Joseph Conrad

Conrad, Joseph (1857–1924), English novelist of Polish birth. His years at sea, during which he acquired a remarkable command of the English language, provided backgrounds for many of his novels. His lasting concern was the individual in isolation, struggling against adversity, moral degradation, and the forces of nature. His early novels include Almayer's Folly (1895) and its powerful sequel An Outcast of the Islands (1896), both set in Borneo. The Nigger of the “Narcissus” (1897), Lord Jim (1900), and Typhoon (1903) are examples of his skill in creating atmosphere and character. The novella Heart of Darkness (1902) takes place on the Congo River, and the book Conrad considered his masterpiece, Nostromo (1904), is a story of revolution and corruption in South America.