Nostromo - Joseph Conrad

In his evocation of the republic of Costaguana, set amid the exotic and grandiose scenery of South America, Conrad reveals not only the lives and fates of his characters but also the physical and political corruption of a whole country. A surprisingly modern novel for 1904, in both its symbolic technique and its political sophistication, it embodies Conrad's own pessimistic view of the world. The novel captures the tragic and tragicomic essence of Latin-American politics as each character's potential for good is turned to corruption or defeat. A masterpiece of tension, adventure and mystery, Nostromo is Conrad's most monumental attempt to record a vision of life truthfully.