A Reader S Guide To Joseph Conrad

It was not until the late 1930s - after his death - that Joseph Conrad emerged from literary neglect. Critical works on his significant contribution began to surface, many comparing him in talent to Joyce and Faulkner. Frederick R. Karl provides for readers an independent study on the Nostromo manuscript and defends Victory as one of Conrad's greatest novels.

Study on the works of Joseph Conrad, 1857-1924, English novelist.

Joseph Conrad achieved worldwide literary renown in his third language. Despite not having learned English until his twenties, Conrad succeeded in breaking new ground with his portrayal of anti-heroes & distinctive narrative style, becoming a major influence on 20th century English language fiction.

Joseph Conrad is one of the great figures in the tradition of the novel. This clear and well-written study provides a critically-informed introduction to Conrad and his work, placing him in his political, social and literary context, and examining his relationship to Modernism, England and Empire. Organised thematically - broaching the leading themes of race, the sea and nationalism - Allan H. Simmons covers the range of Conrad's fiction, from the early Malay novels, through such key works as Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, Nostromo, The Secret Agent and Under Western Eyes, to his later novels. First-time readers of Conrad are provided with in-depth contexts for appreciating a writer whose work is often challenging, while readers already familiar with Conrad's fiction will find new perspectives with which to view it. Approachable and authoritative, this introductory guide is essential for anyone with an interest in a master of twentieth-century fiction whose work variously altered the English and European literary landscape.

The popular yet complex work of Joseph Conrad has attracted much critical attention over the years, from the perspectives of postcolonial, modernist, cultural and gender studies. This guide to his compelling work presents: an accessible introduction to the contexts and many interpretations of Conrad’s texts, from publication to the present an introduction to key critical texts and perspectives on Conrad’s life and work, situated in a broader critical history cross-references between sections of the guide, in order to suggest links between texts, contexts and criticism suggestions for further reading. Part of the Routledge Guides to Literature series, this volume is essential reading for all those beginning detailed study of Joseph Conrad and seeking not only a guide to his works, but also a way through the wealth of contextual and critical material that surrounds them.

Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness, has fascinated critics and readers alike, engaging them in highly controversial debate as it deals with fundamental issues of good and evil, civilisation, race, love and heroism. This classic tale transcends the boundaries of time and place and has inspired famous film and television adaptations emphasising the cultural significance and continued relevance of the book. This guide to Conrad’s captivating novel offers: an accessible introduction to the text and contexts of Heart of Darkness a critical history, surveying the many interpretations of the text from publication to the present a selection of new essays and reprinted critical essays on Heart of Darkness, by Ian Watt, Linda Dryden, Ruth Nadelhaft, J. Hillis Miller and Peter Brooks, providing a range of perspectives on the novel and extending the coverage of key critical approaches identified in the survey section cross-references between sections of the guide, in order to suggest links between texts, contexts and criticism suggestions for further reading. Part of the Routledge Guides to Literature series, this volume is essential reading for all those beginning detailed study of Heart of Darkness and seeking not only a guide to the novel, but a way through the wealth of contextual and critical material that surrounds Conrad's text.