Joseph Conrad is now widely accepted as one of the modernist masters of serious narrative fiction. Historically placed, he is a major figure in the transition from Victorian fiction to the more perplexed forms and values of twentieth-century literature. Now, unlike in his lifetime, he is one of the most read British novelists of his period. However, his twenty volumes of novels and stories vary greatly in quality and interest. Since he was primarily a commercial storyteller aiming at the popular market, only a limited part of his work will bear much serious response and intellectual consideration. A handful of fictions, such as "Heart of Darkness,"Nostromo, "The Secret Sharer," and The Secret Agent, are generally acknowledged to be outstanding. But since there is disagreement about some of the others, and since the larger context of his works might be illuminating, it may be useful to survey most of his fiction.
Conrad's life, explored in a spate of recent biographies, is also distinctive for its drastic fracturing.
