Victory: Introduction by Tony TannerJoseph Conrad possessed a matchless gift for embodying life as it is lived under extreme physical and psychological pressure. Victory, his last masterpiece, tells the story of Axel Heyst, a radically isolated, philosophically minded soul living apart on a remote Pacific island, who performs two acts of instinctive kindness and thereby embroils himself in storms of greed and vengeance, and of love and mercy. When Heyst impulsively rescues a young English musician, Lena, from the predations of a lascivious hotel owner named Schomberg, he cannot know that she will be the means of releasing him from the emotional detachment with which he has long barricaded himself. Their affair does not last long, however, once the enraged Schomberg sends agents of revenge to invade Heyst’s island retreat. Out of the maelstrom of violence and tragedy that ensues, Conrad produces a profound, unflinching meditation on human connection and redemption. |
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Alfuro Almayer's Folly arms asked believe boat breath bungalow chair cheroot chimæras Chinaman Conrad course dark Davidson door doorway eyes face faint feeling fellow felt frightened gaze gentleman girl glance gone governor hand head heard Heyst hotel-keeper instinct island Java Sea jetty Jones Joseph Conrad knew Lena light lips looked Lord Jim lying Malay Martin matter mean mind Morrison moved movement murmured mysterious never night Number once paused Pedro perhaps quiet Ricardo round Samburan Schom Schomberg schooner seemed shadow shoulders side sight silence smile sort soul sound Sourabaya speak stare stood strange suddenly surprised Swede table d'hôte talk tell Tesmans There's thing thought tion told tone Tony Tanner Tropical Belt Coal turbed turned verandah voice Wang watched wharf What's whispered woman wonder words Zangiacomo