Synopses & Reviews
Ian Watt (1917-1999) has long been acknowledged as one of the finest of postwar literary critics, and among the most learned of those writing about the work of Joseph Conrad. Essays on Conrad is a collection of Watt's most characteristic essays on Conrad's work. Watt's own philosophy, as well as his insight into Conrad's work, was shaped by his experiences as a prisoner of war on the River Kwai. His moving account of these experiences completes this essential collection of Watt essays.
Review
"This volume usefully collects Ian Watt's essays on one of the focal points of his scholarly career, Joseph Conrad. It will evidently have to serve in lieu of the sequel Watt hoped to write to his famous Conrad in the Nineteenth Century, As a learned, insightful, and humane critic, Watt has much to tell us about Conrad, and these essays do not disappoint. Among the works covered are Almayer's Folly, The Nigger of the 'Narcissus', Heart of Darkness, Typhoon, The Secret Agent, Chance, and The Shadow-Line. The volume ends with a fascinating essay on the myth of 'The Bridge over the River Kwai.' As someone who actually worked on the River Kwai while a prisoner of war, and who returned to the site in 1966, Watt is able to offer a unique perspective on the pop culture myth that developed out of this strange episode in World War II history. Though not directly about Conrad, this final essay is deeply Conradian in spirit, as it debunks a Western myth about the Eastern imperialist frontier." Reviewed by Andrew Witmer, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)
Review
"upper-division undergraduates through scholars will delight in these cool, clean meditations on the enigmatic Conradas work." Choice
Table of Contents
Foreword: Frank Kermode; 1. Joseph Conrad: alienation and commitment; 2. Almayer's Folly: introduction; 3. Conrad criticism and The Nigger of the 'Narcissus'; 4. Conrad's Heart of Darkness and the critics; 5. Comedy and humour in Typhoon; 6. Political and social background of The Secret Agent; 7. The Secret Sharer: introduction; 8. Conrad, James and Chance; 9. Story and idea in The Shadow-Line; 10. The decline of the decline: notes on Conrad's reputation; 11. Around Conrad's grave; 12. 'The Bridge over the River Kwai' as myth.