On Conrad

Sunday, December 5th., Victoria Grove, London.

Last night I finished my second book, "The Art of Journalism for Women". I was 48 hours ahead of contract time. Unluckily Lane the other day reminded me that I had offered it to him some months ago. I still have not had a formal contract from him though which is disappointing.

This afternoon, reading in the New Review (which this month ceases to exist) the conclusion of Joseph Conrad's superb book "The Nigger of the Narcissus", I had a mind to go on at once with my Staffordshire novel, treating it in the Conrad manner, which after all is my own, on a grander scale. Wells first pointed out Conrad to me. I remember I got his first book, "Almayer's Folly" to review with a batch of others from Unwin, and feeling at the time rather bored I simply didn't read it at all. I have read it since and it is wonderful - how that man captures the atmosphere of the jungle river and its insidious effect on white men living there. Where did he pick up that style and that way he has of gathering up a general impression and flinging it at you? Not only his style, but his attitude, affected me deeply. He is so consciously an artist, or perhaps it just comes naturally to him. Some pages of "The Nigger" are exquisite in the extraordinary management of colour they display, though he needs to curb his voracity for adjectives.

I greatly admire the writing of George Moore. If George Moore had been a South Sea trader and had learned the grammar etc., he would have treated the sea as Conrad treats it. I dare say this opinion of mine would sound odd if voiced, but it is profoundly true, and, for me, throws light on both men.