"My task which I am trying to achieve is, by the power of the written word, to make you hear, to make you feel — it is, before all, to make you see. That — and no more, and it is everything. If I succeed, you shall find there according to your deserts: encouragement, consolation, fear, charm — all you demand; and, perhaps, also that glimpse of truth for which you have forgotten to ask."

So said Joseph Conrad but more importantly than saying it, he did it. Conrad can't be skimmed or read lightly, he draws you into the world of his characters whether you like it or not. Works such as The Heart of Darkness and The Sercret Agent are immersive, they take you completely into the world he tells of and I don't think in either case it can be called a completely pleasent experience. Thankfully, however, it seems Conrad's talent for enveloping the reader into another world in novels was consistent and is very much present in The Duel (titled 'A Point of Honor' in the USA), a novella set in Napoleonic France.

Based on a legend remembered in the French army, The Duel provides an entertaining and engaging story of honour, single-mindedness and bravery in the Napoleonic wars. It tells the story of two Hussars, Lieutenants Feraud and D'Hubert, who duel repeatedly, deeming honour never to have been satisfied, throughout years of plot the two are thrown together on and off campaign and right across the continent of Europe. Niether man will reveal to others the reason for the ongoing duels and both gain renown within their regiments for their bravery.

It's a very interesting read and explores the concept of fighting for honour and the paradoxes that it creates; the reader is simoultaneously struck by the pointless nature of the ongoing contest and yet admiring of the courage and the romantic sense of honour that drives them. The ending to the story is quite fantastic, I can't comment on it for risk of spoiling the book for any who read it but I really do think that in it Conrad produced the perfect finish.

The Duel offers all of the vivid skills of the master novelist without the brooding intensity of some of his other works, it's a captivating piece of historical fiction that deserves to be remembered alongside other classics of the genre. It's an enjoyable and fulfilling read that ends on a very good note and is definitely worth a read.

I read this for free using Stanza reader on my iPhone (which is surely in itself worth blogging about) but when googling for a cover picture I found the edition pictured here from the folio society which I must say has a rather fabulous cover.