Episode Details

How did a Polish orphan from the Russian Empire, who didn't speak English fluently until his twenties, become one of the greatest prose stylists in English literature? In this episode of pplpod, we navigate the turbulent life of Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski).

We chart his journey from a tragic childhood marked by his parents' political exile and early deaths to his adventurous years in the French and British merchant marines. We discuss the pivotal moments that shaped his worldview, including a suicide attempt in Marseille and his harrowing time in the Congo, which inspired his masterpiece, Heart of Darkness.

Join us as we explore how Conrad transformed his experiences at sea into profound meditations on the human psyche, colonialism, and moral isolation. We also delve into his personal struggles with debt and depression, his writing process in a third language, and the modern controversies surrounding his work, including Chinua Achebe’s famous critique of his depiction of Africa.