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burritapal_1's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The whole review is a spoiler.
I used some of the parts of the introduction as a summary of the story, because, sometimes I have been reading so many books, so quickly, and I get so tired of making reviews of them. I just want to get on to the next book. However, if I don't make a review of them, and I see somewhere on reddit or somewhere that someone suggests a book, and I go, oh that sounds good. Then I'll look it up on Goodreads and I have read it! So you see, I don't remember the books I've read after a while. And sometimes I'll look up and see what my review says and I don't have anything, because it was before 2017, when I started doing reviews. I go dang it! I have no idea what I thought about this book. So I must do reviews.
I used some of the parts of the introduction as a summary of the story, because, sometimes I have been reading so many books, so quickly, and I get so tired of making reviews of them. I just want to get on to the next book. However, if I don't make a review of them, and I see somewhere on reddit or somewhere that someone suggests a book, and I go, oh that sounds good. Then I'll look it up on Goodreads and I have read it! So you see, I don't remember the books I've read after a while. And sometimes I'll look up and see what my review says and I don't have anything, because it was before 2017, when I started doing reviews. I go dang it! I have no idea what I thought about this book. So I must do reviews.
But for this review, I was sick and tired of writing reviews so I used some of the introduction to explain the storyline. But I gave credit where credit was due!
The protagonist's father is a pessimist, and looks on the world of humans as a waste (much as I do).
"His father was in an unexpectedly soft mood on that night, when the moon swam in the cloudless sky over the beGrimed Shadows of the town.
'You still believe in something, then?' He said in a clear voice, which had been growing feeble of late. 'you believe in flesh and blood, perhaps? A full and Equitable contempt would soon do away with that, too. But since you have not attained to it, I advise you to cultivate that form of contempt which is called pity. It is perhaps the least difficult - always remembering that you, too, if you are anything, are as pititiful as the rest, yet never expecting any pity for yourself.'
'What is one to do, then?' sighed the young man, regarding his father, rigid in the high-backed chair.
'look on - make no sound,' were the last words of the man who had spent his life in Blowing blasts upon a terrible trumpet which had filled Heaven and Earth with ruins, while mankind went on its way unheeding."
When Heyst's father dies,
"his son buried the silenced destroyer of systems, of hopes, of beliefs. He observed that the death of that bitter contemner of Life did not trouble the flow of life's dream, where men and women go by thick as dust, revolving and jostling one another like figures cut out of cork and weighted with lead just sufficiently to keep them in their proudly upright posture."
"Axel Heyst lives by a philosophy taught him by his father, a Swedish aristocrat who viewed the human world as a place of pain and illusion. Under the influence of this view of things - a version of the philosophy of the nineteenth-century German pessimist Arthur Schopenhauer Heyst aims to drift through life in solitude. As long as he remains without any human ties, he believes he can avoid being defeated by the world.
"Heyst's wanderings take him to the Far East, where he meets a sea captain who has been framed by the Portuguese authorities and risks losing his boat. Heyst saves him from ruin and in an act of gratitude the captain sets up a company on the island of Samburan with Heyst as manager, but the company fails, and Heyst lives on in a derelict compound with only a Chinese servant for company. Heyst strays from his life of non- involvement for a second time when he meets a frightened young Englishwoman, Lena, who is working in the orchestra of a Java hotel, whose proprietor is infatuated with her."--From the Introduction, by John Gray
" 'have you forgotten, then? What did you expect to find? I know what sort of girl I am; but all the same I am not the sort that men turn their backs on - and you ought to know it, unless you aren't made like the others. Oh, forgive me! You aren't like the others; you are like no one in the world I ever spoke to. Don't you care for me? Don't you see -?'
what he saw was that, white and spectral, she was putting out her arms to him out of the black Shadows like an appealing ghost. He took her hands, and was affected, almost surprised, to find them so warm, so real, so firm, so living to his grasp. He drew her to him, and she dropped her head on his shoulder with a deep sigh.
'I am dead tired,' she whispered plaintively."
"Moved again by pity but also by desire, Heyst helps Lena escape and takes her back with him to Samburan, where they live together, but neither is entirely happy - Heyst because he regrets that he has formed a human tie, Lena because she is not sure that he is fully committed to her."--From the Introduction, by John Gray
Talking to Lena about his father...
" '... Later he discovered - how am I to explain it to you? Suppose the world were a factory and all mankind Workmen in it. Well, he discovered that the wages were not good enough. That they were paid in counterfeit money.'
'I see!' The girl said slowly.
'Do you?'
Heyst, who had been speaking as if to himself, looked up curiously.
'It wasn't a new discovery, but he brought his capacity for scorn to bear on it. It was immense. It ought to have withered this globe. I don't know how many minds he convinced. But my mind was very young then, and youth I suppose can be easily seduced - even by a negation....' "
"Yet their lives passed peacefully together. This tranquil life is disrupted by the arrival of three armed desperados, who have heard from the hotel owner - now a mortal enemy of Heyst's - that the Swedish recluse has amassed a fortune, which he keeps with him on the island. Suspecting Lena is in danger, Heyst keeps her presence secret from the group; but one of the men knows she is on the island and goes to the bungalow where she is hiding. Heyst persuades the leader of the group, Gentleman Jones, that there is no treasure to be found and tells him of his accomplice's designs on Lena.
The two men go to the bungalow, where Lena"(--From the Introduction, by John Gray)
has been given the knife. She is pretending, to Ricardo, that she likes him and is going along with him, so that she can protect Heyst.
"Jones, who loathes women and believes his accomplice has betrayed him, fires a shot that grazes the accomplice and fatally wounds Lena. Believing she has saved his life, Lena hands Heyst the knife. But Heyst believes she has betrayed him and finding her hit by the bullet, he realizes she is dying. Still wedded to his philosophy of detachment, he cannot give her the declaration of love for which she asks; but when he takes her in his arms she dies triumphant, believing he had responded to her plea. Asking to be left alone, Heyst sets fire to the bungalow and is found dead next to Lena's body.
"The story ends with a friendly sea captain, who made a practice of looking in on the island to see if Heyst was well, describing what he had found to a colonial official, and concluding: 'There was nothing to be done... Nothing!'
"The novel's last words may be a reference to the closing lines of Schopenhauer's main philosophical treatise, The World as Will and Idea:
... to those in whom the world has turned about and denied itself, this world of ours, real as it is, with all its suns and galaxies, is - nothing."--From the Introduction, by John Gray
I loved this book. I loved the characters of Heyst and Lena. But in the end, Heyst was like every other man, who so easily believes wrong of a woman who loves him.
progumball's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
jpayne1016's review
5.0
This is one of Joseph Conrads best books in my opinion. But I tend to like the lesser known works over his more famous ones (Heart of Darkness) . Its really a love story but has Conrads usual tragic twist. He is a masterful story teller and never disapoints in my opinion. The main charaters are a lonley man living on an isolated island. He soon finds himself with a female companion and two con men that are absolutly comical. This is one of my favorite reads by him so far, although nothing could replace "Nostromo".
beckydham's review
4.0
I am surprised to like this as much as I did, and yet it's not all that good in places. It's compelling yet rough, I guess.
chairmanbernanke's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting story of allegories and personality.
haazex's review against another edition
5.0
Although dreamlike this was a delicious journey through the dilemmas of existence and fate. I started this novel with no expectations as I often have recoiled from Conrad's works in the past. However, after reading his [b:The Secret Sharer|2179336|The Secret Sharer|Joseph Conrad|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348955232l/2179336._SY75_.jpg|68250972] and [b: Falk: A Reminiscence|50669886|Falk A Reminiscence by Joseph Conrad Falk A Reminiscence by Joseph Conrad|Joseph Conrad|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580101241l/50669886._SY75_.jpg|13005679] recently I had become a bit more curious. His language is different in its swirls and syntax at the same time as he attempts to describe layers of the psychology of his characters intertwined with the pulsations of nature. It is charming in its own unique way. The destinies of the Swede Heyst and Lena unfold in conjunction with the waves, wind, the blazing heat of the tropics and the seemingly majestic force of the trees, plants and insects surrounding them. Human lives seem to matter less in this almost eternal setting of nature, but Conrad yet attempts to focus on the patterns of existence and motivation as different lives intersect. The more I read the more curious I became about Joseph Conrad as he seemingly occupies his own unique niche with his writing style as well as themes. As the pages unfolded I became more engaged and appreciated the novel more and more. Is this work about love, fate, or civilization and its discontents? Or perhaps a combination of all and ultimately a reflection of aspects of our own inner lives and dreams? Stellar!
rwz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jola_g's review
2.0
My victory over ‘Victory’ by Joseph Conrad was last-gasp and hard-fought. Unfortunately, I am not going to build any triumphal arches to commemorate it.
I feel like a veteran. For a few weeks I have been bombarded with boredom. Stabbed with a bayonet of disappointment. Outflanked by the characters I didn’t care about. Shot with conversations which led nowhere.
To cut a long story short, ‘Victory’ turned out to be almost a defeat. It doesn’t comfort me much to realize that one of my brothers in arms was Vladimir Nabokov, who almost fell in the field of glory too. He felt irritated by ‘souvenir-shop style, and bottled ships and shell necklaces of romanticist cliches’ in ‘Victory’.
Mind you, I'm not a recruit. It was the fourth novel by Conrad I've read after [b: Lord Jim|12194|Lord Jim|Joseph Conrad|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1372366969s/12194.jpg|2578988], [b: Heart of Darkness|4900|Heart of Darkness|Joseph Conrad|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1392799983s/4900.jpg|2877220] and [b: Almayer’s Folly|398197|Almayer's Folly|Joseph Conrad|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389675926s/398197.jpg|2520739]. All of them were masterpieces, each in its unique way. I have been always impressed by Conrad's style, his ability to depict far away places and express moral dilemmas. The quality of writing in ‘Victory’ is exquisite too which sadly can't be told about the rest, though the novel operates on an interesting premise: Malay Archipelago between Java and Borneo, a girl stolen out of orchestra, romance, 'solitude, shade, and gloomy silence'. Mostly solitude.
If we could distil the beauty of Conrad's language, of his descriptions and observations, it would taste like nectar of the gods. I'm astonished every time I realize that Joseph Conrad was Polish and started to learn English in his twenties.
Chances are my musings are being read now by somebody who is about to start his or her literary acquaintance with Joseph Conrad. I’m begging you on my knees: don’t begin with ‘Victory’. This novel may give you a false image of the truly wonderful writer. Have it for an eccentric, exotic dessert, which will accentuate the taste of the nourishing main dishes you’ve had before. Conrad himself seemed to be a bit embarrassed by this novel. You will sense it for yourself while reading his preface. By the way, if you are a literary kamikaze and decide to embark on ‘Victory’ anyway, please don’t read the introduction before the novel, as it reveals too much.
I was a literary kamikaze myself. Orsodimondo, whose dazzling review was my inspiration, warned me that this is not Conrad’s best novel. Moreover, Orsodimondo's three stars twinkled alarmingly, but I was so determined to experience the author's sense of humour and see the portrait of woman so different from his other female characters.
It looked as if Conrad took into consideration some complaints of his readers and critics. As if they approached him and said ‘Look, Mr Conrad. You write great books, we like them a lot, except for two things: they are utterly depressing and misogynistic. Could you please do something about that?’ This is of course an imagined situation and its possibility is less than scarce. But I had the impression that Conrad was doing his best to fulfil such a request.
There are sparkles of humour in ‘Victory’ indeed: 'What an impenetrable girl you are, Lena, with those grey eyes of yours! Windows of the soul, as some poet has said. The fellow must have been a glazier by vocation.' Nevertheless, I found the overall impression devastating. The humour exists but only on the surface. Conrad’s ironical remarks are like rare fireflies in complete darkness. Darkness as black as the dress Lena had to wear to be invisible in the forest.
As for women, Alma alias Lena is definitely the most profound and complex female character I have encountered in Conrad's novels so far but I’m afraid nowadays some readers might get slightly infuriated with excerpts like: 'Women can deceive men so completely. The faculty was inherent in them; they seemed to be created with a special aptitude.'
I appreciate Conrad's attempt at a more ambitious literary form. ‘Victory’ resembles two other genres: a parable with a clear moral and a melodramatic love story. The contrast between them is an abyss and being constantly stretched over it, I wasn’t having the time of my life.
Will I read anything by Joseph Conrad after Pyrrhic 'Victory'? Time will tell but I'm willing to take the risk. My wounds weren't mortal, after all.
I feel like a veteran. For a few weeks I have been bombarded with boredom. Stabbed with a bayonet of disappointment. Outflanked by the characters I didn’t care about. Shot with conversations which led nowhere.
To cut a long story short, ‘Victory’ turned out to be almost a defeat. It doesn’t comfort me much to realize that one of my brothers in arms was Vladimir Nabokov, who almost fell in the field of glory too. He felt irritated by ‘souvenir-shop style, and bottled ships and shell necklaces of romanticist cliches’ in ‘Victory’.
Mind you, I'm not a recruit. It was the fourth novel by Conrad I've read after [b: Lord Jim|12194|Lord Jim|Joseph Conrad|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1372366969s/12194.jpg|2578988], [b: Heart of Darkness|4900|Heart of Darkness|Joseph Conrad|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1392799983s/4900.jpg|2877220] and [b: Almayer’s Folly|398197|Almayer's Folly|Joseph Conrad|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389675926s/398197.jpg|2520739]. All of them were masterpieces, each in its unique way. I have been always impressed by Conrad's style, his ability to depict far away places and express moral dilemmas. The quality of writing in ‘Victory’ is exquisite too which sadly can't be told about the rest, though the novel operates on an interesting premise: Malay Archipelago between Java and Borneo, a girl stolen out of orchestra, romance, 'solitude, shade, and gloomy silence'. Mostly solitude.
If we could distil the beauty of Conrad's language, of his descriptions and observations, it would taste like nectar of the gods. I'm astonished every time I realize that Joseph Conrad was Polish and started to learn English in his twenties.
Chances are my musings are being read now by somebody who is about to start his or her literary acquaintance with Joseph Conrad. I’m begging you on my knees: don’t begin with ‘Victory’. This novel may give you a false image of the truly wonderful writer. Have it for an eccentric, exotic dessert, which will accentuate the taste of the nourishing main dishes you’ve had before. Conrad himself seemed to be a bit embarrassed by this novel. You will sense it for yourself while reading his preface. By the way, if you are a literary kamikaze and decide to embark on ‘Victory’ anyway, please don’t read the introduction before the novel, as it reveals too much.
I was a literary kamikaze myself. Orsodimondo, whose dazzling review was my inspiration, warned me that this is not Conrad’s best novel. Moreover, Orsodimondo's three stars twinkled alarmingly, but I was so determined to experience the author's sense of humour and see the portrait of woman so different from his other female characters.
It looked as if Conrad took into consideration some complaints of his readers and critics. As if they approached him and said ‘Look, Mr Conrad. You write great books, we like them a lot, except for two things: they are utterly depressing and misogynistic. Could you please do something about that?’ This is of course an imagined situation and its possibility is less than scarce. But I had the impression that Conrad was doing his best to fulfil such a request.
There are sparkles of humour in ‘Victory’ indeed: 'What an impenetrable girl you are, Lena, with those grey eyes of yours! Windows of the soul, as some poet has said. The fellow must have been a glazier by vocation.' Nevertheless, I found the overall impression devastating. The humour exists but only on the surface. Conrad’s ironical remarks are like rare fireflies in complete darkness. Darkness as black as the dress Lena had to wear to be invisible in the forest.
As for women, Alma alias Lena is definitely the most profound and complex female character I have encountered in Conrad's novels so far but I’m afraid nowadays some readers might get slightly infuriated with excerpts like: 'Women can deceive men so completely. The faculty was inherent in them; they seemed to be created with a special aptitude.'
I appreciate Conrad's attempt at a more ambitious literary form. ‘Victory’ resembles two other genres: a parable with a clear moral and a melodramatic love story. The contrast between them is an abyss and being constantly stretched over it, I wasn’t having the time of my life.
Will I read anything by Joseph Conrad after Pyrrhic 'Victory'? Time will tell but I'm willing to take the risk. My wounds weren't mortal, after all.
bgramps's review
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0