Set in Malaya, Almayer's Folly is Joseph Conrad's first novel. In it, he charts
the decline of a Dutch merchant after a twenty-five year struggle against overwhelming odds. Though
married to a bitter and hateful Malayan wife, Almayer refuses to accept the financial ruin which he
has precipitated. Instead, he dreams of fantastic wealth and a return to the civilization of his youth,
accompanied by his loving daughter, Nina. But when Nina turns away from his elusive fantasies to
the stark reality of her native lover, Almayer must face his inevitable destruction.

Joseph Conrad (Józef Teodor Konrad Nalecz Korzeniowski) (1857-1924) was born in the Ukraine. He was raised by an uncle after his parents, ardent Polish patriots, died following their exile for anti-Russian activities. As a boy he educated himself by reading widely in Polish and French. At 21 he began serving on French merchant vessels, and for twenty years, he sailed the seven seas. He went to London for a rest and began writing. The romance and adventure of Conrad's own life form the basis for his incomparable sea novels. Today Conrad is generally regarded as one of the greatest writers of fiction in English, his third language. He once described his task as "by the power of the written word . . . to make you see."

Geoffrey Howard is a retired British journalist who strives to add warmth and clarity to every audiobook. Says Howard, "I try to bring the listener as close as possible to the experience I'm having while reading it for the first time."