Set against a backdrop of the Chilean War of Independence, 'Gaspar Ruiz' is the story of the tumultuous rise and fall of a local peasant turned rebel soldier. An epic tale of remarkable irony and adventure, we follow Ruiz - who possesses an almost Herculean strength - from soldier to prisoner, to fugitive and finally colonel of the Spanish Army. Sardonically, his strength proves invaluable at saving his life multiple times, but is also ultimately the vehicle of his peril. Joseph Conrad's work went on to influence authors like George Orwell, John le Carré and F. Scott Fitzgerald.