Last Essays

The first scholarly edition of Conrad's posthumously published prose pieces, as well as his Congo notebooks.

Joseph Conrad (Author), Harold Ray Stevens (Edited by), J. H. Stape (Edited by), Mary Burgoyne (Assisted by), Alexandre Fachard (Assisted by)

9780521190596, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 2 December 2010

536 pages, 8 b/w illus. 4 maps
22 x 14.5 x 3.5 cm, 0.78 kg

'… when future Conradians come to explore Last Essays and its contexts, they will find an edition waiting that acts as a peerless guide to their scholarly labours.' Richard Niland, The Conradian

Bringing together work composed from 1890 to 1924, the nineteen pieces collected in the posthumously published Last Essays (1926) serve as a primer to Conrad's wide interests and to the varieties of his style. This edition, supported by an extensive textual apparatus, brings together various prose pieces, including reminiscences, reviews, essays on the sea and politics, as well as several miscellaneous items, including his 'Congo Diary' and the other notebook he kept in Africa in 1890. The introduction situates these writings in Conrad's career, offers new perspectives on Conrad in the marketplace and as a writer of occasional prose and traces the contemporary reception of the volume. The notes explain literary and historical references, identify real-life places and indicate Conrad's main sources. Early drafts and notes for several essays are published here for the first time, making this authoritative critical edition a major contribution to Conrad studies.

Preface
Chronology
Abbreviations and note on editions
Introduction
Last Essays: Geography and Some Explorers
The Torrens: A Personal Tribute
Christmas-Day At Sea
Ocean Travel
Outside Literature
Legends
The Unlighted Coast
The Dover Patrol
Memorandum
The Loss of the Dalgonar
Travel: Preface to Richard Curle's 'Into the East'
Stephen Crane: Introduction to Thomas Beer's 'Stephen Crane: A Study in American Letters'
His War-book: Introduction to Stephen Crane's 'The Red Badge of Courage'
John Galsworthy: an appreciation
A Glance at Two Books
Preface to 'The Shorter Tales of Joseph Conrad'
Cookery: Preface to Jessie Conrad's 'A Handbook of Cookery for a Small House'
The Future of Constantinople
The Congo notebooks: The Congo Diary
Up-River Book
Uncollected essays: The Silence of the Sea
Author's Note to 'Youth' and 'Gaspar Ruiz'
Introductory note to 'A Hugh Walpole Anthology'
Foreword to 'Landscapes of Corsica and Ireland' by A. S. Kinkead
Foreword to 'Britain's Life-boats: The Story of a Century of Heroic Service' by A. J. Dawson
Appendices: A. Richard Curle's introductions to Last Essays and 'The Congo Diary'
B. The Dalgonar incident: the London Mercury texts
C. Preface to The Shorter Tales of Joseph Conrad: two rejected drafts
D. Note on the Torrens and Notes for 'Travel'
'Geography': Ur-version of 'Geography and Some Explorers'
The texts: an essay
Apparatus
Textual notes
Glossary of nautical terms
Notes.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: c 1800 to c 1900 [DSBF], Literary studies: general [DSB], Literary theory [DSA], Literature: history & criticism [DS], Literary essays [DNF], Literature & literary studies [D]