Born of Polish parents in the Ukraine, Conrad moved first to northern Russia, then Poland and in 1874 joined a sea crew on a French vessel. In 1878 he took a position on a British merchant ship and took his master's certificate in 1884. He became a naturalized citizen and left the sea for literature in 1894. Naturally, the sea influences many of his most famous works. His first published novel was Almayer's Folly (1895) and was soon followed by An Outcast of the Islands in 1896. His first success came with The Nigger of the Narcissus in 1897 and was followed by the even more successful Lord Jim in 1900. Conrad also wrote many short stories, of which Heart of Darkness and Typhoon (1902) are among the best. His other novels included Nostromo (1904), The Secret Agent (1907), Under Western Eyes (1911), Chance (1914), Within the Tides (1915), The Arrow of Gold (1919) and The Rescue (1920). |
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