7 out of 10. You have to overcome incredulity toward the end. It is a beyond unlikely fortuitous witnessing of a near-crime. However, the story really engaged me, more so than most Conrad books. If you're considering Conrad for the first time, be aware that you'll have to deal with sentences like this: "In the full light of the room I saw in his eyes that slightly mocking expression with which he habitually covers up his sympathetic impulses of mirth and pity before the unreasonable complications the idealism of mankind puts into the simple but poignant problem of conduct on this earth." This sentence is quite complex and requires careful reading and analysis. Conrad's writing style is known for its depth and complexity, which can make his books a challenging but rewarding read. Despite the difficulty, the story in this particular book managed to draw me in and keep my attention throughout. The unlikely event at the end added an element of excitement and surprise, although it did stretch the boundaries of credibility. Overall, I would recommend this book to those who are willing to put in the effort to understand Conrad's writing and explore the themes he presents.

A by no means exhaustive list of some quotes I enjoyed from this book:

"The science of life consists in taking every chance that presents itself." This quote emphasizes the importance of seizing opportunities and not being afraid to take risks in life.

"But I have observed that profane men living in ships like the holy men gathered together in monasteries develop traits of profound resemblance. This must be because the service of the sea and the service of a temple are both detached from the vanities and errors of a world which follows no severe rule. The men of the sea understand each other very well in their view of earthly things, for simplicity is a good counsellor and isolation not a bad educator." Here, the author makes an interesting comparison between the lives of sailors and holy men, suggesting that both are removed from the distractions and follies of the outside world and can develop a deeper understanding of life.

"A woman holds an absolute right—or possesses a perfect excuse—to escape in her own way from a man-mismanaged world." This statement highlights the idea that women may feel the need to break free from a society that is dominated by men and may have its own flaws and problems.

"Something as incredible as the fulfilment of an amazing and startling dream in which he could take the world in his arms—all the suffering world—not to possess its pathetic fairness but to console and cherish its sorrow." This quote expresses a sense of altruism and the desire to make a positive difference in the world by comforting those who are suffering.

"I mean unrestful in the sense, for instance in which this planet of ours is unrestful—a matter of an uneasy atmosphere disturbed by passions, jealousies, loves, hates and the troubles of transcendental good intentions, which, though ethically valuable, I have no doubt cause often more unhappiness than the plots of the most evil tendency." The author uses the example of the earth's unrest to describe a similar state of unrest within individuals, caused by a variety of emotions and good intentions that may sometimes lead to negative consequences.

"My dear fellow I have merely stripped the rags of business verbiage and financial jargon off my statements. And you are startled! I am giving you the naked truth. It’s true too that nothing lays itself open to the charge of exaggeration more than the language of naked truth." This final quote emphasizes the importance of speaking the truth plainly and simply, without the use of fancy words or jargon, even though this may sometimes make people uncomfortable or skeptical.

Acaso initially, was a source of disappointment and some confusion due to the slowness with which it presents the plot, which is not immediately perceivable. It also accumulates narration within narration. At a certain point, we are accessing a story told by Powell to Marlow, who then tells it to the main narrator, who shares it with us.

However, after some time, I found Joseph Conrad gradually transforming me into an eager eavesdropper. I was窥探ing into others' lives, interested in "hearing" conversations that did not concern me and drawing my hasty conclusions from them. Little by little, the story and the characters gained dimension. We grew attached to individuals whom we never really got close to and from whom we never heard a single word firsthand. And then, indeed, we realized that we were in the presence of a brilliant author!

I found the descriptions related to the sea particularly beautiful and the status of women in society at that time especially interesting. When Flora's father is imprisoned, she finds herself completely helpless, at the mercy of the good will - or lack thereof - of other people. The female condition is considered from several points of view. Marlow makes some rather unpleasant insinuations about the gender, Mrs. Fyne is an active feminist, and Flora herself shows us the impossibility of a young woman like her deciding her own future and ensuring her own livelihood.

Thus, and despite not having started in the best way, Acaso ended up revealing itself to be a very pleasant and interesting read, written in an intelligent and careful way.

A book that I wouldn't recommend even to other Conrad fans, let alone regular people.

Yet, strangely, I found it compelling.

Here, there are even more layered coils of narration than usual.

Mostly, it is handled by our old friend Marlow.

He relates stories told to him by people who've had stories told to them.

Gradually, a portrait forms.

Of course, it's not on the same level as some great works.

But it reminded me of Dostoyevsky.

The way even a simple conversation takes at least twenty pages.

Lingering over every sentence and the spaces between.

Plumbing every facial expression for insight.

Piecing it all together to guess at what lies in the heart.

It's a complex and convoluted work that demands a lot from the reader.

But for those who are willing to invest the time and effort, it can offer a unique and rewarding experience.

A book from this reader’s favorite prose writer which he has only just read, though it has been on his shelves for many years.

Of late I have felt the call of certain unread books. A promised, imagined music is just beyond my hearing as I move past them in my daily life, day by day. Until by chance my eye settles on it, and I know the time has come.

Fitting really, because the novel is about precisely this: an evocation of how utterly life is shaped by “Chance! The nearest chance, as things do happen, lucky and unlucky, terrible or tender, important or unimportant; and even things which are neither, things so completely neutral in character that you would wonder why they do happen at all if you didn’t know that they, too, carry in their insignificance the seeds of further incalculable chances.” This is a sensibility often found in Shakespeare’s later plays. From this chance unfolds comedy, romance, adventure and tragedy.

The ancillary of this is that “the incapacity to achieve anything distinctly good or evil is inherent in our earthly condition”: we simply lack the agency to do so.

I would rather not delve too deeply into the plot because, for this reader, much of the joy of Conrad comes from the telling, overlapping and framed narratives going backwards and forwards in time, across consciousnesses through different perspectives such that the telling is like a diaphanous mist hanging on the “outside, enveloping the tale which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze” (as it is expressed in Heart of Darkness).

It is a tale about the sea. About life on land. About masculinity and femininity. About relationships. And leaving all themes aside, it is simply an original and well-told tale. Of all Conrad’s works, this is the one with the most distinctive and Dickensian characters, which I say as a complement.

Conrad has a special capacity for evocative description of the world. How can you read the following without feeling a surge of glory in your heart: “as often happens after a grey daybreak the sun had risen in a warm and glorious splendor above the smooth immense gleam of the enlarged estuary. Wisps of mist floated like trails of luminous dust, and in the dazzling reflections of water and vapour, the shores had at he murky semi-transparent darkness of shadows cast mysteriously from below”.

How are you not enveloped in the eternity of the moment as: “The stillness was oppressive. I went back to my boar, made some coffee over a spirit-lamp, devoured a few biscuits, and stretched myself aft, to smoke and gaze at the stars.”

And this… “It was in the trade-winds, at night, under a velvety, bespangled sky; a great multitude of stars watching the shadows of the sea gleaming mysteriously in the wake of the ship; while the leisurely swishing of the water to leeward was like a drowsy comment on her progress. [...] The serenity of the peaceful night seemed as cast as all space, and as enduring as eternity itself. It’s true the sea is an uncertain element, but no sailor remembers this in the presence of its bewitching power any more than a lover ever thinks of the proverbial inconstancy of women.”

The tale is told for the most part by Conrad’s enduring narrative proxy, the deep-souled Marlow, who “had been at sea many years and I verily believe he liked sea-life because on the whole it is favorable to reflection.”

With his earnest philosophizing, to the seasoned Conradian, Marlow feels like an old friend by this, his final appearance and one of endless wit and good-humour, as he drily considers how, upon finding himself in a situation requiring it, “One would think that a man of average intelligence could command stupidity at will. But it isn’t so. I suppose it’s a special gift or else the difficulty consists in being relevant.”

On top of this, it is this reader’s belief that Conrad is one of the great philosophers. His human and psychological insights, which glow in his works like seams of precious metal through rock, are up there with Nietzsche.

Take the following: “The surprise, it is easy to understand, would arise from the inability to interpret the signs which experience (a thing mysterious in itself) makes to our understanding and emotions. For it is never more than that. Our experience never gets into our blood and bones. It always remains outside of us. That’s why we look with wonder at the past. And this persists even when from practice and through growing callousness of fiber we come to the point when nothing that we meet in that rapid blinking stumble across a flick of sunshine which our life is - nothing, I say, which we run against surprises us any more.” To my knowledge, this is a completely original observation throughout literature and philosophy (if not, please do direct me to where else, I would love to read anyone with similar sensibilities). It expresses something inexpressibly true which one normally would not even think about.

To one with more time and intellect than this reader, it would be an enlightening exercise to read through all of Conrad’s works, extract certain aphorisms and form a compilation. I will conclude this review with a handful more, for your perusal and reflection. Do let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

“Youth appreciates [being noticed] which is the subtlest form of flatter age can offer.”

“Was the girl born to be a victim; to be always disliked and crushed as if she were too fine for this world? Or too luckless - since that also is often counted as sin.”

“A young girl, you know, is something like a temple. You pass by and wonder what mysterious rites are going on in there, what prayers, what visions? The privileged men, the lover, the husband, who are given the key of the sanctuary do not always know how to use it.”

“Pairing off is the fate of mankind. And if two beings thrown together, mutually attracted, resist the necessity, fail in understanding and voluntarily stop short of the – the embrace, in the noblest meaning of the word, then they are committing a sin against life, the call of which is simple.”

Overall, Conrad's work is a treasure trove of literary and philosophical gems that continue to captivate and inspire readers to this day. His unique style of storytelling, combined with his profound insights into the human condition, make his novels a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the depths of the human experience. Whether you are a seasoned Conrad enthusiast or a newcomer to his work, there is always something new and exciting to discover in his pages. So, pick up one of his books today and embark on a journey of discovery and enlightenment. You won't be disappointed.

A truly perfect book! The summary provided on Goodreads is rather bizarre. However, if you have a penchant for atmosphere, enjoy peculiar yet not overly strange moments, and are interested in 'matters of the heart', then this book is a must-read. Despite its substantial content, it never feels burdensome or heavy. Instead, it combines humour and genuine eccentricity in a delightful way. The story unfolds in a manner that keeps you engaged from start to finish. The characters are well-developed and their actions and interactions add depth to the narrative. The author has a unique writing style that creates a vivid and immersive world. Whether you are a fan of literary fiction or simply looking for an entertaining read, this book is sure to satisfy. So, don't let the strange summary on Goodreads deter you. Pick up this book and embark on a journey filled with charm, wit, and heart.

Structurally complex and slow to unfold, but with a rewarding conclusion nonetheless.

The narrator listens to a tale that is told in part by a recent acquaintance, in part by his old seafaring friend Marlow, and in part third or fourth hand as narrated to Marlow by others. The tale unfolds nonlinearly, which forces the narrator(s) and the readers to engage in detective work. This is especially true as some of the narrative unfolds even outside the view of any of the protagonists.

The theme of chance or fate recurs throughout, and coincidence plays a major role at several points. It is not least in allowing Marlow to assemble all of its parts.

I was delighted to read Conrad again. It has been many years since I blitzed through virtually all of his major works, both short and long. His writing is such a wonderful combination of a seafaring yarn told to the reader as though handed down through many oral tellings (as would have occurred when sailors got together), rich introspective analysis, and a command of language that moves with the cadences of flowing water!

Conrad's works have a unique charm that draws the reader in and keeps them engaged until the very end. His ability to create complex characters and vivid settings is truly remarkable. The non-linear structure of this particular tale adds an extra layer of mystery and intrigue, making it all the more captivating.

Overall, reading Conrad is a truly enriching experience that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys great literature.

My new favorite sentence ever is: "Franklin's grotesque mortal envelope had disappeared from the poop to seek its needful repose, if only the worried soul would let it rest a while."

I find it impossible to write a coherent review about this book. The words of this man, Joseph Conrad, simply astound me.每当我读一本约瑟夫·康拉德的书时，我感觉自己真的是坐在炉火旁，听他娓娓道来一个缓慢而美丽的故事，我总是听不够。他确实知道如何讲故事，这是肯定的。这本书正式成为了我的最爱之一。

我喜欢这段话：

臭名昭著的德·巴拉尔没有笑，因为他很愤怒。他对言语、事实、推论都无动于衷。如果有人试图争论，无论是通过证据还是论证，都不可能让他看到自己的罪过或愚蠢。

他的女儿弗洛拉也没有试图和他争论。她的处境如此残酷，其复杂性如此棘手，如果我可以这样表达的话，被动的态度仍然是她最好的避难所——就像以前许多女性一样。

因为女人的那种惰性总是神秘莫测，因此也很危险。它让人停下来。一个女人可能是个傻瓜，一个昏昏欲睡的傻瓜，一个激动的傻瓜，一个极其有害的傻瓜，她甚至可能只是愚蠢。但她从来都不是愚笨的。她从来不像有些男人那样完全是木头做的。女人身上总是有某个地方有一个弹簧。无论男人对女人了解多少（可能很多，也可能很少），男人甚至父亲都知道这一点。这就是为什么这么多男人害怕她们。

Conrad's writing is so vivid and engaging that it draws the reader in and makes them feel as if they are part of the story. His use of language is masterful, and he is able to create complex and multi-dimensional characters that are both believable and relatable. The passage about de Barral and his daughter Flora is a prime example of this. We can sense the tension between them and understand the difficult position that Flora is in. Conrad's exploration of the relationship between men and women is also very interesting, and his observations about women's nature are both insightful and thought-provoking. Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves great literature.

The author's prose has always been among the very best that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. His words have a certain charm and elegance that draw the reader in and keep them engaged from start to finish.

However, this particular story is a departure from his usual style. Unlike his other books, which are filled with excitement, adventure, and vivid characters, this one seems a bit dull.

The plot moves at a slow pace, and there are few surprises or twists along the way. The characters, while well-developed, lack the spark and vitality that make the author's other works so memorable.

Despite these flaws, there are still some redeeming qualities to the story. The author's descriptive writing is as beautiful as ever, and there are several passages that are truly moving.

Overall, while this story may not be the author's best work, it is still worth reading for fans of his prose.

In an unusual form of writing,

whereby the tale is recounted by a friend to the first person writer,

sometimes in doing so himself describing an account told to him,

this novel presents various strands of plot that, by chance, converge.

The outcome is a truly excellent story, filled with unexpected twists.

However, it is far more than just that: it is a profound study of the tortured feelings and reactions of people caused by the actions of others.

The writing, for much of the text, is in a highly elaborate literary style, featuring long sentences and paragraphs.

Some sections can be challenging and test one's patience to persevere.

Nonetheless, the concluding portion of the novel offers abundant reward.

Altogether, it is a very rewarding and thought-provoking read, while also being an entertaining story.

It engages the reader on multiple levels and leaves a lasting impression.

One cannot help but be drawn into the complex web of emotions and events that unfold within its pages.

It is a literary work that demands attention and reflection, and in return, it provides a rich and fulfilling reading experience.

Chance plays a significant role as the MacGuffin in this book. There are numerous plot points that rely on specific events occurring in a particular way. For example, if someone hadn't happened to be in a certain place at an exact time (this happens about two or three times), or if Marlow hadn't run into Powell, we wouldn't have the story. In fact, I suspect the unnamed narrator might have half-wished that Marlow never met Powell because Marlow tells a highly convoluted tale in this book, even more so than his usual penchant for complex narratives.

Here I am getting convoluted myself. Let's return to "Chance". Almost all novels have an element of luck in their workings, and the chance events in this book are not really that remarkable (except for the one in the climax). It's not like someone's future is drastically altered because someone stepped on a butterfly in the first book. Instead, Conrad is most concerned with character. All of the characters are vividly drawn and have significant flaws, which Conrad elaborates on. These flaws, as they have since Oedipus, drive the story forward.

The main female character, Flora de Barral, is a mystery. I never had the impression that Conrad truly understood her. This may be because she is always a victim of circumstances and rarely has the "chance" to act according to her own will. Of course, this is one of the themes of the book. Marlow is clueless about women and has terrible theories about them, which can sometimes be tiresome to read. One is tempted to attribute these to Conrad, but there are internal indications that this may not be the case.

The book started off strongly but became incredibly confusing and almost dull in the middle, reading like one of those electric football games from the 60's/70's - lots of words, but it was difficult to understand where they were leading. The ending was great, though - but I'm not sure if it was worth the journey. This novel was serialized and definitely reads like it.

“Capisci?” mi domandò.
“Perfettamente” dissi. “Sei tu l’esperto in psicologia della foresta. Sembra uno di quei racconti di pellerossa in cui il nobile selvaggio rapisce la ragazza e l’onesto boscaiolo, grazie al suo impareggiabile sapere, segue la pista e legge i segni del destino della donna, qui in un’orma, lì in un ramoscello spezzato, un gingillo lasciato cadere lungo il cammino. Le storie così mi sono sempre piaciute tantissimo. Continua.”

Unico personaggio femminile protagonista di un romanzo di Conrad (romanzo di terra e di mare, più riuscita la parte di terra), Flora de Barral, ricca figlia di un finanziere, cade in disgrazia dopo la bancarotta del padre. A cercare di capire la psicologia della giovane ci proveranno più uomini, che diventeranno i narratori multipli, diretti o indiretti, della storia. La parte del leone come affabulatore la fa una vecchia conoscenza dei lettori di Conrad: il curioso e sagace Marlow.

Marlow uscì dall’ombra della libreria per prendere un sigaro da una scatola posata sul tavolino di fianco alla mia poltrona. Alla luce intensa della stanza vidi nei suoi occhi quell’espressione leggermente canzonatoria dietro la quale egli cela di solito i suoi indulgenti impulsi all’ilarità e alla pietà al cospetto delle irragionevoli complicazioni che il genere umano col suo idealismo aggiunge al problema semplice ma cocente della condotta su questa terra.

Su tutto regna sovrano il caso. “Capisci, quello era il viaggio prima dell’arrivo di Powell – il giovane Powell – sulla ‘Ferndale’; il caso aveva fatto sì che di tutte le navi nel porto di Londra la sua carriera di ufficiale dovesse cominciare proprio su quella. La nave più esagitata mai salpata da qualsiasi porto al mondo. Non alludo alle sue qualità marinaresche: Powell mi dice che era stabile come una chiesa. Esagitata nel senso, per esempio, in cui è esagitato questo nostro pianeta: una questione di atmosfera irrequieta scossa da passioni, gelosie, amori, odii e i pasticci delle buone intenzioni trascendentali che, per quanto eticamente apprezzabili, causano spesso, non ho dubbi, più infelicità che non le trame della malvagità più efferata. Per tutti coloro che si ostinano a non credere nel caso, lui, voglio dire Powell, doveva ovviamente essere predestinato ad aggiungere la sua naturale ingenuità alla somma di tutte le altre trasportate da quell’onesta nave, la ‘Ferndale’.”

The story unfolds with a sense of mystery and intrigue. The dialogue between the two characters sets the tone, as one is seeking understanding and the other is the expert in the psychology of the forest. Flora de Barral's downfall after her father's bankruptcy is a significant event that draws the attention of multiple men trying to understand her psyche. Marlow, the familiar and wise storyteller, adds an element of depth and curiosity. The mention of the "case" being sovereign over all gives a sense of unpredictability and the role it plays in Powell's journey on the "Ferndale". The description of the ship as being "exaggerated" in a unique sense, not just in its maritime qualities but in the emotional and passionate atmosphere on board, makes the reader eager to know more about the adventures and complications that will surely follow.