A Set of Six

by Only Books (Editor), Joseph Conrad

Overview

In Conrad's works he include his ideas on the alter ego, anarchism, politics and the incomprehensible nature of human existence exhibit some important narrative techniques that are not found anywhere else Conrad's fiction. One of the masters of English fiction, Joseph Conrad is known for novels and works of fiction such as The Heart of Darkness, Victory, and Lord Jim. The collection A Set of Six brings together a number of Conrad's shorter pieces, featuring a swashbuckling cast of characters that will appeal to fans of the action-adventure genre.All except "The Duel" (1908) were written between Nostromo and The Secret Agent. "Gaspar Ruiz" (1906), "The Informer" (1906) and "An anarchist" (1906) cast special light on some of the issues that arise in these novels, both to clarify these concepts and to reinforce them. The same tension between individuals and political movements in Nostromo and the secret agent appears in these stories, like the same sharp skepticism toward politics. In each case, the man finds himself thrust into an absurd situation and then trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to make sense of a seemingly senseless world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781535264266
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	09/27/2016
Pages:	126
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.27(d)

About the Author

Joseph Conrad (Polish pronunciation born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski; 3 December 1857 - 3 August 1924) was a Polish-British writer regarded as one of the greatest novelists to write in the English language. He joined the British merchant marine in 1878, and was granted British nationality in 1886. Though he did not speak English fluently until he was in his twenties, he was a master prose stylist who brought a non-English sensibility into English literature. He wrote stories and novels, many with a nautical setting, that depict trials of the human spirit in the midst of an impassive, inscrutable universe.
Conrad is considered an early modernist, though his works still contain elements of 19th-century realism. His narrative style and anti-heroic characters have influenced many authors, including T. S. Eliot, William Faulkner, Graham Greene,and Salman Rushdie. Many films have been adapted from, or inspired by, Conrad's works.
Writing in the heyday of the British Empire, Conrad drew on, among other things, his native Poland's national experiences, and his personal experiences in the French and British merchant navies, to create short stories and novels that reflect aspects of a European-dominated world - including imperialism and colonialism - while profoundly exploring human psychology.

Table of Contents

AUTHOR’S NOTE

GASPAR RUIZ

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

IX

X

XI

XII

THE INFORMER

THE BRUTE

AN ANARCHIST

THE DUEL

I

II

III

IV

IL CONDE

Editorial Reviews

The six stories in this volume are the result of some three or four years of occasional work. The dates of their writing are far apart, their origins are various. None of them are connected directly with personal experiences. In all of them the facts are inherently true, by which I mean that they are not only possible but that they have actually happened.

For instance, the last story in the volume, the one I call Pathetic, whose first title is Il Conde (misspelt by-the-by) is an almost verbatim transcript of the tale told me by a very charming old gentleman whom I met in Italy. I don’t mean to say it is only that.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE]

From the Publisher