All of author Joseph Conrad's works have an air of loneliness and isolation within the plot. This is now thought to be reflective of the author's life as a Polish immigrant living and writing at the height of the British Empire. His prose strikes a chord that resonates deep within the reader, leaving a feeling of immense despondency. Yet with his deep affinity for the melancholy, Conrad was also a highly skilled prose writer. His words allow the reader to become lost in whatever world Conrad created. He wrote at the turn of Romanticism and Modernism, which created a very unique form of writing. Conrad drew inspiration from the Impressionistic painting style; he explored just enough of the light to let the darkness make itself apparent. This can be seen within the works contained in «The Secret Sharer and Other Stories.» «The Secret Sharer» is a maritime story about a captain who takes a murderer under his wing while out at sea. Conrad drew from his own experiences as a long-time sea captain to make the story as real and vivid as possible. «Youth: A Narrative» is an autobiographical short story about a young sailor whose ship sinks while on a voyage to Thailand. «Typhoon» is one of Conrad's novels which also depicts the sea life. The main character, Captain MacWhirr, decides to sail his vessel through a typhoon in the South Pacific, much to the protest of his ship. Yet his bold action earns him the admiration of the rest of his crew. Readers will enjoy the reality of these works, as well as the adventure and drama of the tales.
