Home

Conrad Joseph 1857 - 1924 (67)

It's only those who do nothing that make no mistakes, I suppose.


QUOTES



Heart of Darkness



Lord Jim



Joseph Conrad was a Polish writer who wrote in English. He was born on December 3, 1857 in Russian occupied Poland and he was the only child inhis family; His father was a poet and translator, as he expressed his opposition to the Tsar, the family was exiled to northern Russia. The climate there was particularly harsh and in 1863 his mother died. They returned to Poland where his father died as well; Joseph at the age of 12 passed in the care of an uncle. In 1874 he went to Marseille and boarded in a French vessel, with which he went all over the world. In 1878 stayed in England for a while and then boarded an English ship. In 1886 he became a British citizen and was promoted to captain. Until 1893 he traveled mainly in the Far East, acquiring experiences he used later in his novels.

In 1894 he moved to England, got married, had two children and devoted himself to writing. In 1895 he published his masterpiece, "Heart of Darkness", which had a great influence and is considered a precursor of modernism. From this work, in which he described the size of the exploitation of Africans by Europeans, was inspired Eliot’s "Waste Land," and Coppola's film "Apocalypse Now." Other important works are: "The Negro Narcissus," "Lord Jim", "Hurricane", "In the eyes of a Western" "The Shadow Line". In total he wrote 13 novels and seven volumes of short stories. He became widely known and established writer after 1914, he spent previously several difficult years with big financial problems. In 1923 he was offered the title of knight, but he denied it. He died on 3 August 1924 of a heart attack and was buried in England with his Polish name, according to his wish.