One of Joseph Conrad’s greatest novels, Lord Jim brilliantly combines adventure and analysis. Haunted by the memory of a moment of lost nerve during a disastrous voyage, Jim submits to condemnation by a Court of Inquiry. In the wake of his disgrace he travels to the exotic region of Patusan, and as the agent at this remote trading post comes to be revered as ‘Tuan Jim.’ Here he finds a measure of serenity and respect within himself. However, when a gang of thieves arrives on the island, the memory of his earlier disgrace comes again to the fore, and his relationship with the people of the island is jeopardized. This new Broadview edition is based on the first British edition of 1900, which provides the historical basis for the accompanying critical and contextual discussions. The appendices include a wide variety of Conrad’s source material, documents concerning the scandal of the Jeddah, along with other materials such as a substantial selection of early critical comments.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A deeply affecting coming-of-age memoir about family, love, loss, basketball—and life itself—by the beloved author of The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini During one unforgettable season as a Citadel cadet, Pat Conroy becomes part of a basketball team that is ultimately destined to fail. And yet for a military kid who grew up on the move, the Bulldogs provide a sanctuary from the cold, abrasive father who dominates his life—and a crucible for becoming his own man. With all the drama and incandescence of his bestselling fiction, Conroy re-creates his pivotal senior year as captain of the Citadel Bulldogs. He chronicles the highs and lows of that fateful 1966–67 season, his tough disciplinarian coach, the joys of winning, and the hard-won lessons of losing. Most of all, he recounts how a group of boys came together as a team, playing a sport that would become a metaphor for a man whose spirit could never be defeated. Praise for My Losing Season “A superb accomplishment, maybe the finest book Pat Conroy has written.”—The Washington Post Book World “A wonderfully rich memoir that you don’t have to be a sports fan to love.”—Houston Chronicle “A memoir with all the Conroy trademarks . . . Here’s ample proof that losers always tell the best stories.”—Newsweek “In My Losing Season, Conroy opens his arms wide to embrace his difficult past and almost everyone in it.”—New York Daily News “Haunting, bittersweet and as compelling as his bestselling fiction.”—Boston Herald
Joseph Conrad's literary prowess reaches its zenith in "Lord Jim," an extraordinary novel that beckons readers into the turbulent seas of human morality, redemption, and the elusive quest for honor. Set against a backdrop of seafaring adventure and the exotic locales of the East, this masterpiece unfolds with a narrative cadence that echoes the ebb and flow of the tides, immersing readers in a story that transcends time. The heart of the novel beats in rhythm with the titular character, Jim, whose journey becomes a metaphor for the complexities of the human soul. Jim's early promise as a young British officer is shattered by a moment of perceived cowardice that haunts him, propelling him into a labyrinth of self-discovery and redemption. Conrad's narrative unfolds like the turning of a ship's wheel, revealing the intricate layers of Jim's character and the universal struggle to reconcile one's actions with one's ideals. The allure of "Lord Jim" lies not only in its seafaring adventures but in Conrad's ability to navigate the treacherous waters of the human psyche. As readers embark on Jim's odyssey, they confront questions of honor, morality, and the limits of human endurance. Conrad's prose, rich and evocative, transforms the ship's deck into a stage where the drama of existential dilemmas unfolds with poetic resonance. The novel is a tapestry woven with vivid characters, each a testament to Conrad's keen understanding of the human condition. From the mysterious Mr. Marlow, the narrator and witness to Jim's tale, to the enigmatic sea captain, Gentleman Brown, each character contributes to the novel's exploration of the moral ambiguities that lie beneath the surface of human actions. As Jim journeys through the exotic landscapes of Southeast Asia, Conrad paints a vivid tableau of the colonial era, capturing the clash of cultures and the impact of Western imperialism on distant shores. The narrative becomes a vessel for exploring themes of identity, redemption, and the profound consequences of a single, fateful choice. Conrad's storytelling prowess is evident in the novel's structure, as he employs a framing device that adds layers of complexity to the narrative. Through Mr. Marlow's perspective, the reader becomes both a participant and an observer, drawn into Jim's story as if caught in the currents of a literary sea. "Lord Jim" is a novel that resonates across time, its themes echoing through the corridors of literature and philosophy. It invites readers to embark on a transformative journey, challenging them to grapple with the eternal questions of human fallibility and the pursuit of integrity. In the end, Conrad's magnum opus is not merely a tale of high seas and exotic locales; it is an exploration of the human spirit navigating the vast oceans of honor, morality, and the relentless pursuit of redemption.
HEART OF DARKNESS * AN OUTPOST OF PROGRESS * KARAIN * YOUTH The finest of all Conrad's tales, 'Heart of Darkness' is set in an atmosphere of mystery and menace, and tells of Marlow's perilous journey up the Congo River to relieve his employer's agent, the renowned and formidable Mr Kurtz. What he sees on his journey, and his eventual encounter with Kurtz, horrify and perplex him, and call into question the very bases of civilization and human nature. Endlessly reinterpreted by critics and adapted for film, radio, and television, the story shows Conrad at his most intense and sophisticated. The other three tales in this volume depict corruption and obsession, and question racial assumptions. Set in the exotic surroundings of Africa, Malaysia. and the east, they variously appraise the glamour, folly, and rapacity of imperial adventure. This revised edition uses the English first edition texts and has a new chronology and bibliography. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
We are introduced to Jim (later, Lord Jim) at a time when he was working as a water-clerk for a ship-chandler firm in the Far East. It was menial work, but Jim seemed fairly happy, and everyone liked him. They knew him simply as "Jim." Yet, as the plot unfolds, with Conrad's skillful analysis of Jim's character, we gradually realize that Jim was not "merely" Jim; he was "one of us."Jim was born and raised in an English parson's home, and when he was still a young lad, he decided to make the sea his career; thus, he enrolled on a training ship for officers of the merchant marine. He did well and advanced to third place in navigation. While still aboard the training ship, he met his first test of courage.But during that test of courage, Jim held back in fear when he was called upon to assist a vessel injured in a fierce storm. Afterward, he justified himself and rationalized that he was not really afraid; he was simply waiting for a challenge that would be equal to his heroism. Next time, he would be heroic. He was convinced that he would have another chance.
Aemilia Lanyer was a Londoner of Jewish-Italian descent and the mistress of Queen Elizabeth's Lord Chamberlain. But in 1611 she did something extraordinary for a middle-class woman of the seventeenth century: she published a volume of original poems. Using standard genres to address distinctly feminine concerns, Lanyer's work is varied, subtle, provocative, and witty. Her religious poem "Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum" repeatedly projects a female subject for a female reader and casts the Passion in terms of gender conflict. Lanyer also carried this concern with gender into the very structure of the poem; whereas a work of praise usually held up the superiority of its patrons, the good women in Lanyer's poem exemplify worth women in general. The essays in this volume establish the facts of Lanyer's life and use her poetry to interrogate that of her male contemporaries, Donne, Jonson, and Shakespeare. Lanyer's work sheds light on views of gender and class identities in early modern society. By using Lanyer to look at the larger issues of women writers working within a patriarchal system, the authors go beyond the explication of Lanyer's writing to address the dynamics of canonization and the construction of literary history.
"An Outpost of Progress" is a short story written in July 1896[1] by Joseph Conrad, drawing on his own experience at Congo. It was published in the magazine Cosmopolitan in 1897 and was later collected in Tales of Unrest in 1898. Conrad in 1900 contributed this story to "The Ladysmith Treasury," to provide aid to English citizens besieged in Ladysmith, South Africa, during the Boer War. Often compared with Heart of Darkness, Conrad considered it his best tale, owing to its "scrupulousness of tone" and "severity of discipline".
This book examines the representations of homosexuality and homoeroticism in Conrad’s fiction. Drawing on the work of Geoffrey Galt Harpham, Robert Hodges, Wayne Koestenbaum, Christopher Lane, and others who have already begun unearthing and analyzing this subject, the author traces Conrad’s representations of homosexuality and homoeroticism, beginning with the Malay works and ending with The Shadow Line.
