Joseph Conrad in Context

The biographical, historical, cultural and political contexts of Conrad's work in a series of short, accessible chapters.

Allan H. Simmons (Edited by)

9780521887922, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 24 September 2009

320 pages
23.5 x 16 x 2 cm, 0.66 kg

'As soon as Joseph Conrad in Context comes out in paperback, this book should be on reading lists for students. They will learn much from it, and may well be encouraged to read fuller accounts of the topics it covers.' Jeremy Hawthorn, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim

Joseph Conrad's Polish background, his extensive travels and his detached view of his adopted country, Britain, gave him a perspective unique among English writers of the twentieth century. Combining Continental and British influences, Victorian and Modernist styles, he was an artist acutely responsive to his age, whose works reflect and chronicle its shaping forces. This volume examines the biographical, historical, cultural and political contexts that fashioned his works. Written by a specialist, each short chapter covers a specific theme in relation to Conrad's life and work: letters, Modernism, the sea, the Polish and French languages, the First World War, and many other topics. This book will appeal to scholars as well as to those beginning their study of this extraordinary writer. It shows how this combination of different contexts allowed Conrad to become a key transitional figure in the early emergence of British literary modernism.

Chronology Allan H. Simmons
Part I. Life and Works: 1. Life J. H. Stape
2. Chronology of composition and publication Katherine Isobel Baxter
3. Language Mary Morzinski and Veronique Pauly
4. Letters Gene M. Moore
5. Literary influences Owen Knowles
6. Biographies and memoirs David Miller
7. Portraits and illustrations J. H. Stape
Part II. Critical Fortunes: 8. Critical responses: contemporary Allan H. Simmons
9. Critical responses: 1925–50 Owen Knowles
10. Critical responses: 1950–75 Richard Niland
11. Critical responses: 1975–2000 Andrew Purssell
12. Dramatic and other adaptations Richard Hand
13. Translations Mario Curreli
Part III. Historical and Cultural Contexts: 14. Africa Allan H. Simmons
15. Anarchism M. S. Newton
16. Disease and medicine Martin Bock
17. Eastern Europe Addison Bross
18. Far East J. H. Stape
19. Fin de siècle Laurence Davies
20. First World War Richard Niland
21. Intellectual movements Richard Niland
22. Literary movements Robert G. Hampson
23. Modernism Michael Levenson
24. Nationalism and Empire Allan H. Simmons
25. Politics Allan H. Simmons
26. Popular culture Stephen Donovan
27. Publishing Aaron Zacks
28. Reading Linda Dryden
29. Religion John Lester
30. Science and technology Matt Rubery
31. Sea Robert Foulke
32. Society Amar Acheraiou
Further reading
Index.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers [DSK], Literary studies: from c 1900 - [DSBH], Literary studies: c 1800 to c 1900 [DSBF], Literature & literary studies [D]