Nostromo – Joseph Conrad

"The silver has killed its man."

In the fictional South American republic of Costaguana, the wealthy owner of a silver mine, Charles Gould, becomes obsessed with the metal that is the source of his power and the region's instability. Amidst revolution and corruption, the incorruptible Italian sailor Nostromo is entrusted with hiding the silver treasure, a task that tests his legendary integrity and ultimately consumes him.

Conrad's epic is a sweeping critique of imperialism and capitalism. It portrays the corrosive effect of material wealth on individuals and nations, suggesting that every ideal is eventually corrupted by material interests.