Victory. Joseph Conrad

“I am glad that I am alive, if, for no other reason, because of the joy of reading this book.”—Jack London. First published in 1915, “Victory” follows the character Axel Heyst, a Swede who renounces the world and lives on a remote island in the Malay Archipelago. He is shaken from his self-imposed isolation, however, after a chance encounter with Lena, a young Englishwoman in a touring ladies’ orchestra. Axel comes to her aid when she is accosted by a loutish hotel owner. They seek refuge on his island, and Axel begins to see the value of life as a relationship with Lena unfolds. All too soon, however, three men set on revenge for the hotel owner, arrive on the island. The events that follow spiral into a devastating tragedy, and Conrad ultimately compels readers to decide on what constitutes defeat or victory in this characteristically descriptive, powerful narrative. This edition includes a biographical afterword.