Ian Watt addresses Conrad's great novel by providing an accessible introduction analysing the background, history and politics.Conrad's great novel is a rich study not only of a typical South American country, but of the politics of any underdeveloped country, and for this reason it is permanently topical. Ian Watt addresses Conrad's concerns when writing the work, and provides an accessible introduction, taking account of background, history and politics, and reception and influence.Conrad's great novel is a rich study not only of a typical South American country, but of the politics of any underdeveloped country, and for this reason it is permanently topical. Ian Watt addresses Conrad's concerns when writing the work, and provides an accessible introduction, taking account of background, history and politics, and reception and influence.Conrad's great novel is a rich study not only of a typical South American country, but of the politics of any underdeveloped country, and for this reason it is permanently topical. Ian Watt addresses Conrad's concerns when writing the work, and provides an accessible introduction, taking account of background, history and politics, and reception and influence.Acknowledgements; A Joseph Conrad chronology; A Nostromo chronology; Abbreviations; Map of Sulaco; 1. Origins and originals; 2. The novel's narrative technique; 3. Notes on the characters; 4. History and politics in Nostromo; 5. Conrad's traditions, reception, and influence.