Joseph Conrad`s first novel Almayer`s Folly is a tale of personal tragedy as well as a broader meditation on the evils of colonialism. Set in the lush jungle of Borneo in the late 1800-s, it tells of the Dutch merchant Kaspar Almayer, whose dreams of riches for his beloved daughter, Nina, collapse under the weight of his own greed and prejudice. Conrad established in Almayer`s Folly the themes of betrayal, isolation, and colonialism that he would explore throughout the rest of his life and work.