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Nostromo

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Nostromo

By: Joseph Conrad
Narrated by: John Lee
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Joseph Conrad’s multilayered masterpiece tells of one nation’s violent revolution and one hero’s moral degeneration. Conrad convincingly invents an entire country, Costaguana, and sets it afire as warlords compete for power and a fortune in silver.

Señor Gould, adamant that his silver should not become spoil for his enemies, entrusts it to his faithful longshoreman, Nostromo, a local hero of sorts whom Señor Gould believes to be incorruptible. Nostromo accepts the mission as an opportunity to increase his own fame. But when his exploit fails to win him the rewards he had hoped for, he is consumed by a corrupting resentment.

Nostromo, relevant both as literature and as a brilliant social study, ambitiously brings to life Latin American history and the politics of an underdeveloped country.

(P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Classics Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Sea Adventures
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Critic reviews

“I’d rather have written Conrad’s Nostromo than any other novel.”

(F. Scott Fitzgerald)

“In Nostromo…Conrad has achieved something which is not in the power of any English contemporary novelist to touch…he accomplishes artistic feats beyond his rivals.”

(Edward Garnett, The Speaker)

“[An] involved, philosophical novel…With characteristic eloquence, Conrad has focused on the dramatic action of the revolution to explore challenging themes: capitalism, imperialism, revolution, and social justice.”

(Library Journal)

“Most certainly…one of the great novels of the language.”

(F. R. Leavis, literary critic)

“Often praised as one of Joseph Conrad’s greatest novels, Nostromo tells the tumultuous history of the fictional country Costaguana. Conrad’s ‘perfectly incorruptible’ Nostromo, a heroic symbol within the community, eventually reveals the novel’s dark irony. British actor John Lee approaches his narration with a steady tone and expert attention to the text. What is especially masterful in Lee’s reading is his array of accents for Conrad’s collage of characters—from the English and Italian transplants to the passionate native inhabitants. All are wonderfully portrayed by Lee, especially the polyglot Decoud, a Europeanized Costaguaneran whose accent fluctuates between French and Spanish. Lee takes Conrad’s dense and descriptive language in hand to produce an epic listening experience.”

(AudioFile)
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Nostromo needs no recommendation, it’s a classic that speaks for itself. John Lee is a fine narrator and he does the text full justice. (I liked this reading better than the somewhat strained Naxos recording.)

Another review comments on the recording quality, observing that the sound dips in and out. It’s true that every few minutes it sounds as if the narrator has half a jam jar over his mouth for a few words; but they’re still perfectly clear, and I didn’t find that it affected my enjoyment of the reading at all.

Fine Recording of a Classic

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Distractingly different sound qualities for a great number of inserts really lets down an otherwise fine read.

Distractingly different sound qualities

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There are wonderful passages but something about the narration made it really difficult to follow the plot. It seemed as though the reader was just rattling through without being aware of the story either. His voice was fine but there wasn't enough intelligence to bring it together.

couldn't follow the narrative

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Conrad is one of the best early 20th-century mood-setters and John Lees reading is deep and dramatic with lots of good accents thrown in. But every 10 minutes or so the recording is damaged, as if Lees voice drops out. This is a great story and a great recording but a flawed product. I only keep it because I like the reading so much, but shame on Audible if they leave this in the shop and do not try to get a better copy. Steer clear of it until they do.

Wonderful reading, flawed recording

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