This book offers a detailed discussion of Conrad's most brilliant and problematic work. Many significant aspects of Heart of Darkness are examined, from plot and characterisation to imagery and symbolism, and particular attention is paid to its ambiguity and paradoxes. By relating the text to a variety of contexts, Cedric Watts explores Conrad's central preoccupations as a writer and as a commentator on his age. The first edition of this study appeared in 1977, and reviewers described it as 'criticism of the highest order' (Joseph Conrad Today) and 'an important book' (Conradiana).