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Cover of The Nature of a Crime

Classic Fiction

The Nature of a Crime

by Joseph Conrad and Ford Madox Ford

After having gambled away assets entrusted to him, a lawyer writes a series of letters to his lover in an attempt to unburden his conscience.

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First published
1909
Length
16,363 words
Reading time
About 1 hr 9 min
Language
English (UK)

About the book

The unnamed narrator of The Nature of a Crime is a lawyer in a difficult situation: he has been entrusted with looking after the assets of a wealthy family—but he’s lost most of it gambling. Some small portion remains, and he still has hopes of recovering his losses. But when his client announces that he’s getting married and requires his funds returned immediately, the narrator finds himself on the verge of suicide. He writes letters to his lover explaining his predicament in an attempt to come to terms with his actions.

This short story, first published in 1909, is the last of three collaborations between Joseph Conrad and Ford Madox Ford . It never saw contemporary critical or commercial success and thus remained out of print for many years. In 1924 it was reissued with new prefaces by the authors written about two months before Conrad’s death.

First published 1909; the Read4Max reading text contains approximately 16,363 words arranged in 11 navigable sections.

About the authors

Joseph Conrad

Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) is described by Wikidata as Polish-British writer (1857–1924), with citizenship or national association recorded as Russian Empire, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom, and Second Polish Republic.

Recorded occupations include writer, novelist, essayist, screenwriter, science fiction writer, and autobiographer. Languages recorded for Joseph Conrad include English and Polish. The structured record associates Joseph Conrad with modernist literature. Wikidata lists The Lagoon, The Nigger of the 'Narcissus', Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, Amy Foster, and Typhoon among Joseph Conrad's notable works. Open Library identifies Heart of Darkness as a leading work in its author record. Open Library catalogs 5571 works under this author record. The Read4Max catalog currently includes A Personal Record, Almayer’s Folly, An Outcast of the Islands, Chance, Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, and Nostromo under Joseph Conrad's authorship.

1857–1924

Ford Madox Ford

Ford Madox Ford (1873–1939) is described by Wikidata as English writer and publisher (1873-1939), with citizenship or national association recorded as United Kingdom.

Recorded occupations include writer, poet, novelist, publisher, literary critic, and journalist. Languages recorded for Ford Madox Ford include English. Open Library identifies The Good Soldier as a leading work in its author record. Open Library catalogs 222 works under this author record. The Read4Max catalog currently includes The Nature of a Crime under Ford Madox Ford's authorship.

1873–1939

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