Victory

First published in 1915, Conrad’s mid-career novel, narrated by actor David Horovitch, takes listeners to the 1900s Malay Archipelago, bustling with entrepreneurs transporting goods in their small steamboats between the South Pacific islands. The story follows Axel Heyst, an unenthusiastic partner in a coal supply company whose business on a remote island fails almost before it starts. Heyst drifts to the big island, where he encounters Wilhelm Schomberg, a disreputable hotel owner who has hired the Zangiacomo’s Ladies’ Orchestra to supply entertainment. Lena, one of the orchestra’s violinists, begs for Heyst’s help, explaining that Schomberg is stalking her and means to do her harm. Heyst spirits her away to his small island, and the hotel owner sets a trio of thugs on their trail, having tempted them with the promise of priceless wealth said to be in Heyst’s possession. Conrad’s prose is dense, requiring close listening, but Horovitch’s well-paced, sensitive performance provides a nuanced window into the psychological and philosophical musings of the characters as their relationship deepens. An author’s note offers fascinating insight into the creation of the main characters.