Joseph Conrad

Joseph Conrad is perhaps best known for his 1899 novella "Heart of Darkness." This gripping narrative details a steamboat journey up the Congo River and critiques the brutal realities of European imperialism in Africa.

No, Joseph Conrad was born in Berdychiv, which was part of the Russian Empire at the time, and Polish was his native language. He did not learn to speak English fluently until he was in his twenties, yet he became one of the most celebrated novelists in the English language.

Published in 1900, "Lord Jim" follows a young British seaman who abandons a ship full of passengers during an apparent emergency. The novel explores his subsequent lifelong struggle with overwhelming guilt and his desperate quest for redemption.

Before becoming a writer, Conrad served in the French and British merchant navies for over a decade. His extensive, real-world experiences at sea provided the authentic foundation for the maritime settings of his major literary fiction.