Showing results by author "Joseph Conrad" in All Categories

An astonishing collection of fifty of the greatest short stories ever written by some of literature's most highly acclaimed writers. 1. "Odour of Chrysanthemums" by D. H. Lawrence; 2. "Miss Harriet" by Guy de Maupassant; 3. "Twenty-six Men and a Girl" by Maxim Gorky; 4. "Hot Potatoes" by Arnold Bennett; 5. "Rats" by M. R. James; 6. "Zodomirsky’s Duel" by Alexandre Dumas; 7. "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin; 8. "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe; 9. "The Encased Man" by Anton Chekhov.

This wide-ranging collection comprises the following six short stories by Joseph Conrad: Youth: A Narrative (1902); Karain: A Memory (1898); An Outpost of Progress (1898); The Lagoon (1898); Amy Foster (1909); The Anarchist - A Desperate Tale (1903). 'Youth: A Narrative' is an epic tale of a perilous voyage under sail to Bangkok, with a cargo of coal, narrated by Charles Marlow.

In Conrad's haunting novella, narrator Marlow recounts his experiences in the Congo Free State, and his chilling and perilous quest upriver in search of visionary ivory trader, the enigmatic Mr Kurtz. His journey, culminating in his eventual encounter with Kurtz, horrify and perplex Marlow, and lead him to question his own nature and values, and the whole concept of "civilization".

FNH Audio presents an unabridged reading of this classic tale. Charles Marlow sits with is friends upon the Thames and tells the story of his time when he followed a similar watercourse up into the depths of Africa. That trip was intended for the relief of the mysterious Mr Kurtz, a man powerful and frightening. In the dark jungle the truth of mankind’s depravity is to be discovered, the very heart of darkness.

A Personal Record is a "fragment of biography", an autobiographical work by Joseph Conrad, published in 1912. It is also a masterpiece of atmospheric writing and the main contemporary source to detail his early life. Conrad, Polish by birth, who goes on to become one of the greatest novelists of the English language, describes his childhood and adolescence, discusses his forebears, one of whom fought on the side of Napoleon and ate a Lithuanian dog, the exile of his parents, the death of his mother and his relationship with his Uncle Tadeusz.

In fading light on the Thames Estuary near London, as Charles Marlow and his companions relax on deck, waiting for the turn of the tide, he tells of the time he turned ‘freshwater sailor’ on the River Congo. His perilous journey upriver in a little steamboat with a band of white colonialists and a group of cannibals takes him closer to the coveted ivory, closer to Kurtz the rogue agent, closer to certain unspeakable rites and the heart of darkness.

Marlow—the narrator of Lord Jim and Heart of Darkness—tells the story of his first voyage to the exotic, romantic East, as a 20-year-old second officer of the ancient barque Judea. It is a story of almost comical disaster—and of the resilience of youthful hope and enthusiasm.

The story centers on Charles Marlow, who narrates most of the book. He is an Englishman who takes a foreign assignment from a Belgian trading company as a river-boat captain in Africa. Heart of Darkness exposes the dark side of European colonization while exploring the three levels of darkness that the protagonist, Marlow, encounters: the darkness of the Congo wilderness, the darkness of the Europeans' cruel treatment of the African natives, and the unfathomable darkness within every human being for committing heinous acts of evil.

In the late 19th century, a sea captain on his first voyage in the Gulf of Siam, on an unfamiliar ship, with a crew of strangers, takes aboard a fugitive stowaway. He must conceal his presence from the sailors with whom he shares this ship, and so he and the stowaway become conspirators. The young captain must challenge his own morality and the sworn obligations of a sea captain. He must decide who he wants to be as a man and as a moral actor in the arduous undertaking of endeavoring to deliver this fugitive to safety.

Victory is the story of a loner who believes that the best way to avoid life's pain and pitfalls is to distance himself from others. In spite of his misgivings, Axel Heyst agrees to manage a coal company on a remote island. When the company eventually fails, he again turns his back on people and society, more convinced than ever that his original philosophy was right.

In Das Ende vom Lied entwirft Joseph Conrad das eindrucksvolle Porträt eines alternden Kapitäns, der zwischen Loyalität, wirtschaftlichem Druck und innerer Würde zerrieben wird. Mit leiser Dramatik, emotionaler Tiefe und sprachlicher Präzision erzählt Conrad von einem späten Lebensabschnitt, der zur existenziellen Prüfung wird. Ein literarisch anspruchsvolles Werk über Ehre, Selbstaufopferung und das stille Scheitern in einer Welt ökonomischer Zwänge – voller Melancholie und humanistischer Größe.

In Notes on Life and Letters, Conrad presents a captivating collection of twenty-six essays, which he described as a one-man show showcasing the multifaceted nature of his thoughts—literary, political, nostalgic, and often controversial, yet always grounded. His passionate critiques of Russian autocracy and reflections on Polands rich history and future aspirations resonate deeply. Conrad challenges the misguided notions surrounding the Titanic disaster, criticizing those who believe fewer lifeboats could have saved the day. Interspersed with these bold commentaries are tender reminiscences,...

Dive into the gripping world of The Secret Agent, where the lives of Adolf and Winnie Verloc unravel in the face of perilous choices. Adolf, a counterfeit anarchist and agent provocateur, finds himself cornered into orchestrating a devastating act of terrorism, leading to catastrophic repercussions for their family. This tale not only critiques early 20th Century anarchism but also casts a sharp eye on the machinations of police, intelligence agencies, the media, and the public. Summary by Cori Samuel.

Dive into the shadowy world of The Secret Agent, a gripping tale by Conrad that expertly blends dark humor with political intrigue. Set in the back alleys of early 20th Century London, this story follows Verloc, a seemingly innocuous shop-owner who doubles as a phony anarchist and a double agent. As he becomes entangled in a daring plot to bomb the Greenwich Observatory, the lines between loyalty and betrayal blur in this captivating narrative of spies and anarchists. (Summary by Hugh McGuire)

Dive into a world where the lives of three sailing captains unfold, each story revealing the tension between the sea and the land. In A Smile of Fortune, a naive young sea captain finds himself in deep moral trouble after clashing with a cunning ship chandler in Mauritius. Meanwhile, in The Secret Sharer, a newly appointed captain encounters an unexpected challenge when he discovers a mysterious weight on his rope ladder one fateful evening. Lastly, Freya of the Seven Isles tells the tale of Jasper Allen, a captain caught in a romantic whirlwind, blissfully unaware of the rivalry posed by an ...

Join an unflappable old sea captain and his crew of two hundred Chinese laborers as they navigate the stormy seas of a terrifying typhoon for the very first time. Meanwhile, an émigré Austrian peasant named Yanko washes ashore on an English beach, only to face the cold shoulder of a local community that finds his foreign ways unsettling. Through persistence, he gradually earns a sliver of respect. Captain Falk, who seems to be part man and part tugboat, finds himself hopelessly in love with a beautiful young woman, but a tricky dilemma stands in the way of their happiness. And then theres a ...

Originally published alongside Heart of Darkness and The End of the Tether, this captivating short story represents the essence of youth. Through one of Conrads signature Marlow yarns, we journey aboard the cargo vessel Palestine (referred to as Judea) during its troubled and ultimately doomed voyage from England to Bangkok in 1882-1883, where Conrad himself served as second mate. Unlike some of his darker works, this tale is characterized by a lighthearted and buoyant narration that shines through even in the face of relentless challenges. Join us for a delightful exploration of youthful ...

Set against the backdrop of the South Pacific during the Napoleonic era, Within The Tides follows a self-important English philosopher and his stunningly aloof daughter as they embark on a voyage to clear the name of her wrongly accused fiancé. However, their journey takes an unexpected turn when they encounter a mysterious silk planter with ulterior motives for the beautiful yet dangerously naive daughter. Along the way, a patent medicine salesman teams up with an honest but struggling ship owner, leading to unforeseen complications. A young British naval officer faces a chilling experience ...

In the heart of St Petersburg and Geneva, a gripping and introspective psycho-political tragedy unfolds. It tells the harrowing story of Razumov, a promising young student whose dreams are shattered the moment a fellow student seeks refuge in his room after committing a political assassination. Stripped of his freedom and burdened by the weight of his predicament, Razumov grapples with deep sorrow and resentment, mirroring Joseph Conrads own turmoil as he reflects on the loss of his childhood to the devastating repercussions of his Polish parents resistance to Russian oppression. (Summary by ...

Step into a world shaped by history and imagination in Tales of Hearsay. Join a reflective and romantic young Russian officer during the era of Napoleon as he faces a daunting request. Travel to 1868, where an adventurous Polish boy meets a prince and discovers that reality often defies fantasy. Experience the tension aboard a British ship in the North Sea during the Great War as the captain confronts a neutral vessel whose leader may not be as innocent as he claims. Finally, dive into the troubled life of a sailing ship officer in the 1880s, trapped under the oppressive rule of a captain ...