Conrad is noted for his complex narrative structures and formal experiments, especially in terms of point of view and temporal shifts. He is also much studied for his depiction of imperialism and colonialism, in the Malay Archipelago in
Almayer’s Folly(1895),
An Outcast of the Islands(1896) and others, in the Belgian Congo in
Heart of Darkness(1899), and in South America in
Nostromo(1904). His political novels
The Secret Agent(1907), which revolves around a plot to bomb Greenwich Observatory, and
Under Western Eyes(1911), which focuses on spies and revolutionaries in Russia and Switzerland, are also much studied, as is the first long novel of his mature phase,
Lord Jim(1900), a story of honour and the codes of the sea narrated by Conrad’s surrogate, Marlow. Conrad only became…
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Citation: Childs, Peter. "Joseph Conrad". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 02 April 2001; last revised 24 January 2018. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=989, accessed 21 November 2024.]