# Joseph Conrad

## Biography

Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, known to the world as Joseph Conrad, was born in 1857 in Russian-controlled Ukraine to Polish parents. Orphaned at a young age after his father’s political activism led to their exile and both parents succumbed to tuberculosis, Conrad’s early life was marked by hardship. At seventeen, he left Poland to pursue a life at sea, a career that would profoundly shape his literary output. He worked on French and British merchant ships for two decades, eventually becoming a British subject in 1886 and mastering English, which he learned fluently in his twenties.

Conrad’s seafaring experiences provided the rich backdrop for his novels and short stories, which often explored themes of alienation, morality, and the complexities of human nature in exotic locales. He began writing in his thirties, publishing his first novel, "Almayer's Folly," in 1895. His unique impressionistic style and psychological depth garnered critical acclaim, establishing him as a significant figure in English literature. His most famous works include "Heart of Darkness," "Lord Jim," and "Nostromo." Despite battling poor health and financial struggles throughout his life, Conrad’s literary contributions have secured his place as a master novelist of the twentieth century. He passed away in 1924.

## Books

- [The Secret Sharer](https://samolit.com/books/96666)
- [Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard](https://samolit.com/books/96476)
- [Lord Jim](https://samolit.com/books/96371)
- [The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale](https://samolit.com/books/96084)
- [Heart of Darkness](https://samolit.com/books/95842)
- [Heart of Darkness](https://samolit.com/books/95819)