A Joseph Conrad Companion

(Hardback)

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Best known as the author of "Heart of Darkness" (1899), Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) is perhaps one of the most widely taught writers in English. His mastery of the English language is especially notable, for he was born in a Ukrainian area of Poland under Czarist Russian rule and began a sea career in France. He joined the British merchant fleet, and his travels took him to European imperial outposts throughout Asia, South America and Africa. To pass the monotonous time on land between journeys, he began to write fiction in English. Never quite at home anywhere, he spoke a thickly accented mix of English, Polish and French. He sometimes posed as a flirtatious Frenchman, a fallen Polish nobleman, and an English country squire and man of letters. Like many writers, his works reflect his experiences. As a reference book, this volume is a comprehensive guide to Conrad's troubled life and enduring literary legacy. An opening chapter tells the story of his difficulties, adventures and achievements. It also summarizes the current state of biographical research on Conrad and provides a useful context for approaching his works. The chapter that follows builds on the biography by discussing the importance of Conrad's letters to our understanding of his life and writings. Additional chapters examine each of his major works, while others address clusters of his later novels, his short fiction, and his essays and memoirs. Each chapter is written by an expert contributor and offers a combination of summary and original scholarhip. Thus the volume provides significant biographical, bibliographical and contextual information to those readers new to Conrad, while simultaneously giving experienced readers a range of fresh critical perspectives.

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^IA Joseph Conrad Companion^R, compiled by Leonard Orrand and Ted Billy, present essays which travel chronologically through Conrad's literary career, in a volume intended for both new and advanced students. Devoted Conrad scholars may be interested in the essays that cover the short stories that are either overlooked or dismissed. * Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 *

Author Bio

LEONARD ORR is Associate Professor of English at Washington State University. His previous books include Research in Critical Theory Since 1965: A Classified Bibliography (Greenwood, 1989) and A Dictionary of Critical Theory (Greenwood, 1991). TED BILLY is Associate Professor of English at St. Mary's College. He is the editor of Critical Essays on Joseph Conrad (1987) and has published articles on Conrad, Joyce, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, and others.