Rivendell_librarian
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- Aug 19, 2018
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Under Western Eyes by Joseph Conrad
wow! Now critics might say "not much happens" but this is a novel of ideas, of character, of guilt - not action, though there is some dramatic action at both the beginning and end. There's some similarity with Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment and Conrad's Lord Jim. It's definitely a good idea not to read the Introduction before reading the book, as not knowing the denoument means you enjoy the great tension in this book. The main character (Razumov) has a similar name as well. In the author's note, Conrad coins the term "banality" in a way similar to Arendt - had Arendt read this novel?
Conrad's family background is relevant, being an ethnic Pole who was born in Ukraine and whose father was a Polish nationalist at a time when Poland (or Ukraine) did not exist. His father was imprisoned in Russia and then exiled, dying of TB when Joseph was still young. His mother also died of TB at this time. But rather than follow in his father's footsteps Joseph Conrad chose to go to Marseille and go to sea - eventually joining the British Merchant Navy - and the rest is history. However, there is no sign of the sea here but I think this is one of Conrad's best novels
I struggled with Crime and Punishment. Imo this novel is better with some beautiful prose.
wow! Now critics might say "not much happens" but this is a novel of ideas, of character, of guilt - not action, though there is some dramatic action at both the beginning and end. There's some similarity with Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment and Conrad's Lord Jim. It's definitely a good idea not to read the Introduction before reading the book, as not knowing the denoument means you enjoy the great tension in this book. The main character (Razumov) has a similar name as well. In the author's note, Conrad coins the term "banality" in a way similar to Arendt - had Arendt read this novel?
Conrad's family background is relevant, being an ethnic Pole who was born in Ukraine and whose father was a Polish nationalist at a time when Poland (or Ukraine) did not exist. His father was imprisoned in Russia and then exiled, dying of TB when Joseph was still young. His mother also died of TB at this time. But rather than follow in his father's footsteps Joseph Conrad chose to go to Marseille and go to sea - eventually joining the British Merchant Navy - and the rest is history. However, there is no sign of the sea here but I think this is one of Conrad's best novels
I struggled with Crime and Punishment. Imo this novel is better with some beautiful prose.