Reviews for Victory

The average rating for Victory based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-05-12 00:00:00 Christian Mack Axel Heyst the "Swede," is running away but since it is himself he wants to escape from that is clearly an unattainable goal. Growing up with his crank of a father, a widower in London Town the elder Heyst, writes little books of his unpopular philosophy making a small profit, from the few who like them, and just gets by ... Having fled his native land, they didn't understand the Baron's unusual ideas ( not sure if he deserved that title) as nowhere else does, either. He despises the world and they would dislike him too, if he was known. But Axel, listens to his cold father maybe not the best for him, if no other reason than peace of mind . The boy feels alone when his father passed away, nothing new. Always a loner as if life was just a mirage, not real nothing to get excited over, a walking, unfeeling machine the detached man, floats about on land and sea. At last the dreamer, arriving in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) with no plans in his aimless life. After a failed business collapses, he goes to a second - rate Inn on a rather unimportant island to hear an all girls band, Zangiacomo's Ladies Orchestra, a novelty in the 1890's, they play loud but not well who cares ? Except the wanderer it hurts his ears, besides the women are no girls and their profession is not exactly being musicians. The lonely, placid Mr. Heyst sees a young and pretty damsel in distress (the other members are middle aged women), being physically hurt by the wife of the Orchestra's leader, she seems in need of help. Lena the name he gives her, she wanted something different for a fresh start , Alma before, didn't mingle with the audience between sessions, men of course . What worse is the odious inn-keeper Wilhelm Schomberg, has been harassing Alma/ Lena and he a married man with a homely wife. Mr. Heyst working fast with the helpful assistance of Mrs. Schomberg, she has good cause her husband is a beast ... in secret, the new couple fly to a remote exotic isle. Nobody is happy not the corrupt Mr. Zangiacomo or his evil wife or the rest of the notorious band, certainly neither is the vile and disappointed Mr.Schomberg who spreads wild rumors about his enemy Axel Heyst, to anyone silly enough to listen, yes maybe just the two love birds care. An opportunity happens when a trio of desperadoes stay in Schomberg's inn they cause trouble, illegal gambling in the back room, Pedro as big as an ape and as smart too, sleazy Martin Richardo a born killer with delusions of adequacy and their boss skeletal Mr. "Jones", dead man walking a gentleman almost, before being asked to leave society for unspecific wrong doings . The vengeful Schomderg spinning an elaborate crazy tale of hidden loot on Axel's island, so the three criminal travel to the active fiery volcano isle much to the relief of the inn-keeper, breaking the tranquil isolated existence in the shall we say unique"honeymooners" paradise. The couple liked to climb a high mountain reveling in the vast remote empty blue sea, below. Only the servant Wang for company in their modest house. Death awaits the unfortunate, on Samburan Island ...Joseph Conrad shows again his genius a man who learned a new language (several) and excelled in each.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-03-23 00:00:00 Hosuton Westfall Victory by Joseph Conrad is a dark, psychological thriller. Like all of Conrad’s work, his mastery of the English language is immediately evident and he uses descriptive language of which D.H. Lawrence would be envious, especially when describing the villains. Victory is also reminiscent of Shakespeare’s The Tempest and in turn may have influenced Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita. Conrad created two of the most devilish, animalistic and brutish villains that ever plagued a story and are as bad as characters from Dickey or McCarthy. Additionally, Victory displays some of the most complex characterizations of Conrad’s bibliography. A careful student of Conrad’s work can see shades of Kurtz in Mr. Jones. As with many of Conrad’s writings, this deals with isolation, world-weariness, and distinctions between “civilized” and “native” societies and the ironies of atypical behaviors in each. Between the antagonists there is a recurring theme of tame versus untamed actions. It seems that fans of Conrad generally fall into two camps, those who choose as their favorite Heart of Darkness and those who would select Lord Jim. I am definitively in the Heart of Darkness group, though I recognize the power of Lord Jim. F. Scott Fitzgerald said of Nostromo that if he could have written but one book, he would have wanted that book to be Nostromo. Victory, though it deals with many common themes of Conrad’s work, is a unique work in his canon and has a charm all its own and I could see where someone could say that it is his or her favorite.