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Tales of the Sea
This collection of seafaring stories comprises some of the most famous, most adventurous, and most authentic narratives ever written. These are the tales of the strenuous and brave lives of seafaring men and women, told with power and charm by a man more than familiar with life on the sea.
Himself a seaman for twenty years, Joseph Conrad (1857 - 1924) wrote these stories with an intimate knowledge of both the sea and those whose lives revolved around the sea. He based many of his stories on his own experience, including one of his most well known books, Heart of Darkness , which revolves around his various adventures in the Congo.
The power and charm of these stories is due not only to Conrad's personal involvement with the sea, but also to his dynamic style of writing, his dramatic succinctness, and his virile sense of humor.
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First published January 1, 1917
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About the author
Joseph Conrad
3,210 books4,925 followersJoseph Conrad was a Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language and, although he did not speak English fluently until his twenties, he became a master prose stylist who brought a non-English sensibility into English literature. He wrote novels and stories, many in nautical settings, that depict crises of human individuality in the midst of what he saw as an indifferent, inscrutable, and amoral world.
Conrad is considered a literary impressionist by some and an early modernist by others, though his works also contain elements of 19th-century realism. His narrative style and anti-heroic characters, as in Lord Jim, for example, have influenced numerous authors. Many dramatic films have been adapted from and inspired by his works. Numerous writers and critics have commented that his fictional works, written largely in the first two decades of the 20th century, seem to have anticipated later world events.
Writing near the peak of the British Empire, Conrad drew on the national experiences of his native Poland—during nearly all his life, parceled out among three occupying empires—and on his own experiences in the French and British merchant navies, to create short stories and novels that reflect aspects of a European-dominated world—including imperialism and colonialism—and that profoundly explore the human psyche.
Conrad is considered a literary impressionist by some and an early modernist by others, though his works also contain elements of 19th-century realism. His narrative style and anti-heroic characters, as in Lord Jim, for example, have influenced numerous authors. Many dramatic films have been adapted from and inspired by his works. Numerous writers and critics have commented that his fictional works, written largely in the first two decades of the 20th century, seem to have anticipated later world events.
Writing near the peak of the British Empire, Conrad drew on the national experiences of his native Poland—during nearly all his life, parceled out among three occupying empires—and on his own experiences in the French and British merchant navies, to create short stories and novels that reflect aspects of a European-dominated world—including imperialism and colonialism—and that profoundly explore the human psyche.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 16, 2020
Ця збірка Конрада найкраще ілюструє неоднорідність його творчості. До цього тому увійшли оповідання/повісті "Молодість", "Лагуна", "Завтра", "Тайфун" та роман "Лорд Джім". Фактично, їх можна розташувати на континуумі: від "морських" до "психологічних" творів. Де "Тайфун" - чисто "морський" твір, а "Завтра" - чисто "психологічний. Тобто порядок виглядав би інакше: "Тайфун", "Лагуна", "Молодість", "Лорд Джім", "Завтра".
І найважче мені давався "Тайфун". Опис тайфуну, боротьби команди з ним, опису тривог та переживань головного героя Джокса та його капітана Мак-Вера. Це було цікаво, але не на сотню сторінок. Хоча фінал фірмово Конрадівський. Замість опису очима моряків, він подає інформацію з листів.
"Молодість" також дуже описова, але вона має неймовірний фінал - зустріч з Азією (чи точніше - Індонезією), а ширше - цивілізаційним Іншим. Це виправдовує той детальний, гіпотизуючий опис митарств корабля, який протікає, а тому матроси мають відкачувати воду з трюмів, але в якого горить вантаж вугілля в трюмах, а тому їм доводиться закачувати воду, щоб гасити ту пожежу.
Натомість "Лорд Джім" - це твір, що балансує між "морськими" та "психологічними" напрямами творчості Конрада. І про нього я писав окремо.
І "Завтра" - чисто психологічний твір, де море - лише зав'язка, але не більше. Це історія з життя сухопутної Британії, де батько чекає сина з моря. І тут Конрад повною мірою показує всю трагічність ситуації, де і батько, і служниця, і син-матрос виявляються однаково нещасними і водночас прикрими людьми.
І після цієї збірки я зрозумів, що "морський" Конрад мені занадто важкий для читання.
А 3 зірочки - за оформлення. Шрифт абсолютно незручний, а тому довелося "Лорда Джіма" читати в радянському виданні. І виявилося, що оформлення має значення на рівні емоцій від тексту. В приємному оформленні Конрад читається неквапливо, а тому встигаєш відчути талант автора. На жаль, у цьому виданні на "Лорді Джимі" я таки зашпортався.
І найважче мені давався "Тайфун". Опис тайфуну, боротьби команди з ним, опису тривог та переживань головного героя Джокса та його капітана Мак-Вера. Це було цікаво, але не на сотню сторінок. Хоча фінал фірмово Конрадівський. Замість опису очима моряків, він подає інформацію з листів.
"Молодість" також дуже описова, але вона має неймовірний фінал - зустріч з Азією (чи точніше - Індонезією), а ширше - цивілізаційним Іншим. Це виправдовує той детальний, гіпотизуючий опис митарств корабля, який протікає, а тому матроси мають відкачувати воду з трюмів, але в якого горить вантаж вугілля в трюмах, а тому їм доводиться закачувати воду, щоб гасити ту пожежу.
Натомість "Лорд Джім" - це твір, що балансує між "морськими" та "психологічними" напрямами творчості Конрада. І про нього я писав окремо.
І "Завтра" - чисто психологічний твір, де море - лише зав'язка, але не більше. Це історія з життя сухопутної Британії, де батько чекає сина з моря. І тут Конрад повною мірою показує всю трагічність ситуації, де і батько, і служниця, і син-матрос виявляються однаково нещасними і водночас прикрими людьми.
І після цієї збірки я зрозумів, що "морський" Конрад мені занадто важкий для читання.
А 3 зірочки - за оформлення. Шрифт абсолютно незручний, а тому довелося "Лорда Джіма" читати в радянському виданні. І виявилося, що оформлення має значення на рівні емоцій від тексту. В приємному оформленні Конрад читається неквапливо, а тому встигаєш відчути талант автора. На жаль, у цьому виданні на "Лорді Джимі" я таки зашпортався.
February 25, 2018
У книжці два оповідання, один роман та одна повість відомого письменника Джозефа Конрада. Не зовсім моє, проте мене вразило як автор зображував переживання героїв, описи морських штормів та як люди виживали у такій стихії. Це твори про людей, які покинули звичний суходіл заради блакитного моря з усіма його небезпеками та випробуваннями.
June 30, 2021
Найбільше сподобалося оповідання "Завтра", йому б поставила 5 з 5 балів.
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January 10, 2012My review of Joseph Conrad's Tales of the Sea:
There's really not much to say about this book. It's a collection of Joseph Conrad's stories and all of them are, as to be expected, up to the usual standard of Joseph Conrad. I don't know if I would recommend this collection; there's more than a few visible spelling mistakes and they detract from the experience.
For me, there was one very distinctive point of interest. After watching Ridley Scott's, Alien, I became interested in the influence of Joseph Conrad's Nigger of the Narcissus in the story of Alien [for obvious reasons to anyone who has seen Alien].
Seeing that Nigger of the Narcissus wasn't included in the Tales of the Sea collection, I researched online and discovered to my surprise that I had in fact, already read Nigger of the Narcissus only under a different title: Children of the Sea. Interestingly enough, this change in title wasn't due to the increased sense of racial sensitivity in Western society. Nigger of the Narcissus was originally sold in the United States under the title Children of the Sea in 1897 because the US publishers didn't believe the American public would want to buy a book about a black man.
Although the original title was returned to US shelves shortly thereafter, in 2009 a version of Nigger of the Narcissus was published, which removed all of the references to' nigger' and replaced them with the term N – Word, on the grounds that it was offensive to modern taste.
The reader should note that one of Conrad's major themes in Nigger of the Narcissus, was that coddling and being too sensitive to the needs of individuals can be harmful to society. In the story, several members of the crew are nearly killed trying to save the nigger on the Narcissus [the name of the ship] who couldn't be bothered to save himself.
Our modern multiculturalists and equal rights activists would do well to acknowledge the harm they are doing to the reader in editing Conrad's own words [they would probably do well to read his works before censoring them] for moral reasons.
Art is art, not a political statement. It cannot be changed for moral reasons, because moral thinking should not be expected to play a role in the artist's vision of creation. Readers must be allowed to decide for themselves what constitutes good or effective art and are smart enough to recognize the differences between the two without the overbearing sensitivities of timid publishers.
The only good that can come of situations like this, when classic and integral works to English literature are censored for the supposed harm to society they pose, is that our recognition as readers of Conrad's truth is made even more important and necessary for future generations.
There's really not much to say about this book. It's a collection of Joseph Conrad's stories and all of them are, as to be expected, up to the usual standard of Joseph Conrad. I don't know if I would recommend this collection; there's more than a few visible spelling mistakes and they detract from the experience.
For me, there was one very distinctive point of interest. After watching Ridley Scott's, Alien, I became interested in the influence of Joseph Conrad's Nigger of the Narcissus in the story of Alien [for obvious reasons to anyone who has seen Alien].
Seeing that Nigger of the Narcissus wasn't included in the Tales of the Sea collection, I researched online and discovered to my surprise that I had in fact, already read Nigger of the Narcissus only under a different title: Children of the Sea. Interestingly enough, this change in title wasn't due to the increased sense of racial sensitivity in Western society. Nigger of the Narcissus was originally sold in the United States under the title Children of the Sea in 1897 because the US publishers didn't believe the American public would want to buy a book about a black man.
Although the original title was returned to US shelves shortly thereafter, in 2009 a version of Nigger of the Narcissus was published, which removed all of the references to' nigger' and replaced them with the term N – Word, on the grounds that it was offensive to modern taste.
The reader should note that one of Conrad's major themes in Nigger of the Narcissus, was that coddling and being too sensitive to the needs of individuals can be harmful to society. In the story, several members of the crew are nearly killed trying to save the nigger on the Narcissus [the name of the ship] who couldn't be bothered to save himself.
Our modern multiculturalists and equal rights activists would do well to acknowledge the harm they are doing to the reader in editing Conrad's own words [they would probably do well to read his works before censoring them] for moral reasons.
Art is art, not a political statement. It cannot be changed for moral reasons, because moral thinking should not be expected to play a role in the artist's vision of creation. Readers must be allowed to decide for themselves what constitutes good or effective art and are smart enough to recognize the differences between the two without the overbearing sensitivities of timid publishers.
The only good that can come of situations like this, when classic and integral works to English literature are censored for the supposed harm to society they pose, is that our recognition as readers of Conrad's truth is made even more important and necessary for future generations.
November 30, 2020
It took me years to get through this collection, and in doing so I became very familiar with:
1) Conrad’s unbelievable mastery of the English language as a non-native English speaker
2) His entanglement with the prevailing racist / xenophobic outlook of his time
It’s jarring to read a passage that beautifully describes the sounds, reflections of light, and feelings associated with an impending storm at sea—then turn the page to read the author going out of his way to demean the capacities of foreign deckhands. While some of the stories are snoozers or get bogged down in overly descriptive plot development, a handful succeed at transporting the reader to the experiences of wonder and eerie superstition associated with the “adventure” trades of the time.
While Conrad may have ultimately accomplished a lot in raising concerns about atrocities in the Belgian Congo, the subtext of casual racism on display in his work here makes for a complicated and heavy read today. It’s hard to ignore that aspect, but it’s also hard to say no one should enjoy or learn from Conrad’s linguistic artistry.
1) Conrad’s unbelievable mastery of the English language as a non-native English speaker
2) His entanglement with the prevailing racist / xenophobic outlook of his time
It’s jarring to read a passage that beautifully describes the sounds, reflections of light, and feelings associated with an impending storm at sea—then turn the page to read the author going out of his way to demean the capacities of foreign deckhands. While some of the stories are snoozers or get bogged down in overly descriptive plot development, a handful succeed at transporting the reader to the experiences of wonder and eerie superstition associated with the “adventure” trades of the time.
While Conrad may have ultimately accomplished a lot in raising concerns about atrocities in the Belgian Congo, the subtext of casual racism on display in his work here makes for a complicated and heavy read today. It’s hard to ignore that aspect, but it’s also hard to say no one should enjoy or learn from Conrad’s linguistic artistry.
September 29, 2014
Loved Conrad's writing about the sea, drawn from his life experience. Stories were interesting and beautifully descriptive. Seems to be the beginning of modern style, with 19th century flourishes.
March 21, 2009
I've decided Conrad is definitely one of my favorite authors. One of the masters of short stories, his work is truly sublime.
June 1, 2022
Whew! This book was a marathon. But I've finished it and I'm glad I put in the work to read this collection in its entirety. Heart of Darkness was the only story I'd already read when I picked this collection up. Like most people who studied English Lit, I had to read Heart of Darkness several times while completing my degree. The other stories, however, were new to me.
It was really fun to immerse myself in the world of Conrad's adventure stories. For the past month and a half, I've been totally steeped in stories of ships on stormy seas, island star-crossed lovers, steamy jungles, and South American military battles. Conrad has a gift for prose and really makes you feel like you are living in this world with him.
Of course, being a dude from the late 1800s/early 1900s, he holds some problematic racial views and these feature in many of the stories. I don't know how much I can blame a guy born in the 19th century, but I also had to knock off a star for that. It's impossible to read an older work as a modern reader and suspend all of our modern values and perspectives. It's so impossible that I don't even try. I extend Conrad a very small amount of grace, only because he was progressive for his time, and Heart of Darkness is a condemnation of the brutal ivory trade in the Congo. Before Heart of Darkness, most English people had no idea what atrocities the British empire was committing against the African people.
Aside from that issue, this is a really beautiful collection.
My favorites are Heart of Darkness, Frey of the Seven Isles, Youth, and Typhoon.
Conrad's prose is gorgeous. His characters are incredibly psychologically complex and three-dimensional. He made me feel like I was on the deck during these scenes of stormy seas.
I highly recommend this read to anyone who likes adventure stories or nautical stories.
It was really fun to immerse myself in the world of Conrad's adventure stories. For the past month and a half, I've been totally steeped in stories of ships on stormy seas, island star-crossed lovers, steamy jungles, and South American military battles. Conrad has a gift for prose and really makes you feel like you are living in this world with him.
Of course, being a dude from the late 1800s/early 1900s, he holds some problematic racial views and these feature in many of the stories. I don't know how much I can blame a guy born in the 19th century, but I also had to knock off a star for that. It's impossible to read an older work as a modern reader and suspend all of our modern values and perspectives. It's so impossible that I don't even try. I extend Conrad a very small amount of grace, only because he was progressive for his time, and Heart of Darkness is a condemnation of the brutal ivory trade in the Congo. Before Heart of Darkness, most English people had no idea what atrocities the British empire was committing against the African people.
Aside from that issue, this is a really beautiful collection.
My favorites are Heart of Darkness, Frey of the Seven Isles, Youth, and Typhoon.
Conrad's prose is gorgeous. His characters are incredibly psychologically complex and three-dimensional. He made me feel like I was on the deck during these scenes of stormy seas.
I highly recommend this read to anyone who likes adventure stories or nautical stories.
July 3, 2018
Оповідання Джозефа Конрада "Молодість" - наче дарунок тому, хто шукає відповідей. О, так багато відповідей! - та чи ви їх шукаєте? Чи ви можете жити без питань - до себе, до життя, до неба? Якщо можете - це книга не для вас.
50 сторінок триває подорож морем із Заходу на Схід; 50 сторінок старезний корабель із Марлоу, молодим помічником капітана долає всі можливі перешкоди та небезпеки, від шторму, що вигризає нутрощі корабля та ставить моряків у нескінченну вахту до помп - відкачувати воду, і аж до пожежі, яка охопила вугілля в трюмах і знову припнула команду до помп - закачувати воду в палаючий корабель; 50 сторінок попри все та всупереч всьому юний Марлоу прагне побачити брами Сходу - а корабель на ім'я "Юдея", який так і не дістався порту призначення, Бангкоку, згорів і потонув у морі - дарує йому та кожному читачеві девіз, який пережив корабель і кінець-кінцем привів Марлоу на Схід: "Зроби або помри".
"Зроби або помри!" - наче рефрен, це кредо лунає над сторінками книги; "Зроби або помри!" - ось який невидимий дух ширяє над мачтами "Юдеї", головами Марлоу, старого капітана, кількох ліверпульців і хвилями океану. Є в книзі і другий рефрен - молодість; о, як пристрасно, як солодко, як тужливо вимовляє вже сивий та зморшкуватий Марлоу це слово! І читачеві лишається одне: поринути у цей вік, який штовхає людину в самісінький вир смертельних небезпек, побачити на власні очі ті небезпеки, майстерно змальовані Конрадом, побачити їх без страху, а навпаки, - як кращих друзів, із радістю, та у своєму серці відчути: о, так, молодість - це благословіння! І хай самими губами, хай подумки, але повторити за старенькою "Юдеєю" та молодим Марлоу: "Зроби або помри!"
...і почути в тому відповідь - одну-єдину на силу-силенну питань.
50 сторінок триває подорож морем із Заходу на Схід; 50 сторінок старезний корабель із Марлоу, молодим помічником капітана долає всі можливі перешкоди та небезпеки, від шторму, що вигризає нутрощі корабля та ставить моряків у нескінченну вахту до помп - відкачувати воду, і аж до пожежі, яка охопила вугілля в трюмах і знову припнула команду до помп - закачувати воду в палаючий корабель; 50 сторінок попри все та всупереч всьому юний Марлоу прагне побачити брами Сходу - а корабель на ім'я "Юдея", який так і не дістався порту призначення, Бангкоку, згорів і потонув у морі - дарує йому та кожному читачеві девіз, який пережив корабель і кінець-кінцем привів Марлоу на Схід: "Зроби або помри".
"Зроби або помри!" - наче рефрен, це кредо лунає над сторінками книги; "Зроби або помри!" - ось який невидимий дух ширяє над мачтами "Юдеї", головами Марлоу, старого капітана, кількох ліверпульців і хвилями океану. Є в книзі і другий рефрен - молодість; о, як пристрасно, як солодко, як тужливо вимовляє вже сивий та зморшкуватий Марлоу це слово! І читачеві лишається одне: поринути у цей вік, який штовхає людину в самісінький вир смертельних небезпек, побачити на власні очі ті небезпеки, майстерно змальовані Конрадом, побачити їх без страху, а навпаки, - як кращих друзів, із радістю, та у своєму серці відчути: о, так, молодість - це благословіння! І хай самими губами, хай подумки, але повторити за старенькою "Юдеєю" та молодим Марлоу: "Зроби або помри!"
...і почути в тому відповідь - одну-єдину на силу-силенну питань.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2024
Conrad was such an amazing writer. His use of the English language makes me feel that I am beside the sailors on their ships and experiencing the gales and storms that toss their ships. His development of character is exacting and each person has a singular identity with which the can empathize. His descriptions of places and scenes put youi side those places and you experience them as if you are there. I do not know of another writer with such strong universal writing skills
July 31, 2025
Має три історії. "Зроби або помри" - про те що "людина народжується для поневірянь, для кораблів, які течуть, і кораблів, які горять". "Лорд Джім" - про те що "ми маємо мужність нести свій тягар все життя, але чи маємо ми сміливість скинути його?". І "Тайфун" - про тайфун.
August 6, 2025
This hefty volume holds many of Conrad’s most well-known and brilliantly written long stories and novellas.
It’s a treasure chest that one can return to many times. I have and will continue to.
It’s a treasure chest that one can return to many times. I have and will continue to.
October 8, 2023
I enjoyed these stories very much. I liked them much better than Poe’s sea stories.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews