Notes On Life And Letters

Notes on Life and Letters is a collection of twenty-six essays by Joseph Conrad. These essays present a fluctuating outlook of his literary views and concerns about the events of his time such as the Titanic Disaster and the First World War. Engrossing and insightful!In 1894, at age 36, Conrad reluctantly gave up the sea, partly because of poor health and partly because he had decided on a literary career.

Reproduction of the original: Notes on Life and Letters by Joseph Conrad

William Sharp (1855-1905) conducted one of the most audacious literary deceptions of his or any time. Sharp was a Scottish poet, novelist, biographer and editor who in 1893 began to write critically and commercially successful books under the name Fiona Macleod. This was far more than just a pseudonym: he corresponded as Macleod, enlisting his sister to provide the handwriting and address, and for more than a decade "Fiona Macleod" duped not only the general public but such literary luminaries as William Butler Yeats and, in America, E. C. Stedman. Sharp wrote "I feel another self within me now more than ever; it is as if I were possessed by a spirit who must speak out". This three-volume collection brings together Sharp’s own correspondence – a fascinating trove in its own right, by a Victorian man of letters who was on intimate terms with writers including Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Walter Pater, and George Meredith – and the Fiona Macleod letters, which bring to life Sharp’s intriguing "second self". With an introduction and detailed notes by William F. Halloran, this richly rewarding collection offers a wonderful insight into the literary landscape of the time, while also investigating a strange and underappreciated phenomenon of late-nineteenth-century English literature. It is essential for scholars of the period, and it is an illuminating read for anyone interested in authorship and identity.

Excerpt from Notes on Life and Letters The only thing that will not be found amongst those Figures and Things that have passed away will be Conrad en pantoufles. It is a constitutional inability. Schlafrock und Pantofleln Not that! Never! I don't know whether I dare boast like a certain South American General who used to say that no emergency of war or peace had ever found him with his boots off but I may say that whenever the various periodicals mentioned in this book called on me to come out and blow the trumpet of personal Opinions or strike the pensive lute that speaks of the past, I always tried to pull on my boots first. I didn't want to do it, God knows Their Editors, to whom I beg to offer my thanks here, made me perform mainly by kindness but partly by bribery. Well, yes I Bribery? What can you expect? I never pretended to be better than the people in the next street or even in the same street. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

"Notes on Life & Letters" by Joseph Conrad is a collection of essays that delve into various aspects of literature, history, and criticism. With his signature introspective style, Conrad offers readers a glimpse into his thoughts on the craft of writing, the role of literature in society, and the interplay between history and narrative. This work showcases Conrad's profound insights and his ability to weave together personal experiences with broader themes, making it a valuable read for lovers of literature and history alike.

Contains primary source material.

One of the greatest English writers of the 19th century was a Polish-born man who couldn't even speak English fluently until he had entered adulthood. Nevertheless, Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) went on to have a well-regarded literary career that bridged Romanticism and Modernism while also covering the zenith and twilight of the British empire. Conrad used his experience within the British empire to write novels and stories that often used the sea and navy as a setting, juxtaposing the individual human spirit with the collective duty and honor of the British navy. And though it was a second-language, Conrad mastered English prose.

First Published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.