New Introduction 2022

The First 007 is Cosmo Latham, orJason Bourne meets The Count De Monte Cristo.

This introduction is not scholarly. It is not designed to impress, but to connect with possibly new fans of Joseph Conrad. As the current trends of purges of past collide with the present, it is my hope this work will not be one of those deleted or banned in libraries. Conrad began writing Suspense in 1920, four years before his death. Yet as early in 1905, the late author used Memories of the Countess De Boigne as a basis for many of the characters the listener will see in the work. This is not a slight; not many academics criticized Conrad for doing so. One scholar stated Conrad used history as a "Crutch". In any event, the reason most of us read literature is for themes or lessons about life. In this book, Conrad stresses duality in human nature, meaning what we perceive in a person as good or bad changes, and is hard to identify as black or white. Love and war are overshadowed by uncertainty and suspense of living during the Napoleonic era. We may take for granted our governments not being fluid or in transition. Yet for most Italians, Parisians, Austrians, Germans, Spaniards, and English, this was the norm during 1814. Opinion was loud, violent, and unpredictable. Like the masks we wear during this pandemic, Cosmo attempts to keep his on (feelings, emotions masked) during his time on the Isle of Elba in 1814.

After reading various scholarly critiques of Conrad’s last opus, the gist is simple: Ill health of the original author affects the entire text. Yes, Conrad’s questions of humanity become plain to the listener. I dare not speak ill of the dead, but most will admit this work is not his best. As of January 1923, the manuscript was last actively worked upon by Conrad. It sat among his papers until his death in 1924.

This secondary author's attempt to provide closure, or an ending to a masterpiece, is worth the effort or the failure.