A Set of Six

In Conrad's works he include his ideas on the alter ego, anarchism, politics and the incomprehensible nature of human existence exhibit some important narrative techniques that are not found anywhere else Conrad's fiction. One of the masters of English fiction, Joseph Conrad is known for novels and works of fiction such as The Heart of Darkness, Victory, and Lord Jim. The collection A Set of Six brings together a number of Conrad's shorter pieces, featuring a swashbuckling cast of characters that will appeal to fans of the action-adventure genre. All except "The Duel" (1908) were written between Nostromo and The Secret Agent. "Gaspar Ruiz" (1906), "The Informer" (1906) and "An anarchist" (1906) cast special light on some of the issues that arise in these novels, both to clarify these concepts and to reinforce them. The same tension between individuals and political movements in Nostromo and the secret agent appears in these stories, like the same sharp skepticism toward politics. In each case, the man finds himself thrust into an absurd situation and then trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to make sense of a seemingly senseless world.