Nostromo / Edition 1

by Joseph Conrad, Ruth Nadelhaft

Overview

Nostromo, first published in 1904, is arguably Conrad's greatest and most complex novel. A compelling adventure story, it is also a novel of profound psychological insight and of powerful political implications. It tells the story of a Central American state whose silver mine serves both literally and metaphorically as the source of the country's value. Written at the time of the development of the Panama Canal, Nostromo is set in the imaginary province of Sulaco, which secedes from the federation of Costaguana in order to protect its natural resource, the silver mine. The parallels with the 'revolution' formented in Panama by the United States in 1903 are striking; just as Panama seceded from Columbia to satisfy the material interests of the canal builders, so the secession of Sulaco serves the material interests of 'the Gould concession.' In this edition a variety of documents from the period (including material concerning American involvement in Central America in the early twentieth century, early critical notices, and family letters of Conrad's) help to set the text in context.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781551110745
Publisher:	Broadview Press
Publication date:	04/30/1997
Series:	World's Classics Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	596
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.12(d)

About the Author

Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) was born in Berdychiv, Ukraine and had an unconventional childhood. His father was a writer and political activist who harshly criticized the Russian government. The family constantly traveled and by age 11, Conrad had lost both parents to tuberculosis. He spent his formative years with an uncle before embarking on a career as a merchant marine. During his downtown, Conrad would write stories inspired by his many experiences. His first novel, Almayer's Folly, was published in 1895 followed by his most acclaimed works, Lord Jim (1900) and Heart of Darkness (1902).

Date of Birth:

December 3, 1857

Date of Death:

August 3, 1924

Place of Birth:

Berdiczew, Podolia, Russia

Place of Death:

Bishopsbourne, Kent, England

Education:

Tutored in Switzerland. Self-taught in classical literature. Attended maritime school in Marseilles, France

Table of Contents

Introduction
A Note on the Text
Joseph Conrad: A Brief Chronology
Author’s Note

Nostromo

Appendix A: Selected Reviews

1. Letters of Arnold Bennett (25 November 1912)
2. Unsigned review, The Times Literary Supplement (21 October 1904)
3. Unsigned notice, Review of Reviews (1 November 1904)
4. Unsigned notice, Black and White (5 November 1904)
5. Unsigned review, Daily Telegraph (9 November 1904)
6. C.D.O. Barrie, British Weekly (10 November 1904)
7. Unsigned review, Manchester Guardian (2 November 1904)
8. Edward Garnett, Speaker (12 November 1904)
9. John Buchan, Spectator (19 November 1904)
10. Unsigned notice, Illustrated London News (26 November 1904)

Appendix B: Selected Letters

Appendix C: Documents relating to the Panama Canal Treaty of 1903

Appendix D: “Autocracy and War”

Works Cited

Recommended Reading

Editorial Reviews

Ruth Nadelhaft’s new edition of Nostromo is a timely addition to the Broadview Editions series. Without neglecting the traditional critical and biographical approaches, the supplementary materials and lucid introduction place Conrad’s difficult masterpiece fully and clearly within its contemporary contexts (especially the events surrounding the Panama Canal project), and in relation to our own debates about imperialism, colonials, and alleged racism in Conrad’s work. Broadview’s Nostromo, like its companion volumes, is truly a text for the way we teach now.” — David Latané Jr., Virginia Commonwealth University

“Nadelhaft negotiates the impasse between existential and political responses to the book. In reaffirming that the personal is the political, she demonstrates how Nostromo represents the process whereby ‘imperialism transmits the virus of alienation.’ Joined with the historical apparatus so characteristic of Broadview Editions, such theorizing genuinely reopens a book that hasn’t yet received its due.” — Michael Coyle, Colgate University

From the Publisher

"Nadelhaft negotiates the impasse between existential and political responses to the book. In reaffirming that the personal is the political, she demonstrates how Nostromo represents the process whereby 'imperialism transmits the virus of alienation.' Joined with the historical apparatus so characteristic of Broadview Editions, such theorizing genuinely reopens a book that hasn't yet received its due."

Michael Coyle Colgate University

"Ruth Nadelhaft's new edition of Nostromo is a timely addition to the Broadview Editions series. Without neglecting the traditional critical and biographical approaches, the supplementary materials and lucid introduction place Conrad's difficult masterpiece fully and clearly within its contemporary contexts (especially the events surrounding the Panama Canal project), and in relation to our own debates about imperialism, colonials, and alleged racism in Conrad's work. Broadview's Nostromo, like its companion volumes, is truly a text for the way we teach now."

David Latane Jr. Virginia Commonwealth University

Often praised as one of Joseph Conrad’s greatest novels, NOSTROMO tells the tumultuous history of the fictional country Costaguana. Conrad’s “perfectly incorruptible” Nostromo, a heroic symbol within the community, eventually reveals the novel’s dark irony. British actor John Lee approaches his narration with a steady tone and expert attention to the text. What is especially masterful in Lee’s reading is his array of accents for Conrad’s collage of characters—from the English and Italian transplants to the passionate native inhabitants. All are wonderfully portrayed by Lee, especially the polyglot Decoud, a Europeanized Costaguaneran whose accent fluctuates between French and Spanish. Lee takes Conrad’s dense and descriptive language in hand to produce an epic listening experience. D.M.W. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2011 - AudioFile