Born Józef Korzeniowski in Poland in 1857, Joseph Conrad eventually mastered three languages and became one of the greatest English-language writers to ever put quill to paper. Still studied at all levels of schooling, and cited as an influence by a great many later wizards of the written word, perhaps Conrad's greatest achievement is this simple one: he's a pleasure to read.
5
I had this book recommended to me in high school. But, when I read it, I was a bit disappointed. It seemed to lack much of what I loved about Conrad. Even the writing seemed a bit off. In time, though, I've found myself thinking about Victory more than any other Conrad I've read. There's something in it—which, unfortunately I can't describe or name—that has true emotional and intellectual weight. I'm going to hazard an educated guess and say: this is the Conrad that gets better and better as you age. Axel Heyst is maturity.
4
Can one moment of weakness, of cowardice, change the trajectory of a life? The answer, as Conrad sees it at least, is held within the pages of Lord Jim, his engaging, adventure-filled story about a young British seaman who's held captive by a single, fateful decision. Read it for the adventure and the wonderful descriptions, yes, but also look a bit deeper, and see the core of the story: the tragic reality that, in a world with endless directions for which we may set sail, we can so easily limit ourselves to the one that leads to self-destruction.
3
A vastly underrated—and, if I may, my own personal favourite—Conrad work. It's the tale of a Russian student, Razumov, who becomes involved in a messy political situation in St. Petersburg and, in doing so, finds himself thrust into danger and intrigue not only within his own country, but also in the more radical Russian circles in Geneva. Shades of A Secret Agent and Dostoyevsky abound. Plus, it's got politics, adventure, romance, philosophy, everything you could possibly want. Read it, already!
2
By far, Conrad's most well-known and most-studied work: a novella about one man's journey up the snake-like Congo River and into the darkest parts of man's soul. I'm not sure what else to say about it. It's about the colonization of Africa. It's eerie, challenging, short, magnificent, haunting. And it also inspired Francis Ford Coppola's celebrated Vietnam film Apocalypse Now. Along with Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea, it may also be the shortest "serious" book ever written.
1
From its beautifully-written and exotic opening chapters, which set the scene—a fictional South American republic whose both prize and weakness is its silver mine—to a host of wonderful characters and an intricate plot that winds the political and personal so tightly together you may wonder if there's even a difference between the two, Nostromo's operatic scope and brilliant exploration of corruption and corruptibility will leave you breathless. It's a masterpiece above even Conrad's other masterpieces: the greatest merging of style and content in a career that always flirts with greatness. One of the best books you'll ever read.
