Heart of Darkness and Other Tales

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Oxford University Press, 1998 - Fiction - 285 pages
Set in an atmosphere of mystery and menace, 'Heart of Darkness' tells the story of Marlow's journey up the Congo River to meet the remarkable Mr Kurtz. It reveals Conrad at the height of his powers as a writer of great vividness, intensity, and sophistication. 'An Outpost of Progress' is also set in central Africa and offers a fiercely sardonic view of European imperialism. 'Karain', with its Malaysian setting, questions conventional ideas of the contrasts between races. 'Youth' is a largely autobiographical account of an ill-fated voyage in which Marlow makes his first appearance. The four tales variously appraise the glamour, folly, and rapacity of imperial adventure. All are concerned with illusions and all, in their diverse ways, display the brilliance of Joseph Conrad, creator of exotic vistas, adventurous narratives, and acutely ironic insights into human nature and the bases of civilization.

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About the author (1998)

Joseph Conrad is recognized as one of the 20th century's greatest English language novelists. He was born Jozef Konrad Nalecz Korzeniowski on December 3, 1857, in the Polish Ukraine. His father, a writer and translator, was from Polish nobility, but political activity against Russian oppression led to his exile. Conrad was orphaned at a young age and subsequently raised by his uncle. At 17 he went to sea, an experience that shaped the bleak view of human nature which he expressed in his fiction. In such works as Lord Jim (1900), Youth (1902), and Nostromo (1904), Conrad depicts individuals thrust by circumstances beyond their control into moral and emotional dilemmas. His novel Heart of Darkness (1902), perhaps his best known and most influential work, narrates a literal journey to the center of the African jungle. This novel inspired the acclaimed motion picture Apocalypse Now. After the publication of his first novel, Almayer's Folly (1895), Conrad gave up the sea. He produced thirteen novels, two volumes of memoirs, and twenty-eight short stories. He died on August 3, 1924, in England.

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