Prince Roman

by Joseph Conrad

Events which happened seventy years ago are perhaps rather too far off to be dragged aptly into a mere conversation. Of course the year 1831 is for us an historical date, one of these fatal years when in the presence of the world's passive indigna- tion and eloquent sympathies we had once more to murmur 'Vo Victis' and count the cost in sorrow. Not that we were ever very good at calculating, either, in prosperity or in adversity. That's a lesson we could never learn, to the great exasperation of our enemies who have bestowed upon us the epithet of Incorrigible... .

Genres: Literature

24 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 1911

About the author

Joseph 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.

Reviews

[Kristi]

I read this with some trepidation as I am not a fan of Conrad or the Heart of Darkness. I did not realize that Conrad was born in Poland and became a naturalized British citizen in 1886 when he was 29. He had traveled the world extensively, so he had knowledge of many cultures. I always thought that he was English by birth. I liked Prince Roman. He was a man struggling with great sorrow who chose to serve Poland against the Russians. My only moment of protest was when he abandoned his mother-less daughter. Why did his grief have to take both parents from an innocent little girl?? Recommend Kristi & Abby Tabby Childless Cat Lady

[Dom]

The main character's transformation from nobility to soldier is powerful