Reading, Traveling, Conversing

Abstract

In the first chapters of her book Travels with Conrad (Podróże z Conradem), Agnieszka Adamowicz-Pośpiech addresses the critical themes of Conrad criticism. Although the autobiographical valences of the writer’s works have been discussed many times over, Adamowicz-Pośpiech introduces the term “anti-confessional autobiography,” which turns out to be an original and effective interpretive tool. The scholar subsequently attempts to outline the four main hero archetypes of this body of work, revealing new aspects of Conrad’s ethics. The book also offers refreshing analyses of specific novels and stories by Conrad. In Lord Jim, Adamowicz-Pośpiech points out “communicative discontinuities” produced by the characters’ cultural differences, preconceptions, and biases. In her analysis of Typhoon, she focuses on the decisive role letters play in portraying the novella’s world. She reads the novella Idiots in parallel with the novel The Secret Agent, reaching new conclusions on Conrad’s ability to create psychologically plausible female characters and convey their long-term struggles against violence and degradation. Travels with Conrad is an example of contemporary scholarship on Joseph Conrad that is compelling and has many new perspectives to contribute.