A Set of Six (1908) is one of Conrad's most versatile and varied
compositions, embracing diverse interests and settings, multiple tonal
qualities and a medley of short-story forms (ranging from the novella in
'The Duel' to the anecdotal tale in 'The Informer'). The volume's
wide-ranging introduction offers a careful evaluation of the origins and
sources of the individual stories, while also measuring their early
reception as a published collection. Explanatory notes clarify literary
and historical references, identify real-life places and people, and
indicate borrowings and Gallicisms. The lengthy textual essay and its
accompanying apparatus lay out the history of composition and
publication, detailing interventions made by Conrad's typists,
compositors and editors. Also included are appendices, allowing the
reader first-hand access to Conrad's source material; glossaries of
nautical and foreign terms; and illustrations in the form of maps and
reproductions of early drafts. By returning to (and respecting) Conrad's
own early manuscript and typescript forms, this edition presents the
collection and its preface in a form more authoritative than any so far
printed.