Joseph Conrad is not only one of the world's great writers of English -- and world -- literature, but was a writer who lived a particularly full and interesting life. For the biographer this is a double-edged sword, however: there are many periods for which documentation is uncommonly difficult. Zdzislaw Najder's meticulously documented biography first appeared in English in 1983, garnering high praise as the best, most complete biography of Conrad. Najder's command of English, French, Polish, and Russian allowed him access to a greater variety of sources than any other biographer, and his Polish background and his own experience as an exile have afforded him a unique affinity for Conrad and his milieu. All this has come into play once again in the present, extensively revised edition: much of its extensive new material was unearthed in newly-opened former east-bloc archives. There is new material on Conrad's father's genealogy and his role in Polish politics; Conrad's service in the French and British merchant marines; his early English reading and correspondence; his experiences in the Congo; the circumstances of writing his memoirs, and much more. In addition, several aspects of Conrad's life and works are more thoroughly analyzed: his problems with the English language; his borrowings from French writers; his attitude toward socialism, his reaction to the reception of his books.
--This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
edition.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
When I reviewed the first English edition of this book in 1984, I called it "the richest and most persuasive portrait of Conrad we have had or will probably ever have." Happily, however, the author hasn't rested on his laurels. Once again, Professor Najder sets the very highest biographical standard. Everything that has come to light about Conrad during the past quarter-century is now seamlessly integrated into the revised text. Many facts are new, but Najder's perspective remains unchanged -- because, quite simply, he got it exactly right the first time. --Frederick Crews
When Zdzislaw Najder's biography of Conrad first appeared . . . it immediately became the best, fullest and most reliable account of the novelist's life to date. The present revised edition . . . continues to hold this position of pre-eminence and, in all likelihood, will do so for many years to come. Najder combines factual accuracy and thoroughness with a striving for objectivity; while his consummate grounding in the three cultures from which Conrad's work emerges . . . enables him to provide background information crucial for a full understanding and appreciation of Conrad's writings. Moreover, Najder's systematic confrontation of documented reality with Conrad's mythologized versions of his own life not only gives us a clearer picture of the historical Conrad but throws valuable light on the structure of his mind and imagination. --Andrzej Busza, Associate Professor Emeritus, University of British Columbia
The revisions to Zdzislaw Najder's Joseph Conrad further strengthen what was already the indispensable biography. They are extensive and substantial, incorporating not only Najder's own discoveries but those by such distinguished scholars as Andrew Busza, J. H. Stape, the late Sylvère Monod, and the late Hans van Marle. --Laurence Davies, University of Glasgow, General Editor of Conrad's Collected Letters --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
When Zdzislaw Najder's biography of Conrad first appeared . . . it immediately became the best, fullest and most reliable account of the novelist's life to date. The present revised edition . . . continues to hold this position of pre-eminence and, in all likelihood, will do so for many years to come. Najder combines factual accuracy and thoroughness with a striving for objectivity; while his consummate grounding in the three cultures from which Conrad's work emerges . . . enables him to provide background information crucial for a full understanding and appreciation of Conrad's writings. Moreover, Najder's systematic confrontation of documented reality with Conrad's mythologized versions of his own life not only gives us a clearer picture of the historical Conrad but throws valuable light on the structure of his mind and imagination. --Andrzej Busza, Associate Professor Emeritus, University of British Columbia
The revisions to Zdzislaw Najder's Joseph Conrad further strengthen what was already the indispensable biography. They are extensive and substantial, incorporating not only Najder's own discoveries but those by such distinguished scholars as Andrew Busza, J. H. Stape, the late Sylvère Monod, and the late Hans van Marle. --Laurence Davies, University of Glasgow, General Editor of Conrad's Collected Letters --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
Language Notes
Text: English, Polish (translation)
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5.0 out of 5 stars
The definitive biography of Conrad,
This review is from: Joseph Conrad: A Life (Studies in English and American Literature and Culture) (Hardcover)
This biography is a triumph--a revised and expanded version of what was already the definitive Conrad biography. "A Life" makes dozens of small corrections to the earlier "Chronicle" (so buy this new edition even if you have the old one) and adds new and fascinating information about Conrad's father, Apollo Korzienowski, undermining the false caricature of him as a hot-headed rebel, and showing instead a more moderate and complex man of culture and politics. The new version also offers new details on the marriage of one of Conrad's sons and many other rich nuggets. My only hesitation is Najder's characterization that Conrad "auto-mythologized" himself in the way that depicted his own life--a term that insinuates Conrad was somehow any different from the rest of humanity all subject to fallible memory and ever-subjective self-rendering. If anything, Conrad was more earnest in his sincerity, despite his discretion and private temperament. But unlike some treatments of Conrad (e.g. Jeffrey Meyers--ugh! the worst!), Najder respects Conrad's temperament and acknowledges what he cannot know. In short, those who love or care about Conrad will ever be in Professor Najder's debt.
1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Conrad as a man,
By
This review is from: Joseph Conrad: A Life (Studies in English and American Literature and Culture) (Hardcover)
This book helps greatly in understanding the background and viewpoint of Conrad's works. It also characterizes Conrad as a very human and simple man. I came away almost pitying the man.
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