Conrad Studies – serie

When Joseph Conrad’s novel Chance appeared in serial form in the New York Herald in 1912 and in book form in 1914 it established the author’s financial security for the first time. Following years of struggle to reach a wide audience for his fiction, Conrad benefitted from the American marketing of this novel for the women readers of romance. Aggressive advertising promoted the writer’s new focus on a female protagonist and Conrad’s division of the story’s location between land and sea. The novel proved popular and lucrative. Yet in spite of its economic success, Chance remains one of Conrad’s less well-known narratives. This fresh new collection of essays from both young and established scholars opens up a lively critical debate taking Chance beyond the status of best-selling romance. In a striking re-evaluation of the novel these writers examine Chance’s innovative narrative strategies, its up-to-the-minute commentary on female politics, contemporary ethics, as well as its antecedents in classical debate and the significance of Conrad’s last use of his seaman narrator Marlow.

Conrad’s Drama: Contemporary Reviews and Observations collects both book reviews and performance reviews of Conrad’s three plays: The Secret Agent, One Day More, and Laughing Anne. These reviews and observations show how Conrad’s plays were received by his contemporaries. More than this, however, Conrad’s Drama reveals the larger conversations surrounding his plays: the state of British drama in the early 20th century, the role the drama critic has in a play’s reception, and the difficulty most fiction writers experience in trying to write for the stage. No other reference work exists for those studying Conrad’s plays, and this volume should prove to be an indispensable reference work for those working on this topic.Conrad’s Drama received an Honorable Mention in the Joseph Conrad Society of America’s Adam Gillon Book Prize in Conrad Studies for books published 2018-2020.

When Joseph Conrad died in 1924, Ford Madox Ford immediately published a memoir of his involvement with Conrad at which Conrad's widow took offense. The ensuing "controversy" left Ford with a lasting reputation for "unreliability" which Morey examines in detail, uncovering evidence that substantiates most of Ford's claims. Morey's judicious assessment of the literary friendship and interdependence between two remarkable writers is a much-needed addition to studies of Conrad and Ford.

The relationship between Conrad’s Malay fiction and colonialism is a prominent subject of commentary now, and has been for some time. Most scholars would point to Chinua Achebe’s important article “An Image of Africa” as the initiation into the interest in Conrad and colonialism, but if fact decades previously, Florence Clemens had begun this conversation in her ground-breaking commentary on Conrad’s Malay fiction. At the time Florence Clemens was writing, almost nothing had been written on the Conrad’s colonial world, and for many years her work thus was relatively unknown and relatively difficult to obtain. However, Clemens’ work is significant, and its appearance in Brill’s Conrad Studies series now makes this important study readily available to scholars.

On account of Conrad’s tragic and fascinating life before he became a writer, critics have usually offered a historical account of his early Polish years. Less attention has been paid to the cultural and literary background of that period and its subsequent influence. In fact, initially that influence was largely ignored. My aim has been not only to rectify that deficiency but to broaden the scope of the issue. In addition to dealing with his Polish background, the book also relates Conrad’s writing to other European literary traditions, notably French and Russian. Exploring the extraordinary geographical and historical range of Conrad’s fictional world, the book examines the rhetorical and narrative strategies employed in its vividly dramatic as well as psychologically insightful depictions.

Unlock the secrets of Conrad’s salt-laced realm! Discover the meanings of “wearing ship,” “kedge anchors,” or the perils of “scudding under bare poles.” Joseph Conrad's Nautical Terms demystifies 2,000 maritime words and phrases, revealing how Conrad used them to create his legendary narratives. Rich historical sources, clear glossary definitions, informative illustrations, and 600 detailed examples from his writing combine to decode and bring to life his nautical world. Explore his thrilling storm passages, evocative calm scenes, rigorous examinations, and remarkable journey from sailor to shipmaster—and even learn the ropes of the Beaufort wind scale. Whether you’re a Conrad enthusiast, student, or sea lover, this book transforms your reading experience, making every voyage with him a deeper, more immersive adventure.

This is a collection of difficult-to-find and typically early commentary on Conrad’s life and works. The selections contained shed light on Conrad’s life and works, as well as the way in which his works were promoted to the public. Selections include those by the American novelist Christopher Morley and the Irish novelist Liam O’Flaherty. Also included is a previously unpublished essay by Conrad’s friend Richard Curle. Of particular interest are the promotional materials, which are collected together for the first time and reveal how Conrad was perceived by the general reading public and how he was marketed by his publishers.