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Romance
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216 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1903
30 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Conrad
3,096 books4,858 followersJoseph Conrad was a Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language and, although he did not speak English fluently until his twenties, he became a master prose stylist who brought a non-English sensibility into English literature. He wrote novels and stories, many in nautical settings, that depict crises of human individuality in the midst of what he saw as an indifferent, inscrutable, and amoral world.
Conrad is considered a literary impressionist by some and an early modernist by others, though his works also contain elements of 19th-century realism. His narrative style and anti-heroic characters, as in Lord Jim, for example, have influenced numerous authors. Many dramatic films have been adapted from and inspired by his works. Numerous writers and critics have commented that his fictional works, written largely in the first two decades of the 20th century, seem to have anticipated later world events.
Writing near the peak of the British Empire, Conrad drew on the national experiences of his native Poland—during nearly all his life, parceled out among three occupying empires—and on his own experiences in the French and British merchant navies, to create short stories and novels that reflect aspects of a European-dominated world—including imperialism and colonialism—and that profoundly explore the human psyche.
Conrad is considered a literary impressionist by some and an early modernist by others, though his works also contain elements of 19th-century realism. His narrative style and anti-heroic characters, as in Lord Jim, for example, have influenced numerous authors. Many dramatic films have been adapted from and inspired by his works. Numerous writers and critics have commented that his fictional works, written largely in the first two decades of the 20th century, seem to have anticipated later world events.
Writing near the peak of the British Empire, Conrad drew on the national experiences of his native Poland—during nearly all his life, parceled out among three occupying empires—and on his own experiences in the French and British merchant navies, to create short stories and novels that reflect aspects of a European-dominated world—including imperialism and colonialism—and that profoundly explore the human psyche.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 14, 2013
A successful homage to Treasure Island. A cracking read that would make a great movie... Bow Street Runners, a man with a blade for a hand, pirates, kidnapping, caves, shoot-outs, tricorn hats, winds, voyages, wild guitar playing, disguises, courtroom drama, revenge, crooked judges, a girl... and so on.
August 12, 2016
The first person narrative is commonly employed in literature, and for many good reasons. The most important one is that it adds immediacy to the story, although it also offers the reader a safety platform since it is usually unlikely that the narrator’s fate will be too bad since s/he is alive to write the narrative.
However, there are certain problems with a book being narrated by one of its characters. The first of these is that it may leave the reader wondering why someone has chosen to write the book at all. We can understand it better in Victorian literature since people lived in an age where letters and diaries were a more common form of correspondence, and the narrated story is only a small extension to this.
We can also understand it better in books where the reader is given a reason for the narrative. For example, we are told that Dr Watson wrote his stories in part to give pleasure to his friend, Sherlock Holmes. Alas, the cold and calculating Holmes was somewhat unappreciative of his friend’s romantic and sensational style.
However sometimes the narrator’s purpose is mystifying. In Day of the Triffids, Bill Masen is intending a personal history, but a writer of a history, biography or memoirs would not have included so much dialogue and description in a mere account of events, including at least one scene in which he is not present.
In the case of detectives such as Hammett’s Continental Operative or Chandler’s Philip Marlowe, the motive for writing up their cases in a detailed and literary manner is even more obscure. As for Richard, the backpacker who narrates The Beach (Alex Garland’s novel), it is difficult to see why he would wish to write up events that were traumatic and which put him in such a bad light. Admittedly his narrative lacks any self-awareness.
John Kemp, the hero of Romance, is another such narrator. He writes of romantic events (we know they are romantic because the book insistently tells us so), but his own part in them is so unfailingly foolish that it’s hard not to wonder why he would wish to share them.
This would be pardonable if we had any sense that Kemp’s version of events was intended to be ironic and the authors wished us to view him as an unreliable narrator, this would be understandable. However, there appears to be no suggestion that we are supposed to view Kemp’s chronicle as anything other than an honest recounting of events.
The book follows Kemp’s many misfortunes. After being mistaken for a smuggler he is forced to leave England with his adventurer cousin Carlos, and Carlos’ companion, the (possibly) piratical Castro. After arriving in Jamaica, Kemp parts ways with them, fearing they have dishonest connections. However after nearly getting arrested, and then nearly killed by a fanatical Irish nationalist called O’Brien, he is finally forced to rejoin them.
They take refuge at the Casa Riego, where the dying Carlos has Kemp betrothed to the beautiful Serafina. However, O’Brien wishes to marry Serafina himself, and his followers besiege the Casa Riego with the intention of killing Kemp. Kemp, Serafina and Castro escape in a boat, and are rescued by the friendly British crew of the Lion, a passing ship that Kemp is able to warn about approaching pirates.
Kemp, Serafina and Castro hide out on an island, but they are pursued by O’Brien’s followers, and Castro is killed. Later Kemp is arrested whilst trying to return to the Lion, and O’Brien seeks to frame him by telling the authorities that he is a notorious buccaneer. O’Brien is killed by an enemy of his and Kemp is brought back to England, where he is finally acquitted by the evidence of the crew of the Lion.
Kemp’s problems are often brought about by bad luck, but it’s fair to say that he is often the architect of his own misfortunes. We might forgive him the schoolboyish sense of honour that forbids him from killing O’Brien or Manuel, a follower of O’Brien, when he has the chance. If Kemp had killed them, he would have saved himself and Serafina much suffering, and a few of the characters in the book might have made it out alive.
However, Kemp is too soft-hearted to murder in cold blood, and this at least can be forgiven him. What is less pardonable is the many times that Kemp’s blurts out stupid things that put his life in danger. It is a miracle that he makes it through the book without being executed by the authorities or murdered by rebels and criminals, something that seems about to imminently happen on a number of occasions.
To some extent it is a necessity that the narrator of a book should not be its shining light. A narrator who constantly describes his own genius or enormous talent is one that will seem boastful, arrogant or dishonest to the reader. A good narrator is usually the person who is more like you or I, an ordinary person who may be capable of brave and resourceful acts, but is usually second fiddle to the more impressive characters in the novel.
What Romance lacks however is any of those greater characters with whom we can compare Kemp, and Kemp’s unerring ability to blunder into every mess makes him a rather irritating figure. Also while we might allow Kemp some lenity on account of his youth and inexperience, there is no sign of him learning from his mistakes, and he continues to blunder in the same way at regular intervals from the beginning to the end of the book.
The book was a joint venture between Joseph Conrad and Ford Madox Hueffer, often known as Ford Madox Ford. I am hard pressed to think of any great classic that was a joint venture between two writers, and Romance is no exception. The first and final sections were probably Hueffer’s work, and the middle sections mainly Conrad’s work.
This would explain why the middle of the book is the best part. However the book is flawed throughout. It has not enough serious content to be considered as anything more than an adventure story, but the writing is too slow to work well on this level. The characters are diverting enough, but there is no great depth in any of them. They are merely romanticised figures, devoid from any reality.
This is not to say that there are not some characteristic Conradian flourishes. When the seemingly indestructible Castro is the one who is lured out of hiding and to his death by thirst, we are reminded of how often Conrad’s books show us the fallibility of human nature, even in those who seem steadfast or great.
The book also demonstrates a certain sneaking sympathy for those who stand outside the law and society. The smugglers and Jack Rangsley are presented in an entirely positive way, and Carlos too is a figure of romance. Even Castro, for all his sinister appearance and ruthless morals, is a romanticised figure who is on the side of good.
In keeping with Conrad’s writing elsewhere, there is far less sympathy for those who are rebellious. Hence O’Brien is a dangerous fanatic who is willing to destroy those who get in the way of his designs against the English. His followers too are seedy and unpleasant, and we do not feel too much grief when any of them are killed.
Usually Conrad has a certain amount of sympathy with nationalists, but the influence of Hueffer may explain why the Irish nationalist leader is here portrayed in an entirely hostile manner. Indeed it is refreshing to see an Irish rebel who is free from the tiresome twentieth century clichés – O’Brien does not drink whisky, write poems and win young girl’s hearts. He is simply a ruthless villain.
However, there is a certain amount of English chauvinism in O’Brien’s characterisation. The book is unashamedly patriotic, and there is no space for those who seek to undermine the homeland. Notably the most sympathetic characters are the simple-minded and caring British crew of the appropriately named Lion. Even the womanising Captain Williams and his narrow-minded religious wife are viewed indulgently.
Romance is certainly not a terrible book, but it is a rather weak contribution to the collection of novels written by Joseph Conrad. His collaboration with Hueffer served only to dilute the merits of his solo work, and it is perhaps a pity that Conrad spent so much time with Hueffer at a time when his writing skills were at their peak.
However, there are certain problems with a book being narrated by one of its characters. The first of these is that it may leave the reader wondering why someone has chosen to write the book at all. We can understand it better in Victorian literature since people lived in an age where letters and diaries were a more common form of correspondence, and the narrated story is only a small extension to this.
We can also understand it better in books where the reader is given a reason for the narrative. For example, we are told that Dr Watson wrote his stories in part to give pleasure to his friend, Sherlock Holmes. Alas, the cold and calculating Holmes was somewhat unappreciative of his friend’s romantic and sensational style.
However sometimes the narrator’s purpose is mystifying. In Day of the Triffids, Bill Masen is intending a personal history, but a writer of a history, biography or memoirs would not have included so much dialogue and description in a mere account of events, including at least one scene in which he is not present.
In the case of detectives such as Hammett’s Continental Operative or Chandler’s Philip Marlowe, the motive for writing up their cases in a detailed and literary manner is even more obscure. As for Richard, the backpacker who narrates The Beach (Alex Garland’s novel), it is difficult to see why he would wish to write up events that were traumatic and which put him in such a bad light. Admittedly his narrative lacks any self-awareness.
John Kemp, the hero of Romance, is another such narrator. He writes of romantic events (we know they are romantic because the book insistently tells us so), but his own part in them is so unfailingly foolish that it’s hard not to wonder why he would wish to share them.
This would be pardonable if we had any sense that Kemp’s version of events was intended to be ironic and the authors wished us to view him as an unreliable narrator, this would be understandable. However, there appears to be no suggestion that we are supposed to view Kemp’s chronicle as anything other than an honest recounting of events.
The book follows Kemp’s many misfortunes. After being mistaken for a smuggler he is forced to leave England with his adventurer cousin Carlos, and Carlos’ companion, the (possibly) piratical Castro. After arriving in Jamaica, Kemp parts ways with them, fearing they have dishonest connections. However after nearly getting arrested, and then nearly killed by a fanatical Irish nationalist called O’Brien, he is finally forced to rejoin them.
They take refuge at the Casa Riego, where the dying Carlos has Kemp betrothed to the beautiful Serafina. However, O’Brien wishes to marry Serafina himself, and his followers besiege the Casa Riego with the intention of killing Kemp. Kemp, Serafina and Castro escape in a boat, and are rescued by the friendly British crew of the Lion, a passing ship that Kemp is able to warn about approaching pirates.
Kemp, Serafina and Castro hide out on an island, but they are pursued by O’Brien’s followers, and Castro is killed. Later Kemp is arrested whilst trying to return to the Lion, and O’Brien seeks to frame him by telling the authorities that he is a notorious buccaneer. O’Brien is killed by an enemy of his and Kemp is brought back to England, where he is finally acquitted by the evidence of the crew of the Lion.
Kemp’s problems are often brought about by bad luck, but it’s fair to say that he is often the architect of his own misfortunes. We might forgive him the schoolboyish sense of honour that forbids him from killing O’Brien or Manuel, a follower of O’Brien, when he has the chance. If Kemp had killed them, he would have saved himself and Serafina much suffering, and a few of the characters in the book might have made it out alive.
However, Kemp is too soft-hearted to murder in cold blood, and this at least can be forgiven him. What is less pardonable is the many times that Kemp’s blurts out stupid things that put his life in danger. It is a miracle that he makes it through the book without being executed by the authorities or murdered by rebels and criminals, something that seems about to imminently happen on a number of occasions.
To some extent it is a necessity that the narrator of a book should not be its shining light. A narrator who constantly describes his own genius or enormous talent is one that will seem boastful, arrogant or dishonest to the reader. A good narrator is usually the person who is more like you or I, an ordinary person who may be capable of brave and resourceful acts, but is usually second fiddle to the more impressive characters in the novel.
What Romance lacks however is any of those greater characters with whom we can compare Kemp, and Kemp’s unerring ability to blunder into every mess makes him a rather irritating figure. Also while we might allow Kemp some lenity on account of his youth and inexperience, there is no sign of him learning from his mistakes, and he continues to blunder in the same way at regular intervals from the beginning to the end of the book.
The book was a joint venture between Joseph Conrad and Ford Madox Hueffer, often known as Ford Madox Ford. I am hard pressed to think of any great classic that was a joint venture between two writers, and Romance is no exception. The first and final sections were probably Hueffer’s work, and the middle sections mainly Conrad’s work.
This would explain why the middle of the book is the best part. However the book is flawed throughout. It has not enough serious content to be considered as anything more than an adventure story, but the writing is too slow to work well on this level. The characters are diverting enough, but there is no great depth in any of them. They are merely romanticised figures, devoid from any reality.
This is not to say that there are not some characteristic Conradian flourishes. When the seemingly indestructible Castro is the one who is lured out of hiding and to his death by thirst, we are reminded of how often Conrad’s books show us the fallibility of human nature, even in those who seem steadfast or great.
The book also demonstrates a certain sneaking sympathy for those who stand outside the law and society. The smugglers and Jack Rangsley are presented in an entirely positive way, and Carlos too is a figure of romance. Even Castro, for all his sinister appearance and ruthless morals, is a romanticised figure who is on the side of good.
In keeping with Conrad’s writing elsewhere, there is far less sympathy for those who are rebellious. Hence O’Brien is a dangerous fanatic who is willing to destroy those who get in the way of his designs against the English. His followers too are seedy and unpleasant, and we do not feel too much grief when any of them are killed.
Usually Conrad has a certain amount of sympathy with nationalists, but the influence of Hueffer may explain why the Irish nationalist leader is here portrayed in an entirely hostile manner. Indeed it is refreshing to see an Irish rebel who is free from the tiresome twentieth century clichés – O’Brien does not drink whisky, write poems and win young girl’s hearts. He is simply a ruthless villain.
However, there is a certain amount of English chauvinism in O’Brien’s characterisation. The book is unashamedly patriotic, and there is no space for those who seek to undermine the homeland. Notably the most sympathetic characters are the simple-minded and caring British crew of the appropriately named Lion. Even the womanising Captain Williams and his narrow-minded religious wife are viewed indulgently.
Romance is certainly not a terrible book, but it is a rather weak contribution to the collection of novels written by Joseph Conrad. His collaboration with Hueffer served only to dilute the merits of his solo work, and it is perhaps a pity that Conrad spent so much time with Hueffer at a time when his writing skills were at their peak.
August 4, 2024
The sea - so be it.
December 15, 2016
"This is a disappointment to me. It doesn't read like the Conrad I'm familiar with, something is definitely off and I feel like I must attribute that to Ford, someone I have never read before. Though I see similar themes to other Conrad works, they far more specific and his insights seem less penetrating. The whole thing is easier to take as it goes on, the story gets better and Kemp gets less annoying. But the ending is utterly ridiculous (and it easily could have been the best part of the novel). I thought the title was ironic until I read the ending. Still, I was engaged for a time and I certainly don't feel like I wasted my time, I just don't find it up to his usual standard. Whether Ford was there to help his English prose or whether for some other reason, I think the decision was probably bad for Conrad's own artistic ambitions."
March 19, 2014
Overly long, but beautifully written adventure story. The protagonist, an English lad, boards a ship bound for Jamaica, and then another, bound for Cuba; has dealings with pirates, Cuban royalty, and various forms of commonfolk; loves with passion; fights with honor; surmounts one dreadful misfortune after another; and at last pulls safely into harbor.
It was kind of a slog after awhile, but I particularly liked the two premiere villains: a screwball improvisational Cuban troubadour, named Manolo; and an insidious, obsessed red-headed Irishman, named Pat O'Brien. And the climax of the book, which takes place in and near a cave, was riveting.
It was kind of a slog after awhile, but I particularly liked the two premiere villains: a screwball improvisational Cuban troubadour, named Manolo; and an insidious, obsessed red-headed Irishman, named Pat O'Brien. And the climax of the book, which takes place in and near a cave, was riveting.
November 1, 2017
Should be called 'Adventure' as that is the romantic sentiment of the story - not romantic sexual love.
Very interesting story, and very gripping at times.
Very interesting story, and very gripping at times.
October 24, 2025
Another great nautically themed adventure (with a bit of romance) book, thanks to Conrad, but without undermining some literary influences from Ford, which I look forward to exploring further. I am intrigued, however, that the back-cover blurb on my Zinc Read publication from 2024 incorrectly refers to the setting of the story being in Costaguana and not Cuba!! Maybe our publishing friends at Amazon have got this book confused with Conrad's epic "Nostromo". Is this the sacrifice we have to make for the fast ordering to delivery time?
October 27, 2009
Romance, Conrad and Ford. The name says it. I admire and respect the writing of Ford Madox Ford and greatly admire and respect that of Conrad, but this collaboration is not a success. It recounts the adventures of a Regency youth from the lower reaches of the British nobility in the rough and tumble world of the Caribbean, complete with pirates, romance, and courageous Spanish damsels, and several last-minute escapes, the clichés of romantic adventure fictions. There are a few passages of Conrad’s wonderful evocative descriptions. I note that slavery was the basis of the Caribbean economy at this time and the hero is for a time the boss of a slave plantation, but it is never a moral issue, which seems odd from the author of the bitter and effective criticism of colonial exploitation of blacks in The Heart of Darkness. Even Jane Austin knew better.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews