VictoryIn Victory (1915) Conrad returns to the Malay Archipelago, to the setting of his first mature novel, Lord Jim, and in Axel Heyst he creates a hero who is in many ways similar to Jim, a noble altruist destroyed by his ideals. Heyst is emotionally crippled by the influence of his dead father, a sceptical philosopher who has bequeathed to Heyst an attitude to life summed up in the father's dying words: 'Look on - make no sound.' Despite this injunction Heyst allows himself to become inextricably involved with an English Cockney girl whom he rescues from Giancomo's Travelling Ladies' Orchestra and carries off to his isolated retreat on the island of Samburan. His action incurs the fatal wrath of Schomberg, the island's innkeeper, who sends in pursuit of Heyst three demonic strangers whose invasion of his island paradise leads rapidly to the novel's violent and tragic close. |
From inside the book
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Page xvi
The mature, bad-tempered woman at the piano might have been her mother,
though there was not the slightest resemblance between them. All I am certain of
in their personal relation to each other is that cruel pinch on the upper part of the
...
The mature, bad-tempered woman at the piano might have been her mother,
though there was not the slightest resemblance between them. All I am certain of
in their personal relation to each other is that cruel pinch on the upper part of the
...
Page 13
I believe in children praying—well, women, too, but I rather think God expects
men to be more self-reliant. I don't hold with a man everlastingly bothering the
Almighty with his silly troubles. It seems such cheek. Anyhow, this morning II have
...
I believe in children praying—well, women, too, but I rather think God expects
men to be more self-reliant. I don't hold with a man everlastingly bothering the
Almighty with his silly troubles. It seems such cheek. Anyhow, this morning II have
...
Page 18
He dragged after him up and down that section of the tropical belt a silent,
frightened little woman with long ringlets, who smiled at one stupidly, showing a
blue tooth. I don't know why so many of us patronized his various establishments.
He dragged after him up and down that section of the tropical belt a silent,
frightened little woman with long ringlets, who smiled at one stupidly, showing a
blue tooth. I don't know why so many of us patronized his various establishments.
Page 37
While he was staring at the poster, a door somewhere at his back opened, and a
woman came in who was looked upon as Schomberg's wife, no doubt with truth.
As somebody remarked cynically once, she was too unattractive to be anything ...
While he was staring at the poster, a door somewhere at his back opened, and a
woman came in who was looked upon as Schomberg's wife, no doubt with truth.
As somebody remarked cynically once, she was too unattractive to be anything ...
Page 39
“Beastly life for these women!” he said. “When you say an English girl, Mrs.
Schomberg, do you really mean a young girl? Some of these orchestra girls are
no chicks.” “Young enough,” came the low voice out of Mrs Schomberg's
unmoved ...
“Beastly life for these women!” he said. “When you say an English girl, Mrs.
Schomberg, do you really mean a young girl? Some of these orchestra girls are
no chicks.” “Young enough,” came the low voice out of Mrs Schomberg's
unmoved ...
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - DanielSTJ - www.librarything.comConrad managed to develop characters, imperfect, that all drove themselves forward on their own agendas to the story's conclusion- facilitating and enabling it along the way. He manages to keep the ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - Cecrow - www.librarything.comIn the first part we get an outsider's view of Axel Heyst's character, actions and motives without being certain who he is or what actually drives him. I found this off-putting until the second part ... Read full review
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Common terms and phrases
Alfuro arms asked believe boat breath bungalow buran can’t chair cheroot Chinaman clairvoyance course dark Davidson didn’t door doorway dunnage eyes face faint feeling fellow felt frightened gaze gentleman gharry girl glance gleam gone governor gunwale hand hanging head hear heard Heyst hotel-keeper I’ve island Java Sea jetty Jones knew laugh Lena light lips looked Malay Martin matter mean mind Morrison moved movement murmured mysterious never night Number once paused Pedro perhaps physiognomy quiet Ricardo round Samburan Schom Schomberg schooner seemed shadow shoulders side sight silence smile sort sound Sourabaya speak staring stood strange suddenly surprised Swede table d'hôte talk tell Tesmans There's thing thought tion told tone Tropical Belt Coal trouble turned verandah voice walked Wang wasn’t watched wharf What's whispered woman wonder words wouldn’t Zangiacomo
Bibliographic information
| Title | Victory Armed Services ed Armed Services editions Penguin modern classics The modern library of the world's best books The modern library |
| Author | Joseph Conrad |
| Edition | 2 |
| Publisher | Random House, 1915 |
| Original from | University of Chicago |
| Digitized | 13 Aug 2015 |
| Length | 385 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |