Joseph Conrad: Narrative Technique and Ideological Commitment

by Jeremy Hawthorn

This study argues that technical skills can be refined but these have to be complemented by a larger vision and commitment - "a conception of the whole" - otherwise it does not result in great art. Addressing the question as to why some of Conrad's novels are acknowledged masterpieces and others "incomplete successes", this book explores the interplay between technical accomplishment and artistic conception in Conrad's work. The loss of his moral or ideological anchorage is artistically disastrous, it is argued.

271 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990