Joseph Conrad still illuminates the world's turmoil, noted biographer and literary critic Jeffrey Meyers asserts in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal.
Born in Kiev, then part of the Polish empire, Conrad turned to English to write "Heart of Darkness," "Lord Jim," "Nostromo," "The Secret Sharer," "Under Western Eyes" and other classics. He died on Aug. 3 100 years ago at age 66.
English was Conrad's third language, after Polish and French, Meyers notes. Conrad spent many years at sea, traveling to colonial outposts, before beginning his literary career at age 37.
While Conrad is one of the white male writers accused of racism, Meyers emphasizes the author's condemnation of the ravages of colonialism, which still shapes global events.
Meyers cities Conrad's influence over T.S. Eliot, Graham Greene, V.S. Naipaul and George Orwell. He's also a guiding spirit for the travel writings of contemporary authors Paul Theroux touring Mexico, Redmond O'Hanlon reporting in the Congo and Amy Wilentz exploring Haiti, Meyers says.
Unmentioned by Meyers, Conrad also provided a model for Vietnam era writers Tim O'Brien, Michael Herr and David Halberstam. "The Heart of Darkness" was the basis for Francis Ford Coppola's film "Apocalypse Now," which condemned America's war effort in Vietnam.
Meyer's essay is another jewel in the WSJ's rise as a serious intellectual publication.
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