Youth: A Narrative and Two Other Stories

First edition of Joseph Conrad's Youth, most famous perhaps for including the first appearance in book-form of 'Heart of Darkness', previously only serialised in Blackwood's Magazine, September 1898.

'"Youth" and "Heart of Darkness" are the first short stories of mine, which attracted attention to my work in a wider sphere. Most critics dismissed "The End of the Tether" either with contempt or with a few cursory remarks [...] The first and second stories are autobiographical, the idea emerging from the narrative. The third story was suggested to me by the fate of a man I knew' (Joseph Conrad, as quoted in Wise).

'Heart of Darkness' of course continues to resonate with many, in no small part thanks to the memorable use of the quote 'The horror, the horror...', entering our collective consciousness via the movie adaptation, 'Apocalypse Now'; the short story's critique of the mindless brutality of western Imperialism remains unsurpassed.

First edition, first impression, early issue (advertisements at rear dated 11/02); 8vo; ink name on front free endpaper, slight spotting and offsetting to endpapers, 32pp. publisher's catalogue at end; publisher's pale green cloth, blocked in black to upper cover, spine stamped in gilt and black, some rubbing to corner-tips and spine ends, spine slightly toned, cloth a little mottled in places, lower hinge cracked but holding, else very good.

Wise 10.