Here we go with Part Four of our brand new Tale for Our Time - my summertime serialisation of Joseph Conrad's classic of 1899, Heart of Darkness.
We always get lots of compliments on our Tales, but we also have eagle-eared listeners alert for every minor solecism, and sometimes even before we get to the audio and are still on the accompanying graphic. Last night, a Georgia member of The Mark Steyn Club was ready to pounce:
I was all primed to complain if the obviously French or Russian warship (the bizarre tumblehome and military masts give it away) in the illustration was supposed to be British or American in the text. But I was cheated out of the chance to be obnoxious and pedantic! Good work. Excellent attention to detail.
We know our nineteenth-century navies, sir. As does our protagonist. In his element on the high seas, it is on solid ground that he has difficulty finding his legs. In tonight's episode of Conrad's tale, he tries to accustom himself to the ways of the Dark Continent:
When near the buildings I met a white man, in such an unexpected elegance of get-up that in the first moment I took him for a sort of vision. I saw a high starched collar, white cuffs, a light alpaca jacket, snowy trousers, a clean necktie, and varnished boots. No hat. Hair parted, brushed, oiled, under a green-lined parasol held in a big white hand. He was amazing, and had a penholder behind his ear.
I shook hands with this miracle, and I learned he was the Company's chief accountant, and that all the book-keeping was done at this station. He had come out for a moment, he said, 'to get a breath of fresh air'. The expression sounded wonderfully odd, with its suggestion of sedentary desk-life... I respected the fellow. Yes; I respected his collars, his vast cuffs, his brushed hair. His appearance was certainly that of a hairdresser's dummy; but in the great demoralisation of the land he kept up his appearance.
Members of The Mark Steyn Club can hear Part Four of our tale simply by clicking here and logging-in. Earlier episodes can be found here. If you've yet to hear our first Conrad serialisation, The Secret Agent, that can be found here.
Tales for Our Time is now in its ninth season. So, if you've a friend who might be partial to our classic fiction outings, we have a special Gift Membership that, aside from audio yarns, also includes video poetry, live music and more.
Please join me tomorrow evening for Part Five of Heart of Darkness.