The Nature of a Crime
1909
The Nature of a Crime, published in 1909 by Joseph Conrad and Ford Madox Ford, is an epistolary novel that explores themes of identity, morality, and the nature of crime. The story centers on Mr. Verloc, a secret agent entangled in an anarchist plot that leads to disastrous consequences, revealing the complex interrelations among politicians, diplomats, and society in London. Initially overlooked, the novel gained recognition posthumously and is noted for its psychological depth and stylistic richness, reflecting on love, guilt, and the burdens of secrecy within a morally ambiguous framework.
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“We can never cease to be ourselves.””
— Joseph Conrad
“Madness alone is truly terrifying, inasmuch as you cannot placate it by threats, persuasion, or bribes.””
— Joseph Conrad
“I am afraid that if you want to go down into history you'll have to do something for it.””
— Joseph Conrad
“All idealisation makes life poorer. To beautify it is to take away its character of complexity”
— Joseph Conrad
“Do you know how I would call the nature of the present economic conditions? I would call it cannibalistic. That's what it is! They are nourishing their greed on the quivering flesh and the warm blood of the people - nothing else.””
— Joseph Conrad
“There are more kinds of fools than one can guard against.””
— Joseph Conrad
“The condemned social order has not been built up on paper and ink, and I don't fancy that a combination of paper and ink will ever put an end to it.””
— Joseph Conrad
“Curiosity being one of the forms of self-revelation, a systematically incurious person remains always partly mysterious. ””
— Joseph Conrad
“As a general rule, a reputation is built on manner as much as on achievement.””
— Joseph Conrad
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Conrad, Joseph. The Nature of a Crime. Lex, lex-books.com/book/the-nature-of-a-crime-d75a2abf-a1cf-49d8-ac94-0e16fca71844.Conrad, J. (1909). The Nature of a Crime. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/the-nature-of-a-crime-d75a2abf-a1cf-49d8-ac94-0e16fca71844Conrad, Joseph. The Nature of a Crime. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/the-nature-of-a-crime-d75a2abf-a1cf-49d8-ac94-0e16fca71844.
