Joseph Conrad: biography and best works

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Joseph Conrad is a British writer from whose pen such fascinating works as "Heart of Darkness", "Typhoon", "Negro from Narcissus" came out.

Deliberately distancing himself from the literary trends of his time, Joseph managed to radically change the face of literature with his works. Conrad, a Pole by origin, learned English as an adult and was so good at it that he taught it to people who spoke it from birth.

Joseph Conrad: biography

Joseph did not consider his life path, which is a shining example for others, something outstanding. Two decades spent on the high seas, getting to know different countries and cultures, meeting new people - isn't this a life full of adventure?

Józef Theodor Konrad Kozeniowski was born on December 3, 1857. Hometown - Berdichev (Ukraine). His father is a Polish nobleman Apollon Kozhenevskywas a member of the Polish liberation movement, for which he was arrested by the Russian authorities and exiled to Vologda in 1861. Wife Evelina with Jozef, who at that time was 4 years old, went after her husband. In 1865, due to the illness of his wife, Apollo achieved a transfer to Chernigov. However, this did not save the family from a heavy loss: Evelina died of consumption. Father and son moved first to Lviv, then to Krakow. In 1869, Jozef's father died, leaving the 11-year-old boy an orphan. The maternal uncle, Tadeusz Bobrovsky, took custody of the child.

Life on the seas

At the age of 16, tired of school life, Jozef decided to become a sailor. The young man went to Marseille, where he became a sailor on a French ship.

Over the years of wandering, Jozef had a chance to swim on various ships; I even had to deal with arms smuggling. He thoughtlessly squandered the money he earned. Being an avid gambler and a big reveler, after a big loss he made an attempt to shoot himself, but failed: the bullet went near the heart.

Since 1878, he switched exclusively to English ships, since Russian citizenship did not allow sailing on ships of the French fleet. During these 16 years of swimming he mastered the English language; in 1886 he received a captain's rank and British citizenship, in connection with which he officially changed his name to Joseph Conrad.

In 1890 he made a fascinating journey along the Congo River. During the same period, he contracted rheumatism and malaria, whichreminded of themselves until the end of life.

Meet John Galsworthy

Years of sailing allowed Joseph to stock up on a huge store of knowledge about the inhabitants of different countries. The first story of the English writer was called "The Black Navigator", and the most important novel "The Heart of Darkness" was based on the impressions of a trip to Africa.

In 1893, Joseph met the writer John Galsworthy, which grew into a long-term sincere friendship. The novice author gave the famous writer the manuscript of the novel "The Caprice of Ohlmeyer", which was published in 1895, to read. Further, the novels "The Exile", "Lord Jim", "The Negro from Narcissus", "Nostromo" and "Heart of Darkness" saw the light.

Best books by Joseph Conrad

The story "Lord Jim" tells about the steamer "Patna", carrying pilgrims to Mecca. The bad weather that broke out contributes to the fact that the panicked team, together with the first assistant to the captain Jim, decides to secretly leave the ship and leave the helpless passengers to the mercy of fate. The pilgrims were saved. Crew awaiting trial. Jim, deprived of his license, was forced to move to a remote village in one of the Indonesian islands.

In the story "The Heart of Darkness", written under the impression of 8-year stay in Africa, tells about the confrontation between nature and civilization. Based on the work, the script for the film "Apocalypse Now" by Francis Ford Coppola was written.

In The Negro of the Narcissus, Lord Jim Joseph Conrad tells of a merchant ship returning toGreat Britain. Negro James Waite pretended to be sick to avoid routine work and believed in his own illness so much that upon arrival home he actually fell ill and left the real world.

The last years of the author's life

Joseph Conrad, whose books aroused genuine interest among a wide range of readers, became a popular writer in Europe, settled in London, left the sea due to poor he alth, and started a family. His wife was Jessie George. The couple had sons Boris and John.

In 1914, at the invitation of Josuf Retinger, a Polish writer, Konrad visited Poland, from which he escaped with difficulty after the outbreak of the First World War. In 1921, preparing to write the novel about Napoleon "Waiting", he visited Corsica, and in 1923 - in the USA.

Characterization of Joseph Conrad

Contemporaries described Konrad as a man with the fine manners of a Polish nobleman, who in moments of calm was like a philosopher with an eagle's profile. Being in a state of attraction or irritation, he changed in appearance, became like a tiger, but very quickly calmed down and immersed himself.

Raised as a nobleman, Joseph Conrad, having spent about 20 years in the Navy, has always remained a stranger among sailors. Therefore, the main theme of his works was the problem of loneliness, awareness of the futility of human existence, madness and obsession. The author contrasted them with indifference to difficulties, iron stamina and pride. In his work, Konrad paid an important place to everyday life.a feat that is part of everyday life for the heroes of his works.

Joseph Conrad died of a heart attack on August 3, 1924. He, at the zenith of his fame, failed to complete the novel "Waiting" about the flight of Napoleon from Elba. The heroes of Conrad's works, as well as the English classic himself, are a vivid example of how you need to treat life circumstances in order to emerge victorious from them, while maintaining face and remaining honest with yourself.