Tales of Unrest Joseph Conrad 9781466223417 Books
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This anthology is a thorough introduction to classic literature for those who have not yet experienced these literary masterworks. For those who have known and loved these works in the past, this is an invitation to reunite with old friends in a fresh new format. From Shakespeare s finesse to Oscar Wilde s wit, this unique collection brings together works as diverse and influential as The Pilgrim s Progress and Othello. As an anthology that invites readers to immerse themselves in the masterpieces of the literary giants, it is must-have addition to any library.
Tales of Unrest Joseph Conrad 9781466223417 Books
As I have mentioned before, in my review of _Lord Jim_, I am such a big fan of Conrad that I keep a picture of him on my writing desk. To me he represents, among other things, the power of the English language and the possibility of adopting this language, of conveying its power, even if one is not born in/with/into it. I fell in love with _Heart of Darkness_ in my twenties, probably before I read it: the title was enough for me to decide I would love it, and then there were allusions to this novella in Eliot's poetry. (There was also _Apocalypse Now_, of course, but that's another story.) Now, I haven't read all of Conrad, not even close. I don't think one needs to know an author's oeuvre by heart in order to claim him/her as a muse; sometimes one short story is enough. The whole thing doesn't have to do with a list of works, but with a particular way of looking at the human condition. Here is what I *have* read by Conrad, so far: _Heart of Darkness and Other Stories_, _Lord Jim_, _The Secret Agent_, _The Shadow Line_, _Twixt Land and Sea_, _Typhoon and Other Stories_, _Under Western Eyes_, and now _Tales of Unrest_.There are a total of seven collections of short stories by Conrad. I have read for of them, and while I have found some of the pieces to be stronger than others, not one of the stories I've read has disappointed me. While the vast majority of his tales take place in the sea, Conrad did not like to be labeled as a writer of sea stories. In the sea or on dry land, the human condition is the same. Here's an apocryphal story I seem to remember one of my professors telling the class (the course was The Victorian Novel): when referred to as a writer of "sea stories," Conrad retorted that no one referred to Hardy (or was it some other contemporary author?) as a writer of "land stories." Once again, I do not have a source for this anecdote, but it illustrates the point. Those readers who are not particularly drawn to the sea will be happy to know that of the five stories contained in _Tales of Unrest_, two ("The Idiots" and "The Return") have nothing to do with bodies of water. For Conrad, this is a reasonable percentage.
The stories included are:
* Karain: a Memory: a framed narrative (one of Conrad's favorite narrative devices) that includes the title character's account of some of the events. This is the story of a Malay ruler with a secret, who feels that he is pursued by the dead. Karain is always accompanied by a sorcerer who keeps the angry spirits at bay. In this tale, the East represents superstition, while the West embodies rationalism or disbelief. The strong male figure at the center makes one think of Kurtz in _Heart of Darkness_, or of the title characters in _Lord Jim_ and _Nostromo_.
* The Idiots: set in Europe. A Breton family produces mentally challenged offspring. The man's desire for a male heir leads him to "keep trying," with devastating results. For another domestic tragedy by Conrad, check out "Amy Foster," in _Typhoon and Other Stories_.
* An Outpost of Progress: as sometimes happens, the most famous story in the collection is also the best. Two white men are assigned the running of a remote trading station in Africa. They are in charge of the ivory trade. Unwise decisions lead them to acquire some ivory through unethical means with the help of a local, and so the good friends become partners in crime. Things do not go well from there... This story and "The Return" are the ones that contain most psychological insight. As tends to be the case, Conrad is ambiguous when it comes to race (Chinua Achebe famously called him a "bloody racist," but many believe the matter is not that simple). He uses pejorative terms when referring to the locals, but also condemns the Europeans' actions. Many critics point to this tale as a predecessor to _Heart of Darkness_.
* The Return: Conrad seems to have tried his hand at writing a Jamesian tale here. A long story (the longest in the volume) with minimal action. A woman leaves her husband and comes back that same evening. The story follows the husband's inner torment after this attack on his masculinity. Conrad is sensitive to the plight of women caught in loveless marriages. In a way, this story is James + Ibsen. Even though Conrad himself did not like this story, it is a great read, in part because it is a rare bird.
* The Lagoon: Conrad's first short story, written after _An Outcast of the Islands_, literally with the same pen, as the author indicates in the preface. Similar in theme to "Karain," it is also a framed narrative. In a lagoon setting, a European meets a local friend, Arsat, whose wife is dying. Arsat tells the story of his brother. Like Karain, he is haunted by ghosts from the past, though release comes in a different way for him. The story has a great sense of setting, with a classical Conrad structure.
Most of the quotable material in this collection comes from "An Outpost of Progress," which may account for the story's success, in addition to the fact that it clearly foreshadows _Heart of Darkness_. Here's Conrad on feelings and words: "About feelings people really know nothing. We talk with indignation or enthusiasm; we talk about oppression, cruelty, crime, devotion, self-sacrifice, virtue, and we know nothing real beyond the words. Nobody knows what suffering or sacrifice mean--except, perhaps the victims of the mysterious purpose of these illusions." In _Under Western Eyes_, Conrad wrote that words are "the great foes of reality." Many of his characters are confronted with the inexpressible, before which they are at a loss for words ("The horror! The horror!"). Regarding fear, Conrad says: "Fear always remains. A man may destroy everything within himself, love and hate and belief, and even doubt; but as long as he clings to life he cannot destroy fear: the fear, subtle, indestructible, and terrible, that pervades his being; that tinges his thoughts; that lurks in his heart; that watches on his lips the struggle of his last breath."
_Tales of Unrest_ is not my favorite of Conrad's collections of short stories. That would be _Twixt Land and Sea_, which includes "A Smile of Fortune," "The Secret Sharer," and "Freya of the Seven Isles." The original _Heart of Darkness_ collection, which contains "Youth" and the amazing "The End of the Tether," is also wonderful. That said, I very much enjoyed _Tales of Unrest_, and I think it may be Conrad's first great book. Only one of its stories, "An Outpost of Progress," has entered the canon, for the most part as a companion piece to _Heart of Darkness_, but all of these tales of unrest feature memorable characters in difficult situations, and all of them grabbed my attention.
My next short story collection by Conrad will probably be the posthumous _Tales of Hearsay_. _Nostromo_ still stares at me from the shelf.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the book!
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Tales of Unrest Joseph Conrad 9781466223417 Books Reviews
his anthology of 216 pages provides an excellent introduction for new readers to Polish-born Joseph Conrad, who deftly paints on an English canvass. Having selected five of his tales the editors present readers with settings in both the exotic tropics of Malaysia and Africa, as well as the chilly social milieus of socialite London and pastoral France. Perhaps the editors chose the word UNREST for their title, because all the protagonists experience psychological malaise from a diversity of causes.
KARAIN. This Malay chieftain feels cursed by his past, so he desperately seekst a new English charm to ward off his fatal stalker.
THE IDIOTS. A simple French peasant couple are cursed by bearing children who are severely mentally retarded.
OUTPOST OF PROGRESS. The title is sheer irony, since a useless African trading station is run by two ineffectual English agents. The men are pursued by their failed pasts, general laziness, incompetence, extreme heat and company indifference.
THE RETURN. A young socialite husband returns home to discover a note from his wife, explaining that she has left him for another man. In this most psychological of the tales, the wronged husband undergoes a series of intense emotions and decisions, ultimately defying the very Society he represents.
THE LAGOON. A native is pre-grieving the death of his beloved wife, unburdening his soul before his only white friend. Although this represents Conrad's first published short story, curiously it concludes this particular anthology. Prepare to explore the murky waters of the human heart and soul.
In these tales, people are put under heavy mental stress by fatal accidents, hostile environments or insoluble doubts. Their reactions become uncontrollable.
The short stories give a good picture of Conrad's themes, story building with surprising outcomes and view on mankind `Morality is not a method of happiness'.
In `Karain a Memory', a Malay war-chief makes an odyssey trying to kill a woman who left her native village with a white man. He becomes haunted by the spirit of his dead brother.
In `The Lagoon', the adduction of a woman turns into a fatal accident. `There is no light and no peace in the world; but there is death - death for many. I left him in the midst of the enemies; but I am going back.'
In `An outpost of Progress', two lonely `progressive' colonialists become haunted by their hostile environment; `a suggestion of things vague, uncontrollable, and repulsive, whose discomposing intrusion tries the civilized nerves.'
In `The Return', a marriage turns sour on the impossible `certitude of love and faith'.
In `The Idiots', a less successful offspring puts a marriage under extreme pressure.
These sometimes furiously written stories with their high evocative power of landscapes, feelings and conflicts should not be missed.
Absolutely marvellous and modern writing. The Return is still a milestone in novella writing.Conrad is a visionary empathic writer for all time.
Although written early in his career, these stories already show Conrad's masterful powers of observation and description. For Australians, the stories give an insight into the history and customs of our neighbouring countries.
Very good if you like his writing
I enjoyed all five stories, liking The Idiots, An Outpost of Progress and The Lagoon the best. I would have given five stars, but these words do not hit the same level as Heart of darkness, Lord Jim, Nostromo or The Secret Agent.
As I have mentioned before, in my review of _Lord Jim_, I am such a big fan of Conrad that I keep a picture of him on my writing desk. To me he represents, among other things, the power of the English language and the possibility of adopting this language, of conveying its power, even if one is not born in/with/into it. I fell in love with _Heart of Darkness_ in my twenties, probably before I read it the title was enough for me to decide I would love it, and then there were allusions to this novella in Eliot's poetry. (There was also _Apocalypse Now_, of course, but that's another story.) Now, I haven't read all of Conrad, not even close. I don't think one needs to know an author's oeuvre by heart in order to claim him/her as a muse; sometimes one short story is enough. The whole thing doesn't have to do with a list of works, but with a particular way of looking at the human condition. Here is what I *have* read by Conrad, so far _Heart of Darkness and Other Stories_, _Lord Jim_, _The Secret Agent_, _The Shadow Line_, _Twixt Land and Sea_, _Typhoon and Other Stories_, _Under Western Eyes_, and now _Tales of Unrest_.
There are a total of seven collections of short stories by Conrad. I have read for of them, and while I have found some of the pieces to be stronger than others, not one of the stories I've read has disappointed me. While the vast majority of his tales take place in the sea, Conrad did not like to be labeled as a writer of sea stories. In the sea or on dry land, the human condition is the same. Here's an apocryphal story I seem to remember one of my professors telling the class (the course was The Victorian Novel) when referred to as a writer of "sea stories," Conrad retorted that no one referred to Hardy (or was it some other contemporary author?) as a writer of "land stories." Once again, I do not have a source for this anecdote, but it illustrates the point. Those readers who are not particularly drawn to the sea will be happy to know that of the five stories contained in _Tales of Unrest_, two ("The Idiots" and "The Return") have nothing to do with bodies of water. For Conrad, this is a reasonable percentage.
The stories included are
* Karain a Memory a framed narrative (one of Conrad's favorite narrative devices) that includes the title character's account of some of the events. This is the story of a Malay ruler with a secret, who feels that he is pursued by the dead. Karain is always accompanied by a sorcerer who keeps the angry spirits at bay. In this tale, the East represents superstition, while the West embodies rationalism or disbelief. The strong male figure at the center makes one think of Kurtz in _Heart of Darkness_, or of the title characters in _Lord Jim_ and _Nostromo_.
* The Idiots set in Europe. A Breton family produces mentally challenged offspring. The man's desire for a male heir leads him to "keep trying," with devastating results. For another domestic tragedy by Conrad, check out "Amy Foster," in _Typhoon and Other Stories_.
* An Outpost of Progress as sometimes happens, the most famous story in the collection is also the best. Two white men are assigned the running of a remote trading station in Africa. They are in charge of the ivory trade. Unwise decisions lead them to acquire some ivory through unethical means with the help of a local, and so the good friends become partners in crime. Things do not go well from there... This story and "The Return" are the ones that contain most psychological insight. As tends to be the case, Conrad is ambiguous when it comes to race (Chinua Achebe famously called him a "bloody racist," but many believe the matter is not that simple). He uses pejorative terms when referring to the locals, but also condemns the Europeans' actions. Many critics point to this tale as a predecessor to _Heart of Darkness_.
* The Return Conrad seems to have tried his hand at writing a Jamesian tale here. A long story (the longest in the volume) with minimal action. A woman leaves her husband and comes back that same evening. The story follows the husband's inner torment after this attack on his masculinity. Conrad is sensitive to the plight of women caught in loveless marriages. In a way, this story is James + Ibsen. Even though Conrad himself did not like this story, it is a great read, in part because it is a rare bird.
* The Lagoon Conrad's first short story, written after _An Outcast of the Islands_, literally with the same pen, as the author indicates in the preface. Similar in theme to "Karain," it is also a framed narrative. In a lagoon setting, a European meets a local friend, Arsat, whose wife is dying. Arsat tells the story of his brother. Like Karain, he is haunted by ghosts from the past, though release comes in a different way for him. The story has a great sense of setting, with a classical Conrad structure.
Most of the quotable material in this collection comes from "An Outpost of Progress," which may account for the story's success, in addition to the fact that it clearly foreshadows _Heart of Darkness_. Here's Conrad on feelings and words "About feelings people really know nothing. We talk with indignation or enthusiasm; we talk about oppression, cruelty, crime, devotion, self-sacrifice, virtue, and we know nothing real beyond the words. Nobody knows what suffering or sacrifice mean--except, perhaps the victims of the mysterious purpose of these illusions." In _Under Western Eyes_, Conrad wrote that words are "the great foes of reality." Many of his characters are confronted with the inexpressible, before which they are at a loss for words ("The horror! The horror!"). Regarding fear, Conrad says "Fear always remains. A man may destroy everything within himself, love and hate and belief, and even doubt; but as long as he clings to life he cannot destroy fear the fear, subtle, indestructible, and terrible, that pervades his being; that tinges his thoughts; that lurks in his heart; that watches on his lips the struggle of his last breath."
_Tales of Unrest_ is not my favorite of Conrad's collections of short stories. That would be _Twixt Land and Sea_, which includes "A Smile of Fortune," "The Secret Sharer," and "Freya of the Seven Isles." The original _Heart of Darkness_ collection, which contains "Youth" and the amazing "The End of the Tether," is also wonderful. That said, I very much enjoyed _Tales of Unrest_, and I think it may be Conrad's first great book. Only one of its stories, "An Outpost of Progress," has entered the canon, for the most part as a companion piece to _Heart of Darkness_, but all of these tales of unrest feature memorable characters in difficult situations, and all of them grabbed my attention.
My next short story collection by Conrad will probably be the posthumous _Tales of Hearsay_. _Nostromo_ still stares at me from the shelf.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the book!
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