doua a romanului, mai bogată narativ. În timpul procesului, apare un anume căpitan Marlow, personaj care iniţial este confesorul lui Jim, şi care preia povestirea, ducând-o până la capăt. Marlow este cel care îl ajută pe Jim să pornească pe un drum care să-l angajeze din nou în viaţă, să-l restabilească, însă Jim trăieşte cu sentimentul că orice ar face nu este suficient pentru a-şi compensa vina. Abandonează slujba pe care un prieten de-al lui Marlow i-o oferise şi devine curier la firma „Egstrom şi Blake” a unor antreprenori de vapoare, post pe care îl părăseşte, lăsând totuşi o impresie bună în urma lui. Jim nu acceptă toleranţa şi simpatia lui Marlow faţă de el, considerându-le nişte daruri nemeritate, pe care le refuză. Jim mai trece prin astfel de experienţe, însă nimic nu-i uşurează eforturile de a se mântui; el se dăruieşte cu voluptate trăirii vinovăţiei. Marlow vorbeşte foarte expresiv despre drama lui Jim; „e poate un act de eroism prozaic să-ţi arunci pâinea de toate zilele ca să-ţi păstrezi mâinile libere în vederea unei trânte cu o nălucă (...) Dar Jim era într-adevăr nenorocit, căci întregul neastâmpăr nu putea să-l elibereze de obsesia lui”. Ultima încercare a lui Jim este în Patusan. un district îndepărtat al unui stat băştinaş independent din Malaiezia, unde ajunge cu ajutorul lui Stein, un negustor bogat şi respectat, colecţionar de carte şi pasionat de entomologie, prieten al lui Marlow. Legăturile lui Stein cu lumea malaieziană erau afacerile firmei sale şi o femeie băştinaşă, pe care el o numea „soţia mea, Prinţesa”, care murise la naşterea fiicei sale, Emma. Cornelius, un portughez, asociat de-al lui Stein, făcea afaceri dubioase şi prejudicia succesul firmei. Menirea lui Jim este să-l înlocuiască pe acest Cornelius. Jim îşi foloseşte toată inteligenţa pentru a sluji poporul din Patusan, pentru a-l apăra de jaf şi exploatare. Pătrunderea lui Jim în ţinut reprezintă un bun prilej, fructificat de Conrad, pentru descrierea unei lumi exotice care, dincolo de pitorescul ei, adăposteşte oameni cărora eroul li se dedică şi le câştigă astfel toată încrederea. Populaţia din Patusan este victima unui rajah şi a negustorilor albi, care urmăresc doar să se îmbogăţească. Jim se află în război cu ei. Existenţa lui în acest ţinut pare să-i ofere şansa sigură a reabilitării în faţa celorlalţi: „Am nevoie (...) să simt în fiecare zi, ele câte ori deschid ochii, că mă bucur de încrederea lor”, mărturiseşte el. Se întâmplă însă ca Jim să piardă din nou încrederea oamenilor, deşi de data aceasta nu din cauza vreunei slăbiciuni personale, ci din cauza trecutului copleşitor şi, în plus, a încrederii acordate lui Brown, un pirat care este autorul unui atentat odios împotriva oamenilor din Patusan. Acesta îl sensibilizase pe Jim, evocându-i un trecut asemănător cu al lui. Brown este un adevărat geniu al răului care-l duce pe erou la pierzanie. Nemaiputându-şi îndura greşeala. Jim se sinucide, considerând acest ultim act drept împăcarea supremă cu sine. Povestea lui Marlow despre Jim se încheie tulburător: „Jim dispare sub umbra unui nor, cu inima-i de nepătruns, uitat, de neiertat şi uimitor de romantic. Nici în cele mai nebuneşti clipe ale viziunilor lui copilăreşti n-ar fi putut să întrevadă întruchiparea unei victorii atât de nemaipomenite, căci se prea poate ca în clipa ultimei priviri semeţe şi sigure să fi zărit faţa «norocului», ca pe o mireasă orientală, voalată stând lângă el”.

Mr Verloc, the secret agent, keeps a shop in London''s Soho where he lives with his wife Winnie, her infirm mother, and her idiot brother, Stevie. When Verloc is reluctantly involved in an anarchist plot to blow up the Greenwich Observatory things go disastrously wrong, and what appears to be "a simple tale" proves to involve politicians, policemen, foreign diplomats, and London''s fashionable society in the darkest and most surprising interrelations.Based on the text which Conrad''s first English readers enjoyed, this new edition includes a full and up-to-date bibliography, a comprehensive chronology and a critical introduction which describes Conrad''s great London novel as the realization of a "monstrous town," a place of idiocy, madness, criminality, and savage butchery. It also discusses contemporary anarchist activity in the UK, imperialism, and Conrad''s narrative techniques.

First published in the year 1904, famous English traveller and colonial writer Joseph Conrad''s novel ''Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard'' is set in the fictitious South American republic of Costaguana.

The narrative deals with the ideals of a man and his inability to live up to them. The vividly drawn characters are dealt with severe blows at the hands of fate. It is a story of betrayal and deceit of the protagonist; not only to the other characters but also to his own principles. A beautiful amalgamation of the past and the present is ingeniously presented. An intriguing read.

A gripping tale of capitalist exploitation and rebellion, set amid the mist-shrouded mountains of a fictional South American republic, employs flashbacks and glimpses of the future to depict the lure of silver and its effects on men. Conrad''s deep moral consciousness and masterful narrative technique are at their best in this, one of his greatest works.

Generally regarded as the pre-eminent work of Conrad''s shorter fiction, ''Heart of Darkness'' is a chilling tale of horror which, as the author intended, is capable of many interpretations.

Set in eastern Borneo during the 1880s, Almayer''s Folley recreates the conflicts of imperial Europe with the colonised East Indies through Joseph Conrad''s story of Kaspar Almayer''s personal tragedy: his loss of both his daughter of mixed race to her native lover and his dream of finding enough gold to return to Amsterdam in triumph. The introduction gives the history of the composition over almost five years as Conrad went to the Congo, Australia, the Ukraine, Belgium, Switzerland, and France as a seaman and on holiday. The novel has suffered seven layers of unauthorised intervention by typists and publishers, as set out in the essay on the text and the apparatus. The notes explain Malay terms and historical references, and there are two regional maps. This is the text of Almayer''s Folley, established through modern textual scholarship, as Conrad would have like it to have appeared in 1895.

Heart of Darkness, published in 1899, is considered by many to be the most famous work written by Joseph Conrad. The novella centers around a voyage up the Congo River into the heart of Africa by Marlow, the narrator of the story. Marlow tells his story to a group of friends while they are anchored on the River Thames in London. Conrad is able to masterly weave the story to show certain parallels between London and Africa.Lord Jim, published in 1900, is a novel that centers around the life and adventures of the title character, a young British seaman who must come to terms with his past. The book also features the character Marlow.Nostromo, published in 1904, is a novel that is set in a fictitious republic in South America. The book has often been recognized as one of the best novels of the 20th century and it is notable for having great characters such as the title character and Charles Gould.Joseph Conrad was a Polish-British writer who is considered to be one of the greatest authors in English literature. Conrad''s books contain much of the elements seen in 19th-century realism but his modernistic writing also influenced many great authors that followed including Faulkner, Hemingway, and Orwell. Conrad wrote classics in many different genres and many of his works were based off his experiences at sea as a British merchant marine.