The Duel

Set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, Joseph Conrad’s novella The Duel tells the fascinating tale of two French officers, D'Hubert and Feraud, whose rivalry escalates into a series of duels over many years. What begins as a minor disagreement spirals into a relentless, personal conflict, reflecting the absurdity of pride and honor. JOSEPH CONRAD [1857–1924] was born in Ukraine to Polish parents, went to sea at the age of seventeen, and ended his career as a captain in the English merchant navy. His most famous work is the novella Heart of Darkness [1899], adapted into a film by Francis Ford Coppola in 1979 as Apocalypse Now.