Conrad’s “The Duel”

Readers have been aware that the plot for the Napolonic tale “The Duel” derived from an existing account. What has been unknown till now is the large number of venues in which that account variously appeared. This volume traces the tale’s fascinating genealogy and the immediate contemporary source that inspired Conrad’s 1907 story.

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Since the publication of Joseph Conrad’s “Author’s Note” (1920) to A Set of Six (1908), readers have been aware that the plot for the Napolonic tale “The Duel” derived from an existing account. What has been unknown till now is the large number of venues in which that account variously appeared. This volume traces the tale’s fascinating genealogy and the immediate contemporary source that inspired Conrad’s 1907 story. A transcription of the story’s typescript-manuscript sheds light on the story’s development.

Conrad’s “The Duel”: Sources/Text will interest several readerships. Scholars engaged in historical and textual research can explore how Conrad drew upon, reworked, and transformed the story’s sources. The relationships between the tale’s initial draft and final form will interest scholars of genetic questions, and teachers of short fiction and of creative writing will find this an invaluable volume for exploring how source materials alter during the creative process.