Publisher's Synopsis
Almayer's Folly is a novel written by Joseph Conrad and published in 1895. The story is set in the Dutch East Indies, where a man named Kaspar Almayer is living with his half-caste daughter, Nina. Almayer is a failed trader who has lost everything he owns trying to find gold in the jungle. He is obsessed with finding a way to make a fortune and return to Europe with his daughter. The novel explores themes of colonialism, racism, and the clash of cultures. Almayer is a white man who has married a local woman, but he is still seen as an outsider by the other Europeans in the area. He is also looked down upon by the native people, who see him as a weak and foolish man. As the story progresses, Almayer becomes more and more desperate to find gold and regain his wealth. He becomes involved with a group of pirates and begins to lose touch with reality. Meanwhile, Nina falls in love with a young man named Dain, who is the son of a native chief. Almayer is horrified by the idea of his daughter marrying a native man and tries to prevent the relationship from developing. The novel is a powerful exploration of the effects of colonialism on both the colonizers and the colonized. Conrad's writing is vivid and evocative, bringing the lush jungle setting to life and capturing the complex emotions of his characters. Almayer's Folly is a classic work of literature that continues to be studied and admired today.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.