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Typhoon And Other Stories.
by Conrad, Joseph
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
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Palm Beach, Florida, United States
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About This Item
London: William Heinemann, 1903. Typhoon is most likely based upon Conrad's actual experience of seaman's life, and probably on a real incident aboard of the steamer John P. Best. The tale describes the exploits of Captain MacWhirr as he sails the s/s Nan-Shan, a British-built steamer running under the Siamese flag, into a typhoon in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. Other characters include the young Jukes (most probably an alter ego of Conrad from the time he had sailed under captain John McWhirr and Solomon Rout, the chief engineer). The novella classically evokes the seafaring life at the turn of the century. While Macwhirr, who, according to Conrad, "never walked on this Earth", is emotionally estranged from his family and crew, and though he refuses to consider an alternate course to skirt the typhoon, his indomitable will in the face of a superior natural force elicits grudging admiration. "This richly and consistently ironic tale is generally thought to inaugurate Conrad's period of artistic maturity" (Kermode, 9).
Synopsis
In these four stories, written between 1900 and 1902, Joseph Conrad bid gradual farewell to his adventurous life at sea and began to confront the more daunting complexities of life on land in the twentieth century. In 'Typhoon' Conrad reveals, in the steadfast courage of an undemonstrative captain and the imaginative readiness of his young first mate, the differences between instinct and intelligence in a partnership vital to human survival. 'Falk', the companion sea-story, contrasts, as Conrad once put it, 'common sentimentalism with the frank standpoint of a more or less primitive man', a man with a conscience, however, about the girl he desires. In one of the 'land-stories' Conrad explores the utter isolation of an East European emigrant in England; in the other, the plight of a woman ironically trapped by the unwitting alliance of two retired widowers - each blind in his own way.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Raptis Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 104523
- Title
- Typhoon And Other Stories.
- Author
- Conrad, Joseph
- Book Condition
- Used
- Publisher
- William Heinemann
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1903
- Keywords
- Joseph Conrad First Edition, typhoon-and-other-stories-first-edition
Terms of Sale
Raptis Rare Books
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About the Seller
Raptis Rare Books
Biblio member since 2012
Palm Beach, Florida
About Raptis Rare Books
Founded by Matthew and Adrienne Raptis, Raptis Rare Books is an antiquarian book firm that specializes in literature, children's books, economics, photo books, signed and inscribed books, and landmark books in all fields. Our business model is simple: we strive to handle books that are in exceptional condition and to provide exceptional customer service.
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