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Hello everyone. Somehow, I managed to get all the way through an English Literature degree without being assigned a single Joseph Conrad novel. I've decided to fix this oversight myself by reading a sampling of his work. It's a given that Heart of Darkness will be one of the titles but what of the others? What are Conrad's best novels/short stories? Any title suggestions or suggestions for order of reading?
Well I read Lord Jim as a child. Not striking (for a child). Then I read The Secret Agent and found it dull, unconvincing. Then I read Under Western Eyes. Liked it. Then I read Victory. Liked it. Then I read Nostromo and realized he was a great writer. After that I read The Arrow of Gold- my favourite. Years later I read Heart of Darkness and enjoyed the subtlety - something that Achebe missed entirely. There are some more for me to read. But I need to read Nostromo again.
Nostromo is very much admired.
Of the four I have read, Nostromo, Lord Jim, Heart of Darkness and The Secret Agent, the one I liked best was The Secret Agent. I was interested that terrorist bombing campaigns had such a long history. I think reading Conrad is good for naturally sunny, happy people who want to experience the misery and despondency that they have heard other people feel.
Thanks for the responses, folks!
I've read all of Conrad's novels and enjoyed Nostromo and Under Western Eyes best of the lot. But The Secret Agent really is special for its unremitting gloom and moral squalor. Shudder.