A Personal Record

Joseph Conrad's autobiographical piece A Personal Record, sometimes known as a "fragment of the biography," was released in 1912. Additionally, it has been printed under the heading A Personal Record: Some Recollections and Some Recollections. Although notoriously untrustworthy and rambling in style, it is the main source of information regarding the author's life in the modern era. It talks of his childhood in Russian Poland, sailing in Marseille, the influence of his uncle Tadeusz Bobrowski, and the making of Almayer's Folly. In addition to being a moody work of art, it offers a glimpse of how Conrad wanted to be perceived by his British audience. The "Familiar Preface," which Conrad penned for it, has the frequently quoted words: "Those who read me know my opinion that the universe, the temporal world, relies on a few very simple notions; they are so simple that they must be as old as the hills. It is largely founded on the concept of fidelity, among other things." For the Doubleday collected edition of his works (released in 1920), Conrad included a new "Author's Note" to "A Personal Record" in which he detailed his friendship with the British colonial administrator and author Hugh Clifford.