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Updated: 29 Sep 2002 |
Born Teodor Józef Konrad Korzeniowski near Berdichev, Poland, Conrad was the son of a Polish noble from whom he acquired a love of literature. However, he was orphaned at the age of 12 and at age 16 left Russian-occupied Poland for Marsaille. For the next few years he served on various ships - French and English - becoming a master mariner and, in 1886, a naturalised British subject. He continued travelling widely, especially in Africa and the east. Although English was his fourth language, it was in English that he chose to write, drawing primarily upon these experiences. His first published work, Almayer's Folly, appeared in 1895. Conrad's subsequent life does not appear to have been easy: he received only a small income from his writing, and neither Conrad nor his wife were well. He died at Bishopsbourne, near Canterbury.
Much of his writing, or at least the setting, was inspired by his life at sea and in foreign parts, in the decade or so from 1885 to 1895, especially his travels on the Congo River and in the Malay archipelago.
"I joined [the ship's company]. It was twenty-two years ago; and I was just twenty. How time passes! It was one of the happiest days of my life. Fancy! Second mate for the first time – a really responsible officer! I wouldn't have thrown up my new billet for a fortune. The mate looked me over carefully. He was also an old chap, but of another stamp. He had a Roman nose, a snow-white, long beard, and his name was Mahon, but he insisted that it should be pronounced Mann. He was well connected; yet there was something wrong with his luck, and he had never got on." — Youth: A Narrative
Conrad is certainly most loved for his major novels – Lord Jim, Nostromo, ... – but, during his career, he has also left us with many short stories and a few 'in between' such as Typhoon. Today, we face more competition for our free time, and, perhaps, have less appreciation and patience with the craft of story-telling. These hurdles needn't shut us off from Conrad; his short stories can provide us with an introduction which is fully illustrative of the author's technique and style. Several collections are available; some published by Conrad (or at least authorised by him) and others put together posthumously.
Some of Conrad's titles are:
Various posthumous collections are commonly available. One example is:
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