Youth

By Joseph Conrad

Born in 1857 in Poland, Joseph Conrad became a British citizen just before he turned 30. In the intervening years he lost both parents; as an orphan aged 11 he was therefore raised by an uncle, who at 16 let the boy go to Marseille to work on merchant ships where the colourful life of the sea was further enhanced by stints gun running and intriguingly political conspiracy. At age 36 his life turned from one of ships to one of literary pursuit. In doing so Conrad brought to English Literature a further layer of style and a deeper examination of the human psyche in a wealth of work.

He wrote many novels, rightly regarded today, as some of the finest in English literature. Among their canon are Lord Jim, Nostromo, The Shadow Line and, of course, Heart Of Darkness. For this volume we dwell among his numerous short stories. In these condensed, narrative structures much is said in beautiful language.

His characters may be brave, comic, serious, trapped by their own constraints, but are always fully formed and true to his word.

This comes to you courtesy of Miniature Masterpieces who have an excellent range of quality short stories from the masters of the craft. Do search for Miniature Masterpieces at any digital store for further information.

This audiobook is also duplicated in print as an ebook. Same title, same words. Perhaps a different experience but with Amazon’s whispersync you can pick up and put down on any device. Start on audio, continue in print and any which way after that. This, and these are, Miniature Masterpieces. Join us for the journey.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Miniature Masterpieces
• Release date: Jan 11, 2018
• ISBN: 9781787377172

Joseph Conrad

Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) was a Polish-British writer, regarded as one of the greatest novelists in the English language. Though he was not fluent in English until the age of twenty, Conrad mastered the language and was known for his exceptional command of stylistic prose. Inspiring a reoccurring nautical setting, Conrad’s literary work was heavily influenced by his experience as a ship’s apprentice. Conrad’s style and practice of creating anti-heroic protagonists is admired and often imitated by other authors and artists, immortalizing his innovation and genius.

Book preview

This comes to you courtesy of Miniature Masterpieces who have an excellent range of quality short stories from the masters of the craft.  Do search for Miniature Masterpieces at any digital store for further information. 

This audiobook is also duplicated in print as an ebook. Same title, same words. Perhaps a different experience but with Amazon’s whispersync you can pick up and put down on any device. Start on audio, continue in print and any which way after that.  This, and these are, Miniature Masterpieces.  Join us for the journey.

Joseph Conrad – An Introduction

Born in 1857 in Poland, Joseph Conrad became a British citizen just before he turned 30.  In the intervening years he lost both parents; as an orphan aged  11 he was therefore raised by an uncle, who at 16 let the boy go to Marseille to  work on merchant ships where the colourful life of the sea was further enhanced by stints gun running and intriguingly political conspiracy.  At age 36 his life turned from one of ships to one of literary pursuit.  In doing so Conrad brought to English Literature a further layer of style and a deeper examination of the human psyche in a wealth of work.

He wrote many novels, rightly regarded today, as some of the finest in English literature.  Among their canon are Lord Jim, Nostromo, The Shadow Line and, of course, Heart Of Darkness.  For this volume we dwell among his numerous short stories. In these condensed,  narrative structures much is said in beautiful language.

His characters may be brave, comic, serious, trapped by their own constraints, but are always fully formed and true to his word.

Youth by Joseph Conrad

This could have occurred nowhere but in England, where men and sea interpenetrate, so to speak―the sea entering into the life of most men, and the men knowing something or everything about the sea, in the way of amusement, of travel, or of bread-winning.

We were sitting round a mahogany table that reflected the bottle, the claret-glasses, and our faces as we leaned on our elbows. There was a director of companies, an accountant, a lawyer, Marlow, and myself. The director had been a CONWAY boy, the accountant had served four years at sea, the lawyer―a fine crusted Tory, High Churchman, the best of old fellows, the soul of honor―had been chief officer in the P. & O. service in the good old days when mail-boats were square-rigged at least on two masts, and used to come down the China Sea before a fair monsoon with stun’-sails set alow and aloft. We all began life in the merchant service. Between the five of us there was the strong bond of the sea, and also the fellowship of the craft, which no amount of enthusiasm for yachting, cruising, and so on can give, since one is only the amusement of life and the other is life itself.

Marlow (at least I think that is how he spelt his name) told the story, or rather the chronicle, of a voyage:

"Yes, I have seen a little of the Eastern seas; but what I remember best is my first voyage there. You fellows know there are those voyages that seem ordered for the illustration of life, that might stand for a symbol of existence. You fight, work, sweat, nearly kill yourself, sometimes do kill yourself, trying to accomplish something―and you can’t. Not from any fault of yours. You simply can do nothing, neither great nor little―not a thing in the world―not even marry an old maid, or get a wretched 600-ton cargo of coal to its port of destination.

"It was altogether a memorable affair. It was my first voyage to the East, and my first voyage as second mate; it was also my skipper’s first command. You’ll admit it was time. He was sixty if a day; a little man, with a broad, not very straight back, with bowed shoulders , one leg more bandy than the other, he had that queer twisted-about appearance you see so often