Best known as the author of Heart of Darkness , Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) is one of the most widely taught writers in the English language. Conrad's work has taken on a new importance in the dawning of the 21st century: in the wake of September 11 many cultural commentators returned to his novel The Secret Agent to discuss the roots of terrorism, and the overarching theme of colonialism in much of his work has positioned his writing as central to not only literature scholars, but also to postcolonial and cultural studies scholars and, more recently, to scholars interested in globalization. Reading Conrad Now is a collection of original essays by leading Conrad scholars that rereads Conrad in light of his representations of post-colonialism, of empire, imperialism, and of modernism and modernity-questions that are once again relevant today. The collection is framed by an introduction by J. Hillis Miller-one of the most important literary critics today-and a concluding extensive interview with Edward Said (one of his final interviews before his death on September 25, 2003)- the most prominent postcolonial critic-addressing his lifelong fascination with Conrad. Reading Conrad Now will be essential reading for anyone seeking a contemporary introduction to this great writer, and will be of great interest to scholars working with Conrad in a variety of fields including literary studies, cultural studies, ethnic and area studies, and postcolonial studies.

Best known as the author of Heart of Darkness , Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) is one of the most widely taught writers in the English language. Conrad's work has taken on a new importance in the dawning of the 21st century: in the wake of September 11 many cultural commentators returned to his novel The Secret Agent to discuss the roots of terrorism, and the overarching theme of colonialism in much of his work has positioned his writing as central to not only literature scholars, but also to postcolonial and cultural studies scholars and, more recently, to scholars interested in globalization. Reading Conrad Now is a collection of original essays by leading Conrad scholars that rereads Conrad in light of his representations of post-colonialism, of empire, imperialism, and of modernism and modernity-questions that are once again relevant today. The collection is framed by an introduction by J. Hillis Miller-one of the most important literary critics today-and a concluding extensive interview with Edward Said (one of his final interviews before his death on September 25, 2003)- the most prominent postcolonial critic-addressing his lifelong fascination with Conrad. Reading Conrad Now will be essential reading for anyone seeking a contemporary introduction to this great writer, and will be of great interest to scholars working with Conrad in a variety of fields including literary studies, cultural studies, ethnic and area studies, and postcolonial studies.

With references to his work appearing everywhere from the ""New Yorker"" to The Simpsons, Joseph Conrad remains one of the twentieth century's most widely discussed literary figures. And yet it may be that an abundant scholarship has pigeonholed Conrad as an early modernist. Tom Henthorne counters that Conrads work can be best understood in relation to that of such early twentieth-century writers as S. K. Ghosh and Solomon Plaatje postcolonialists who developed innovative ways of cloaking their anti-imperialism when working with British publishers. In ""Almayer's Folly"", ""An Outcast of the Islands"", and his first short stories, Conrad attacks imperialism overtly. Yet as he began to work with more conservative publishers to acquire a larger, imperial audience, he developed a Trojan Horse strategy, deliberately obfuscating his radical politics through his use of multiple narrators, irony, free indirect discourse, and other devices that are now associated with modernism. Sensitive to the breadth of his prospective audience, Henthorne offers an engaging and accessible analysis of Conrads canon, from the early novels and short stories to the major works, including ""The Nigger of the Narcissus"", ""Heart of Darkness"", ""Lord Jim"", and ""Nostromo"". He also considers critical responses to Conrad and the influence Conrad has had upon modernist and postcolonial writers.

The Mathesons have always been the cornerstone of the Mission Grove, North Carolina community. Deep wounds start to blur that idyllic image of the preacher's family, when they can no longer hide the pain of past events. Their story is an adventure that casts its hooks in several engaging directions at once, eventually reeling us back in-to the core of the family. They chase after hope, but must first come face to face with the very things that threaten to destroy it. Family secrets must be brought into the light. Dangerous missions must be carried out and fears overcome. Thinking must be challenged. People must evolve. And the Mathesons will do it with both faith and a sense of humor... no matter how much it hurts. Stealing Hope. Laugh, heal and hope with us.

Nineteenth-century adventure fiction relating to the British empire usually served to promote, celebrate and justify the imperial project, asserting the essential and privileging difference between 'us' and 'them', colonizing and colonized. Andrea White's study opens with an examination of popular exploration literature in relation to later adventure stories, showing how a shared view of the white man in the tropics authorized the European intrusion into other lands. She then sets the fiction of Joseph Conrad in this context, showing how Conrad in fact demythologized and disrupted the imperial subject constructed in earlier writing, by simultaneously - with the modernist's double vision - admiring man's capacity to dream but applauding the desire to condemn many of its consequences. She argues that the very complexity of Conrad's work provided an alternative, and more critical, means of evaluating the experience of empire.

Nineteenth-century adventure fiction relating to the British empire served to promote, celebrate, and justify the imperial project, asserting the essential and privileging difference between "us" and "them," colonizer and colonized. Andrea White's study examines popular travel literature in relation to later adventure stories, and sets the fiction of Joseph Conrad in this context, showing how Conrad demythologized the imperial subject constructed in earlier writing. She argues that the very complexity of Conrad's work provided an alternative, more critical means of evaluating the experience of empire.