A selection of short stories including favourites such as Youth, a modern epic of the sea; The Secret Sharer, a thrilling psychological drama; An Outpost of Progress, a blackly comic prelude to Heart of Darkness; Amy Foster, a moving story of a shipwrecked, alienated Pole; and The Lagoon and Karain, two exotic, exciting Malay tales.

Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) is considered to be one of the great novelists in English. His novels often have a nautical setting and his characters suffer trials in the midst of an indifferent universe. His masterful prose is second to none and his Polish background brings a romantic or tragic style that was previously unknown in English novels. The "Heart of Darkness" is a true classic. A small book but every word is powerfully and perfectly placed. It is a dark allegory full of suspense, adventure, character development and psychological drama. The story is told by Marlow who on his journey up the Congo meets and becomes fascinated with Mr Kurtz who dominates the local people. This is considered to be Conrad's greatest and most enigmatic story. The" Secret Agent" is a piercing sociological evaluation of the entire culture of the western world and the many flawed sub-cultures that emerge from it. Set in London, each group has an anti-hero who epitomises the problems with a culture that is entirely based on self-interest. There is a broken time line in the novel that heightens the mystery of the identity of the tragic victim who dies early on in the story. "Lord Jim" is a sea-faring tale, but more than that is it a story of Jim's lifelong efforts to atone for an act of instinctive cowardice. This then became the classic tale that gave birth to a new genre of literature. "Nostromo" is another sea-faring epic and a complex tale of colonial life in Latin America. In this book there are flashbacks, people telling stories within stories which adds both to the complexity and the depth. The tale draws you in with a sense of foreboding as the lure of silver, greed, capitalist exploitation and rebellion evolve. "Victory" centers around the character Axel Heyst, a complex character who wishes to cut himself off from people to avoid suffering. He settles on a remote island in the Malay Archipelago. However, he is hated and misunderstood by the evil innkeeper Schomberg and then rescues a young English woman, Lena. The take is one of adventure and complex relationships, but ultimately about the incredible healing power of love.

This meticulously edited Joseph Conrad collection includes: Short Stories_x000D_ Point of Honor: A Military Tale_x000D_ Falk: A Reminiscence_x000D_ Amy Foster_x000D_ To-morrow_x000D_ Tales of Unrest:_x000D_ Karain, A Memory _x000D_ The Idiots_x000D_ The Outpost of Progress_x000D_ The Return_x000D_ Youth: A Narrative_x000D_ Heart of Darkness _x000D_ The End of the Tether_x000D_ 'Twixt Land and Sea:_x000D_ A Smile of Fortune_x000D_ The Secret Sharer_x000D_ Freya of the Seven Isles_x000D_ A Set of Six:_x000D_ Author's Note_x000D_ Gaspar Ruiz _x000D_ The Informer_x000D_ The Brute: The Tale of a Bloodthirsty Brig; or A Indignant Tale_x000D_ An Anarchist_x000D_ The Duel_x000D_ Il Conde_x000D_ Tales of Hearsay:_x000D_ The Warrior's Soul_x000D_ Prince Roman_x000D_ The Tale_x000D_ The Black Mate_x000D_ Within the Tides Tales:_x000D_ The Planter of Malata_x000D_ The Partner_x000D_ The Inn of the Two Witches_x000D_ Because of the Dollars_x000D_ Memoirs, Letters and Articles _x000D_ A Personal Record; or Some Reminiscences_x000D_ The Mirror of the Sea_x000D_ Notes On Life And Letters_x000D_ Autocracy And War_x000D_ The Crime Of Partition_x000D_ A Note On The Polish Problem_x000D_ Poland Revisited_x000D_ First News_x000D_ Well Done_x000D_ Tradition_x000D_ Confidence_x000D_ Flight_x000D_ Some Reflections On The Loss Of The Titanic_x000D_ Certain Aspects Of The Admirable Inquiry Into The Loss Of The Titanic_x000D_ Protection Of Ocean Liners_x000D_ A Friendly Place_x000D_ On Red Badge of Courage_x000D_ Biography & Critical Essays_x000D_ Joseph Conrad (A Biography) by Hugh Walpole_x000D_ Joseph Conrad by John Albert Macy_x000D_ A Conrad Miscellany by John Albert Macy_x000D_ Joseph Conrad & The Athenæum by Arnold Bennett_x000D_ ..._x000D_ Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), was a Polish author who wrote in English after settling in England. Conrad is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in English, though he did not speak the language fluently until he was in his twenties. He wrote stories and novels, often with a nautical setting, that depict trials of the human spirit in the midst of an indifferent universe. He was a master prose stylist who brought a distinctly non-English tragic sensibility into English literature.

Generally regarded as the pre-eminent work of Conrad's shorter fiction, 'Heart of Darkness' is a chilling tale of horror which, as the author intended, is capable of many interpretations.