Book
Victory
Buy the book from:
Axel Heyst has withdrawn to Samburan, an isolated island in the Malay Archipelago, after the failure of a coal company and the death of the friend who drew him into it. During a visit to the mainland he helps Lena, a young musician trapped in a travelling orchestra and harassed by the hotelkeeper Schomberg. He takes her back to Samburan, where their relationship challenges his belief that detachment is the safest way to live.
Schomberg retaliates by telling the criminal Mr Jones and his companions that Heyst possesses hidden wealth. The three men travel to the island, turning Heyst and Lena’s refuge into a confined struggle shaped by deception, violence and sacrifice. The novel combines an island adventure with a study of emotional isolation, asking whether love can overcome the passivity and scepticism through which Heyst has tried to protect himself from the world.
More by the author
Other books by Joseph Conrad
