I highly recommend this Book to both readers and reseachers interested in Joseph Conrad's Early Works. After a brief Biographical introduction, Watt disccuses the following four works only: "Almayer's Folly", "The Nigger of the Narcissus", "Heart of Darkness" and "Lord Jim". The Novel "An Outcast of the Islands" (1896), as well as the five (three of them important) Stories of the Collection "Tales of Unrest" (1898) are not discussed. This matters little to the purpose of the book, but I did want to point it out, because the Title of the Book is a little misleading.

Each of the four Chapters is an Analysis of its own, and can be read as a seperate Essay. Together they show Conrad's development as a writer which is the Thesis of the Book. For "Almayer's Folly", the emphasis is on Conrad's experiences in the Dutch East Indies. In the "Nigger of the Narcissus", Watt shows how Conrad through his own writing and reading was able to begin to develop his own Style. "Heart of Darkness", shows the beginnings of Conrad's use of literary devices, such as Symbolism and Impressionism. "Lord Jim" is the culmination of Conrad as a writer in the 19th Century, and shows such developments as Delayed Decoding and Symbolic Deciphering in the Narrative. Interestingly, even Watt, and Conrad's Biographers can only guess how Conrad developed some of these narrative devices, or whether he did do so himself, or through outside reading.

Several factors make this book work very well: Watt's impeccable research and knowledge of not only Conrad, but of Literature and its narrative devices, the careful organization and plan of the book, and his excellent writing which makes this book flow extremely well. My only criticism is that the book lacks a Bibliography. However, Watt's sources can be gleaned through the excellent footnotes.

If I were to teach a course on Conrad. I would use this book as a Text. Unfortunately, a second projected Volume, presumably a Study of Conrad's work in the 20th Century, was never published.

I'll agree this book is a staple in the canon of literary criticism and the history of the novel, but what about women writers? I think this book's short coming is its oversight of authors such as Burney, Edgeworth, and Lennox.

Although this is not an exciting book, it is highly informative and well-written. Watt makes a case for why Defoe, Richardson, and Fielding all have a claim to the paternity of the novel. Laborious academic bloviation is relatively nonexistent in The Rise of the Novel, and if you do much of this type of reading, you know that's a plus. Even if your focus is not Defoe, Richardson, or Fielding, this book is important to read, just so you understand where your writing fits in the greater literary tradition, or even to give contemporary writers context.

What? No reviews of this classic? You cannot pretend to understand the novel in English if you've not read this.

Some works of art are all the more beautiful because of their flaws. Bertolucci's film "Last Tango in Paris" is one example; Conrad's novel "Nostromo" is another. Conrad was a Polish national who took to the sea, enjoyed a life of intrigue, and taught himself English by reading scraps of newspapers. Somehow, he became one of the greatest craftsman to ever use the English language. Like that other skilled craftsman, Melville, Conrad wrote often and lovingly of the sea. Nostromo is, in part, a seafaring book, but more to the point it is an exploration of human nature, human relationships and human weakness. It's a long and somewhat rambling narrative, one that grows uneven in places, but the last 100 pages are among the most beautiful in any language. The elegiac and humane tone recalls Graham Greene, who was no doubt inspired by Conrad's subject matter, tone, style and ideas. Everyone should read this novel.

Watt examines four famous characters from Western literature who have been reincarnated numerous times: Faust, Don Quixote, Don Juan, and Robinson Crusoe. He treats each individually in the first half of the book, and makes comparisions and discusses recent reworkings in the second half. The depth and breadth of Watt's knowledge of his four myths is readily apparent. Still, though, it's an easy read, intended perhaps for the non-expert. Even if you haven't read the original works yourself, it's easy to follow. The book hints at provocative issues in the creation and meaning of myth as well as "individualism," though Watt's theoretical musings aren't as rewarding or complete as his close analysis of the four figures. The work of history and translation on the transformation of myth is a fascinating subject, but Watt's book suggests far more questions than it answers.