Joseph Conrad

Originally published in 1902, Heart of Darkness remains one of this century's most enduring - and harrowing - works of fiction. Written several years after Conrad's grueling sojourn in the Belgian Congo, the novel tells the story of Marlow, a seaman who undertakes his own journey into the African jungle to find the tormented white trader Kurtz. Rich in irony and spellbinding prose, Heart of Darkness is a complex meditation on colonialism, evil, and the thin line between civilization and barbarity. This edition contains selections from Conrad's Congo Diary of 1890 - the first notes, in effect, for the novel, which was composed at the end of that decade.

Edited by Cedric Watts, Nostromo is a superb evocation of exotic scenery and of a rootless mixed-race society peopled by characters ranging from the intellectual cynic Martin Decoud to 'Fussy Joe' Mitchell of the Merchant Service, from liberal idealists to fanatical clerics.

A deep vocabulary is critical for good reading comprehension, higher-level writing skills, and high standardized test placement. Multiple-choice vocabulary lessons often don't give students the skills they need to figure out words in context; however, Vocabulary: A Novel Solution is a literature-based series that actively engages students in the learning process.

In each book, students begin with 25 vocabulary words (taken from the literature) that they're likely to encounter in other contexts. Before reading the book, students take a pretest and record the results in "Word Logs," which require figuring out meanings from context, using a dictionary, and other reading skills. Students will also study the root words, prefixes, and suffixes of each new word. A variety of reinforcement activities are included; students conclude with a post-test.

This workbook is designed be used alongside the book "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad, which is not included and must be obtained separately. Designed for grades 6-12; parents may wish to evaluate the literature for content for younger students as many of the texts in this series are assigned in high school.