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Typhoon
Captain MacWhirr cannot fathom anything outside the facts of his own life. His first mate, Mr. Jukes, is the perfect contrast as an imaginative man prone to speaking in figurative language. Though they are opposites, MacWhirr and Jukes respect each other and run a tight ship, until the crew notices the barometer predicting a severe storm. Jukes and the crew suggest alternate paths to MacWhirr, but he is unconvinced. Since MacWhirr has not experienced the storm yet, he doesn't believe that it really can be much of a problem, and if they sailed around it, they would waste time. Jukes is shocked at the decision, but respects MacWhirr's conviction. They keep their course, setting sail to go directly through the storm. Though the crew objects, Jukes and MacWhirr are convinced they each made the right call, but disastrous outcomes are inevitable when facts are ignored. Now in the heart of a great typhoon, MacWhirr and Jukes must work together to save their crew. Facing tuberous winds, powerful waves and the sea's worst moods, the combination of MacWhirr's rationalism and Jukes' imagination prove to be vital.
Based off of events in Joseph Conrad's sea life, Typhoon is an allegorical work that explores consequences of making decisions without considering facts or other perspectives, while hailing the importance of tolerance and collaboration. With satirical characters and a thrilling setting, Typhoon is both thought-provoking and adventurous. First published in 1902, Joseph Conrad's has been reprinted in many publications, including literary magazines and literary collections. Typhoon depicts a story of high stakes and adventure with a uniquely observant narrative style, shouldering Conrad's stylistic legacy of masterful prose.
Previously published among other literary works, this edition allows Joseph Conrad's Typhoon stand on its own. Now with a new, eye-catching cover design and printed in a modern, easy-to-read font, Typhoon is accessible for a contemporary audience. Even nearly one-hundred and twenty years later, Conrad's adventurous, allegorical work is still relevant and intriguing as it acknowledges the various personalities required for human success and survival.
Based off of events in Joseph Conrad's sea life, Typhoon is an allegorical work that explores consequences of making decisions without considering facts or other perspectives, while hailing the importance of tolerance and collaboration. With satirical characters and a thrilling setting, Typhoon is both thought-provoking and adventurous. First published in 1902, Joseph Conrad's has been reprinted in many publications, including literary magazines and literary collections. Typhoon depicts a story of high stakes and adventure with a uniquely observant narrative style, shouldering Conrad's stylistic legacy of masterful prose.
Previously published among other literary works, this edition allows Joseph Conrad's Typhoon stand on its own. Now with a new, eye-catching cover design and printed in a modern, easy-to-read font, Typhoon is accessible for a contemporary audience. Even nearly one-hundred and twenty years later, Conrad's adventurous, allegorical work is still relevant and intriguing as it acknowledges the various personalities required for human success and survival.
142 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1902
About the author
Joseph Conrad
2,545 books4,287 followersJoseph Conrad (born
Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski
) was a Polish-born English novelist who today is most famous for Heart of Darkness, his fictionalized account of Colonial Africa.
Conrad left his native Poland in his middle teens to avoid conscription into the Russian Army. He joined the French Merchant Marine and briefly employed himself as a wartime gunrunner. He then began to work aboard British ships, learning English from his shipmates. He was made a Master Mariner, and served more than sixteen years before an event inspired him to try his hand at writing.
He was hired to take a steamship into Africa, and according to Conrad, the experience of seeing firsthand the horrors of colonial rule left him a changed man.
Joseph Conrad settled in England in 1894, the year before he published his first novel. He was deeply interested in a small number of writers both in French and English whose work he studied carefully. This was useful when, because a need to come to terms with his experience, lead him to write Heart of Darkness, in 1899, which was followed by other fictionalized explorations of his life.
He has been lauded as one of the most powerful, insightful, and disturbing novelists in the English canon despite coming to English later in life, which allowed him to combine it with the sensibilities of French, Russian, and Polish literature.
Conrad left his native Poland in his middle teens to avoid conscription into the Russian Army. He joined the French Merchant Marine and briefly employed himself as a wartime gunrunner. He then began to work aboard British ships, learning English from his shipmates. He was made a Master Mariner, and served more than sixteen years before an event inspired him to try his hand at writing.
He was hired to take a steamship into Africa, and according to Conrad, the experience of seeing firsthand the horrors of colonial rule left him a changed man.
Joseph Conrad settled in England in 1894, the year before he published his first novel. He was deeply interested in a small number of writers both in French and English whose work he studied carefully. This was useful when, because a need to come to terms with his experience, lead him to write Heart of Darkness, in 1899, which was followed by other fictionalized explorations of his life.
He has been lauded as one of the most powerful, insightful, and disturbing novelists in the English canon despite coming to English later in life, which allowed him to combine it with the sensibilities of French, Russian, and Polish literature.
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February 5, 2022
Sea Stories. Typhoon, Joseph Conrad
Many chronicles have been written about life at sea, but few, if any, can compare with Joseph Conrad's masterpiece.
The "Typhoon" describes how Captain MacWhirr sails the SS Nan-Shan, a British-built steamer running under the Siamese flag, into a typhoon—a mature tropical cyclone of the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean.
Other characters include the young Jukes - most probably an alter ego of Conrad from the time he had sailed under captain John McWhirr - and Solomon Rout, the chief engineer.
The novella classically evokes the seafaring life at the turn of the century. While Macwhirr, who, according to Conrad, "never walked on this Earth" - is emotionally estranged from his family and crew, and though he refuses to consider an alternative course to skirt the typhoon, his indomitable will in the face of a superior natural force elicits grudging admiration.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز سوم ماه نوامبر سال2013میلادی
عنوان: طوفان دریا؛ جوزف کنراد؛ برگردان سهیل سمی؛ تهران، ققنوس، سال1391، در119ص، شابک9786002780331؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان لهستانی تبار بریتانیا - سده20م
نگرشی که «کنراد» از طوفان دریا، با نثر استوارش، ارائه میدهند، بسیار جاندار است؛ دیدگاه «هنری جیمز» است، که گفته بود «کنراد بهترین تصویر دریا را، در عرصه ی رمان؛ به ما ارائه داده اند»، ایشان اینکار را بسیار باشکوهتر از نویسنده ای، همچون «هرمان ملویل» انجام داده اند، وصف ایشان در لحظات اوج «طوفان»، خرد کننده، و درونگراست؛ انبوهی از صفات، قیدها، و افعالی که «کنراد»، به دور از هر تصنع، و به شکلی کاملا طبیعی، برای وصف «طوفان» به کار میگیرند، تامل برانگیز است؛ و حتی در لحظاتی که توصیف راوی، به نظر به طور کامل از جهان بیرونی است، لحظه به لحظه بیشتر، و بیشتر، خوانشگر را، به درون سوق میدهد؛ این کتاب ترجمه ای است از بخش دوم
Typhoon and other tales, 1963
نقل از فصل نخست: (شکل و شمایل «مَک وِر»، ناخدای کشتی «نان ـ شان»، آینه ی تمام نمای ذهنش بود: در ظاهرش هیچ خصلت بارزی که گویای قاطعیت، یا حماقت باشد، وجود نداشت؛ اساسا هیچ ویژگی بارزی نداشت؛ کاملاً معمولی، بی خیال و خونسرد بود
تنها خصلتی که میشد گفت ظاهرش گاهی، به طرف مقابلش القا میکرد، کمروییش بود؛ در ساحل، در دفاتر تجاری مینشست، با صورتی آفتاب سوخته، و لبخندی محو، و به کف زمین، چشم میدوخت؛ وقتی سر بالا میکرد، مشخص میشد، که چشمانی آبی و نگاهی نافذ، و صریح دارد؛ موهایی بلوند، و بسیار ظریف داشت، که از این شقیقه تا آن شقیقه، گنبدِ تاس فرق سرش را، به شکل ابریشمی کرک مانند، دوره کرده بود؛ بالعکس، موهای صورتش، حنایی رنگ و فروزان، شبیه توده ای سیم مسی بود، که تا روی خط لبش، کوتاه و اصلاح شده بود؛ اما هر چقدر هم که موهای صورتش را، کوتاه میکرد، وقتی سرش را حرکت میداد، پرتوهایی شبیه نور شعله آتش، بر گونه هایش میدرخشید؛ قدّش از حد معمول کوتاهتر بود، با شانه هایی بیش و کم گِرد، و عضلاتش چنان قرص و محکم بودند، که همیشه به نظر میرسید، لباسهایش در قسمت بازوها، و پاها، یک هوا تنگند؛ مثل کسی که انگار، متوجه تفاوتهای عرضهای مختلف جغرافیایی، و سرما و گرما نبود، همیشه کلاه لگنی قهوه ای رنگ، و کت و شلواری با سایه قهوه ای، و چکمه هایی زمخت و سیاه، میپوشید؛ این لباسهای مخصوص، که همیشه در بندرگاه میپوشید، به آن پیکر پهن، حالتی برازنده، و در عین حال خشک و زمخت، میبخشید؛ به جلیقه اش زنجیر باریک و نقره ای ساعت، آویزان میکرد، و بدون آن که چتری زیبا، با کیفیتی عالی در مشت پشمالو و قدرتمندش بگیرد، هرگز از کشتیش خارج نمیشد، و پا به ساحل نمیگذاشت، اما عموما، آن چتر را باز نمیکرد؛ «جوکسِ» جوان، معاون اول او، که فرماندهش را، تا پل چوبی، همراهی میکرد، گاهی دل به دریا میزد، و در نهایت لطافت و ظرافت، میگفت: «اجازه بدین، قربان» ــ و بعد با حالتی محترمانه، چتر را میگرفت، و میله آن را بالا میبرد، و تاهای آن را باز میکرد، و ظرفِ یک آن چتر را، باز میکرد، و آن را به ناخدا پس میداد؛ و این مراسم را، چنان با جدّیت و رسمی، انجام میداد، که آقای «سولومون روت»، سرمهندس کشتی، حین دود کردن سیگار برگ صبحگاهیش، بر روی نورگیر، سرش را برمیگرداند، تا آنها لبخندش را نبینند؛ «اوه! بله! چتر یغور لعنتی....؛ ممنواَم، جوکس، ممنواَم،» ناخدا «مک ور»، این کلمات را، بی آن که سر بالا کند، با نشاط و خوشحالی، به زبان میآورد.)؛ پایان نقل
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 26/10/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 15/11/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Many chronicles have been written about life at sea, but few, if any, can compare with Joseph Conrad's masterpiece.
The "Typhoon" describes how Captain MacWhirr sails the SS Nan-Shan, a British-built steamer running under the Siamese flag, into a typhoon—a mature tropical cyclone of the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean.
Other characters include the young Jukes - most probably an alter ego of Conrad from the time he had sailed under captain John McWhirr - and Solomon Rout, the chief engineer.
The novella classically evokes the seafaring life at the turn of the century. While Macwhirr, who, according to Conrad, "never walked on this Earth" - is emotionally estranged from his family and crew, and though he refuses to consider an alternative course to skirt the typhoon, his indomitable will in the face of a superior natural force elicits grudging admiration.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز سوم ماه نوامبر سال2013میلادی
عنوان: طوفان دریا؛ جوزف کنراد؛ برگردان سهیل سمی؛ تهران، ققنوس، سال1391، در119ص، شابک9786002780331؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان لهستانی تبار بریتانیا - سده20م
نگرشی که «کنراد» از طوفان دریا، با نثر استوارش، ارائه میدهند، بسیار جاندار است؛ دیدگاه «هنری جیمز» است، که گفته بود «کنراد بهترین تصویر دریا را، در عرصه ی رمان؛ به ما ارائه داده اند»، ایشان اینکار را بسیار باشکوهتر از نویسنده ای، همچون «هرمان ملویل» انجام داده اند، وصف ایشان در لحظات اوج «طوفان»، خرد کننده، و درونگراست؛ انبوهی از صفات، قیدها، و افعالی که «کنراد»، به دور از هر تصنع، و به شکلی کاملا طبیعی، برای وصف «طوفان» به کار میگیرند، تامل برانگیز است؛ و حتی در لحظاتی که توصیف راوی، به نظر به طور کامل از جهان بیرونی است، لحظه به لحظه بیشتر، و بیشتر، خوانشگر را، به درون سوق میدهد؛ این کتاب ترجمه ای است از بخش دوم
Typhoon and other tales, 1963
نقل از فصل نخست: (شکل و شمایل «مَک وِر»، ناخدای کشتی «نان ـ شان»، آینه ی تمام نمای ذهنش بود: در ظاهرش هیچ خصلت بارزی که گویای قاطعیت، یا حماقت باشد، وجود نداشت؛ اساسا هیچ ویژگی بارزی نداشت؛ کاملاً معمولی، بی خیال و خونسرد بود
تنها خصلتی که میشد گفت ظاهرش گاهی، به طرف مقابلش القا میکرد، کمروییش بود؛ در ساحل، در دفاتر تجاری مینشست، با صورتی آفتاب سوخته، و لبخندی محو، و به کف زمین، چشم میدوخت؛ وقتی سر بالا میکرد، مشخص میشد، که چشمانی آبی و نگاهی نافذ، و صریح دارد؛ موهایی بلوند، و بسیار ظریف داشت، که از این شقیقه تا آن شقیقه، گنبدِ تاس فرق سرش را، به شکل ابریشمی کرک مانند، دوره کرده بود؛ بالعکس، موهای صورتش، حنایی رنگ و فروزان، شبیه توده ای سیم مسی بود، که تا روی خط لبش، کوتاه و اصلاح شده بود؛ اما هر چقدر هم که موهای صورتش را، کوتاه میکرد، وقتی سرش را حرکت میداد، پرتوهایی شبیه نور شعله آتش، بر گونه هایش میدرخشید؛ قدّش از حد معمول کوتاهتر بود، با شانه هایی بیش و کم گِرد، و عضلاتش چنان قرص و محکم بودند، که همیشه به نظر میرسید، لباسهایش در قسمت بازوها، و پاها، یک هوا تنگند؛ مثل کسی که انگار، متوجه تفاوتهای عرضهای مختلف جغرافیایی، و سرما و گرما نبود، همیشه کلاه لگنی قهوه ای رنگ، و کت و شلواری با سایه قهوه ای، و چکمه هایی زمخت و سیاه، میپوشید؛ این لباسهای مخصوص، که همیشه در بندرگاه میپوشید، به آن پیکر پهن، حالتی برازنده، و در عین حال خشک و زمخت، میبخشید؛ به جلیقه اش زنجیر باریک و نقره ای ساعت، آویزان میکرد، و بدون آن که چتری زیبا، با کیفیتی عالی در مشت پشمالو و قدرتمندش بگیرد، هرگز از کشتیش خارج نمیشد، و پا به ساحل نمیگذاشت، اما عموما، آن چتر را باز نمیکرد؛ «جوکسِ» جوان، معاون اول او، که فرماندهش را، تا پل چوبی، همراهی میکرد، گاهی دل به دریا میزد، و در نهایت لطافت و ظرافت، میگفت: «اجازه بدین، قربان» ــ و بعد با حالتی محترمانه، چتر را میگرفت، و میله آن را بالا میبرد، و تاهای آن را باز میکرد، و ظرفِ یک آن چتر را، باز میکرد، و آن را به ناخدا پس میداد؛ و این مراسم را، چنان با جدّیت و رسمی، انجام میداد، که آقای «سولومون روت»، سرمهندس کشتی، حین دود کردن سیگار برگ صبحگاهیش، بر روی نورگیر، سرش را برمیگرداند، تا آنها لبخندش را نبینند؛ «اوه! بله! چتر یغور لعنتی....؛ ممنواَم، جوکس، ممنواَم،» ناخدا «مک ور»، این کلمات را، بی آن که سر بالا کند، با نشاط و خوشحالی، به زبان میآورد.)؛ پایان نقل
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 26/10/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 15/11/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
November 10, 2023
Joseph Conrad before becoming a full-time writer had been a sea captain briefly, but ill health, fewer yet larger ships being built as a consequence, less jobs available and an increasingly fascination with literature left the sea at the age of 36. And we are very grateful, his experience shows he knew the ocean after almost twenty years and the novels written, gives the authenticity required for them to resonate with readers...Captain Tom Macwhirr a dull man to the crew of the steamer Nan-Shan and possibly unintelligent master, now off the coast of China heading for the port of Fu-chau (Fuzhou) but in reality a humongous, beastly typhoon (hurricane). Our good captain never met one before, alas this will change to his detriment on the China seas, a few more complications in this novella, 200 Chinese workers aren't happy on board and want to get home...yesterday. Young first mate Jukes thinks the boss is a fool, Solomon Rout, the chief engineer a calm seaman has seen it all however the second mate is a coward, could cause trouble...A flag of a convenience ship from Siam (Thailand) although a sturdy vessel until the storm appears . It is incumbent soon for the quiet captain to demonstrate to the world his skill or else. Nan-Shan smashed by gigantic waves out of the darkness lifting it high above toward the sky then sinking to the depths seeming for the last journey, nevertheless rising again, however struck by the seas repeatedly turning on its side, the heavy rains pouring down, the sailors knocked off their feet as the rolling boat somehow continues to float, the waters above the bow , the drenched decks immerse by the sea foam, hour after hour the furious winds spraying the passengers and crew ...waiting for the end.. A competent effort by the master of words and ships the dazzling Mr. Conrad. An author that cannot be dull...
May 11, 2017
The first thing that comes to mind after reading Typhoon, while reading actually, is Conrad's absolute mastery of the language.
He is an artist of the English language and the fact that it is not his first langauge makes his virtuosity all the more astounding. Typhoon is more about a storm of humanity amidst a chaotic event than about the storm itself.
MacWirr is a simple, brutally honest and innocent, almost naive, seaman. No doubt Conrad had seen his like many times before. As he liked to say that not all there is can be found in books, Conrad uses this character to deliver just such a lesson (ironic though it is) and provides a simple portrait of leadership and elegant determinism.
I can see where Conrad could be attacked for racism in his depiction of the Chinese, more of an amorphous mass than a group of men, but he does show glimpses of a more universalist concern toward the end. He was a man of his times.
Excellent book.
He is an artist of the English language and the fact that it is not his first langauge makes his virtuosity all the more astounding. Typhoon is more about a storm of humanity amidst a chaotic event than about the storm itself.
MacWirr is a simple, brutally honest and innocent, almost naive, seaman. No doubt Conrad had seen his like many times before. As he liked to say that not all there is can be found in books, Conrad uses this character to deliver just such a lesson (ironic though it is) and provides a simple portrait of leadership and elegant determinism.
I can see where Conrad could be attacked for racism in his depiction of the Chinese, more of an amorphous mass than a group of men, but he does show glimpses of a more universalist concern toward the end. He was a man of his times.
Excellent book.
April 1, 2022
Rumour has it that musicians on the Titanic kept playing until the very end. I must confess that there were moments when I wanted some fairy musicians to start playing on the Nan-Shan - the steamer sailing the China seas [sic] during the season of typhoons. Alas, the vicious howls of the wind were the only sound that was available on this literary journey.
The ship has been assaulted by a powerful storm. The wind intensifies, the position of the Nan-Shan and its crew becomes more and more dangerous. Some passengers seem to be more affected by the terrible storm than others. Hope, however, remains for the people and for the ship.
The story follows two very different men - captain MacWhirr and his mate Mr. Jukes. The first man is in charge of the ship. Not only his courage and tenacity are tested to the limit by the forces of nature, but also his ability to empathize with others. MacWhirr may be seen as a lone wolf who needs no one around him, but it turns out that our captain is someone not easy to penetrate. He speaks little, lacks imagination, and understands everything literally. At the same time, he loves his family and misses them a lot while overseas. He finds solace in writing long letters to his wife who is safe and sound on the land.
Mr. Jukes gives the impression of being a lively and quick-witted person.
Joseph Conrad’s own experience as a seaman led to his creation of this story. The author did a good job reviving the typhoon and the ship going through this ordeal. Those who like maritime adventure stories would probably find it engaging.
However, I did not root for any of the characters. Perhaps the most evocative moment for me was when Mrs. MacWhirr was reading her husband's letter.
She [Mrs. MacWhir] reclined in a plush-bottomed and gilt hammock-chair near a tiled fireplace, with Japanese fans on the mantel and a glow of coals in the grate. Lifting her hands, she glanced wearily here and there into the many pages. It was not her fault they were so prosy, so completely uninteresting—from “My darling wife” at the beginning, to “Your loving husband” at the end. She couldn't be really expected to understand all these ship affairs. She was glad, of course, to hear from him, but she had never asked herself why, precisely.
“. . . They are called typhoons . . . The mate did not seem to like it . . . Not in books . . . Couldn't think of letting it go on. . . .”
The paper rustled sharply. “. . . . A calm that lasted more than twenty minutes,” she read perfunctorily; and the next words her thoughtless eyes caught, on the top of another page, were: “see you and the children again. . . .” She had a movement of impatience. He was always thinking of coming home.
These lines somewhat resonated with me. I found the descriptions evocative but slightly long-winded.
The ship has been assaulted by a powerful storm. The wind intensifies, the position of the Nan-Shan and its crew becomes more and more dangerous. Some passengers seem to be more affected by the terrible storm than others. Hope, however, remains for the people and for the ship.
The story follows two very different men - captain MacWhirr and his mate Mr. Jukes. The first man is in charge of the ship. Not only his courage and tenacity are tested to the limit by the forces of nature, but also his ability to empathize with others. MacWhirr may be seen as a lone wolf who needs no one around him, but it turns out that our captain is someone not easy to penetrate. He speaks little, lacks imagination, and understands everything literally. At the same time, he loves his family and misses them a lot while overseas. He finds solace in writing long letters to his wife who is safe and sound on the land.
Mr. Jukes gives the impression of being a lively and quick-witted person.
Joseph Conrad’s own experience as a seaman led to his creation of this story. The author did a good job reviving the typhoon and the ship going through this ordeal. Those who like maritime adventure stories would probably find it engaging.
However, I did not root for any of the characters. Perhaps the most evocative moment for me was when Mrs. MacWhirr was reading her husband's letter.
She [Mrs. MacWhir] reclined in a plush-bottomed and gilt hammock-chair near a tiled fireplace, with Japanese fans on the mantel and a glow of coals in the grate. Lifting her hands, she glanced wearily here and there into the many pages. It was not her fault they were so prosy, so completely uninteresting—from “My darling wife” at the beginning, to “Your loving husband” at the end. She couldn't be really expected to understand all these ship affairs. She was glad, of course, to hear from him, but she had never asked herself why, precisely.
“. . . They are called typhoons . . . The mate did not seem to like it . . . Not in books . . . Couldn't think of letting it go on. . . .”
The paper rustled sharply. “. . . . A calm that lasted more than twenty minutes,” she read perfunctorily; and the next words her thoughtless eyes caught, on the top of another page, were: “see you and the children again. . . .” She had a movement of impatience. He was always thinking of coming home.
These lines somewhat resonated with me. I found the descriptions evocative but slightly long-winded.
December 19, 2023
Inainte de a descoperi povestea din nuvela "Taifunul" m-am oprit sa citesc cele cateva pagini de "Prefata"pe care Andrei Bantas ni le ofera la inceputul cartii. Este foarte frumos si profesionist scrisa si am aflat din ea o intamplare reala si interesanta despre doi mari autori:
In 1893 un tanar avocat s-a imbarcat pe o corabie cu destinatia Cape Town. Calatoria a durat 2 luni, timp in care el s-a imprietenit cu capitanul vasului. In ziua despartirii capitanul i-a aratat un manuscris al unui roman de-al sau. Prietenia atunci infiripata s-a dovedit a fi una trainica si dupa ce amandoi aveau sa renunte la slujbele lor si sa devina doi ilustrii scriitori englezi. Juristul era John Galsworthy (Forsyte Saga) iar capitanul era Joseph Conrad.
Tot de aici aflam ca scriitorul fusese impresionat inca din copilarie de romanul lui Victor Hugo "Oamenii marii", dar si de cartea lui James F. Cooper "Pilotul". Pe langa acestea a preluat de la clasicii rusi analiza sufletului uman si astfel a ajuns sa scrie romane de o frumusete rapitoare.
J. Conrad a mai scris numeroase nuvele ca: "An outpost of progress", "Freya of the Seven Isles" sau "Because of the dollars".
Nuvela "Taifunul" a aparut in 1903 si intriga ne plaseaza la bordul vasului 'Nan-Shan' al carui capitan este MacWhirr. La conducerea navei el este secondat de tanarul ofiter Jukes. Nan-Shan navigheaza in apele Chinei si se indreapta spre portul Fuciou din Taiwan transportand marfuri dar si 200 de hamali chinezi care se intorc acasa dupa mai multi ani de munca grea prestata in coloniile de la tropice. Ei traverseaza marea tocmai in anotimpul in care bantuie taifunul (tai = mare, fun = vant - in chineza) si cand se lasa seara toate semnele meteorologice arata ca unul se apropie de vas.
Jukes sugereaza capitanului sa devieze traiectoria navei cu 50 de grade spre est pentru a ocoli taifunul insa acesta nici nu vrea sa auda:
"Furtuna-i furtuna, Jukes, relua capitanul, iar un vapor zdravan trebuie sa-i tina piept. Furtunile umbla asa, aiurea, prin lume, si singurul lucru de facut este sa le infrunti..."
Peste cateva momente insa se trezesc fix in ghearele nemiloase ale urgiei si este nevoie de cea mai mare pricepere, noroc si curaj al marinarilor pentru a supravietui.
Nuvela este interesanta, Conrad construind niste personaje care ies in evidenta, mai ales caracterul retinut si blajin al capitanului MacWhirr, dar si al secundului Jukes care probabil este alter-ego-ul autorului ce adesea scrie din propria sa experienta.
Limbajul este marinaresc, tehnic, masculin, putand afla lucruri interesante despre navigare, vase, uzante ale porturilor, jurnalul de bord si altele.
Descrierile furtunii sunt nemaipomenit de vii si Conrad te face sa te simti ca si cum ai fi acolo, in mijlocul disperarii, ud pana la piele si pregatit sa-ti oferi toata priceperea pentru a salva nava si propria viata.
Este o nuvela recomandata mai ales cititorilor masculini care pot admira curajul, dedicatia si spiritul de aventura al unor veritabili eroi ai apelor.
In 1893 un tanar avocat s-a imbarcat pe o corabie cu destinatia Cape Town. Calatoria a durat 2 luni, timp in care el s-a imprietenit cu capitanul vasului. In ziua despartirii capitanul i-a aratat un manuscris al unui roman de-al sau. Prietenia atunci infiripata s-a dovedit a fi una trainica si dupa ce amandoi aveau sa renunte la slujbele lor si sa devina doi ilustrii scriitori englezi. Juristul era John Galsworthy (Forsyte Saga) iar capitanul era Joseph Conrad.
Tot de aici aflam ca scriitorul fusese impresionat inca din copilarie de romanul lui Victor Hugo "Oamenii marii", dar si de cartea lui James F. Cooper "Pilotul". Pe langa acestea a preluat de la clasicii rusi analiza sufletului uman si astfel a ajuns sa scrie romane de o frumusete rapitoare.
J. Conrad a mai scris numeroase nuvele ca: "An outpost of progress", "Freya of the Seven Isles" sau "Because of the dollars".
Nuvela "Taifunul" a aparut in 1903 si intriga ne plaseaza la bordul vasului 'Nan-Shan' al carui capitan este MacWhirr. La conducerea navei el este secondat de tanarul ofiter Jukes. Nan-Shan navigheaza in apele Chinei si se indreapta spre portul Fuciou din Taiwan transportand marfuri dar si 200 de hamali chinezi care se intorc acasa dupa mai multi ani de munca grea prestata in coloniile de la tropice. Ei traverseaza marea tocmai in anotimpul in care bantuie taifunul (tai = mare, fun = vant - in chineza) si cand se lasa seara toate semnele meteorologice arata ca unul se apropie de vas.
Jukes sugereaza capitanului sa devieze traiectoria navei cu 50 de grade spre est pentru a ocoli taifunul insa acesta nici nu vrea sa auda:
"Furtuna-i furtuna, Jukes, relua capitanul, iar un vapor zdravan trebuie sa-i tina piept. Furtunile umbla asa, aiurea, prin lume, si singurul lucru de facut este sa le infrunti..."
Peste cateva momente insa se trezesc fix in ghearele nemiloase ale urgiei si este nevoie de cea mai mare pricepere, noroc si curaj al marinarilor pentru a supravietui.
Nuvela este interesanta, Conrad construind niste personaje care ies in evidenta, mai ales caracterul retinut si blajin al capitanului MacWhirr, dar si al secundului Jukes care probabil este alter-ego-ul autorului ce adesea scrie din propria sa experienta.
Limbajul este marinaresc, tehnic, masculin, putand afla lucruri interesante despre navigare, vase, uzante ale porturilor, jurnalul de bord si altele.
Descrierile furtunii sunt nemaipomenit de vii si Conrad te face sa te simti ca si cum ai fi acolo, in mijlocul disperarii, ud pana la piele si pregatit sa-ti oferi toata priceperea pentru a salva nava si propria viata.
Este o nuvela recomandata mai ales cititorilor masculini care pot admira curajul, dedicatia si spiritul de aventura al unor veritabili eroi ai apelor.
May 8, 2020
El tifón, con su poder de enloquecer los mares, de hundir buques, de desarraigar árboles, de derribar fuertes muros y arrojar a los mismos pájaros del aire a la tierra, había encontrado en su camino a este hombre taciturno, y, haciendo todo lo posible, había logrado arrancarle unas pocas palabras."
Joseph Conrad pertenece al linaje de aquellos escritores que forjaron parte de su carrera escribiendo novelas cuyo escenario se desarrolla en el mar. Puntualmente podríamos formar un equipo entre Joseph Conrad, Herman Melville y Robert Louis Stevenson. Cada uno de ellos, según su estilo nos han regalado numerosos relatos en donde los barcos, los marineros y el eterno mar son los elementos de los que se nutre la acción.
En el caso de Conrad, no es esta su única novela que transcurra sobre los mares, podemos citar Lord Jim, El compañero secreto, Victoria, Entre mareas e incluso su más famosa novela, El corazón de las tinieblas, aun que esta se desarrolla en el río.
Tifón nos muestra con un lenguaje narrativo maravilloso las peripecias a las que un tifón somete a un buque de vapor, el Nan-Shan, en las costas del mar de China y a todos sus tripulantes, pero haciendo foco en especialmente en el introvertido capitán McWhirr y a su primer oficial, el señor Jukes.
El barco transporta además, decenas de mano de obra esclava china, llamados culíes, quienes en medio del tifón arman una dantesca trifulca a causa de un montón de miles de dólares, que tienen escondidos, mientras el barco se va despedazando de a poco.
El azote del temporal que no les da tregua, mientras que el autor plantea un contrapunto psicológico entre McWhirr y Jukes, siendo este último sobre el que más recala. Las peleas, sentimientos y vapuleos emocionales son lo que más afecta el tifón, incluso más que a la misma nave.
Todos están en el ojo del huracán, dentro de un barco al borde del hundimiento y tratan de sobrellevar la inminente tragedia como pueden.
Es cuestión de vida o muerte y el triángulo está muy bien definido, entre el tifón, McWhirr y Jukes sólo puede haber un ganador y para lograr eso, Conrad nos ofrece una novela corta pero realmente interesante y entretenida.
Joseph Conrad pertenece al linaje de aquellos escritores que forjaron parte de su carrera escribiendo novelas cuyo escenario se desarrolla en el mar. Puntualmente podríamos formar un equipo entre Joseph Conrad, Herman Melville y Robert Louis Stevenson. Cada uno de ellos, según su estilo nos han regalado numerosos relatos en donde los barcos, los marineros y el eterno mar son los elementos de los que se nutre la acción.
En el caso de Conrad, no es esta su única novela que transcurra sobre los mares, podemos citar Lord Jim, El compañero secreto, Victoria, Entre mareas e incluso su más famosa novela, El corazón de las tinieblas, aun que esta se desarrolla en el río.
Tifón nos muestra con un lenguaje narrativo maravilloso las peripecias a las que un tifón somete a un buque de vapor, el Nan-Shan, en las costas del mar de China y a todos sus tripulantes, pero haciendo foco en especialmente en el introvertido capitán McWhirr y a su primer oficial, el señor Jukes.
El barco transporta además, decenas de mano de obra esclava china, llamados culíes, quienes en medio del tifón arman una dantesca trifulca a causa de un montón de miles de dólares, que tienen escondidos, mientras el barco se va despedazando de a poco.
El azote del temporal que no les da tregua, mientras que el autor plantea un contrapunto psicológico entre McWhirr y Jukes, siendo este último sobre el que más recala. Las peleas, sentimientos y vapuleos emocionales son lo que más afecta el tifón, incluso más que a la misma nave.
Todos están en el ojo del huracán, dentro de un barco al borde del hundimiento y tratan de sobrellevar la inminente tragedia como pueden.
Es cuestión de vida o muerte y el triángulo está muy bien definido, entre el tifón, McWhirr y Jukes sólo puede haber un ganador y para lograr eso, Conrad nos ofrece una novela corta pero realmente interesante y entretenida.
March 14, 2022
I listened to the audiobook version of this novella, in which a ship is caught in a typhoon in the South China Sea. The audio was just over 3 hours long and was offered as “included” in my Audible membership (i.e., it didn’t require me to use credits).
I found this to be unexpectedly good. I say unexpectedly because I assume it’s considered one of Conrad’s minor works.
The two main characters are Captain MacWhirr, a native of Belfast, and Jukes, his young and animated first mate. In real life Conrad worked as first mate to a captain with a very similar name, so we can surmise that Jukes may be based on Conrad himself.
Captain MacWhirr is a stolid and imperturbable man, but he also possesses what the modern reader would regard as autistic traits. MacWhirr has lots of problems with communication. He says very little and takes a literal interpretation of things that are said to him. Early in the book there’s what, to me, was a very funny scene in which Jukes expresses unhappiness that the ship’s owners have transferred the ship’s registration from Britain to Siam (Thailand). He complains about sailing under the Siamese flag and a baffled MacWhirr can only imagine that Jukes is complaining about some technical error in the design or dimensions of the flag. I couldn’t help laughing at this dialogue of the deaf. The audiobook worked well here, with the narrator Roger Allam delivering MacWhirr’s lines with an excellent rendition of a Belfast accent, (at least as far as I could tell).
Despite his long years at sea, MacWhirr has never experienced an actual typhoon, and his lack of imagination means he cannot conceive of it as anything more than the storms he has seen before. He sails straight for it. Conrad employs brilliant descriptive language in relating the ship’s experiences, as well as the long agony of sailing through a storm in which any moment could be your last. As he says, in an earthquake or an avalanche a man is carried away in an instant, but a typhoon at sea seems an interminable stress.
Will the ship make it through? It’s a great adventure story!
I found this to be unexpectedly good. I say unexpectedly because I assume it’s considered one of Conrad’s minor works.
The two main characters are Captain MacWhirr, a native of Belfast, and Jukes, his young and animated first mate. In real life Conrad worked as first mate to a captain with a very similar name, so we can surmise that Jukes may be based on Conrad himself.
Captain MacWhirr is a stolid and imperturbable man, but he also possesses what the modern reader would regard as autistic traits. MacWhirr has lots of problems with communication. He says very little and takes a literal interpretation of things that are said to him. Early in the book there’s what, to me, was a very funny scene in which Jukes expresses unhappiness that the ship’s owners have transferred the ship’s registration from Britain to Siam (Thailand). He complains about sailing under the Siamese flag and a baffled MacWhirr can only imagine that Jukes is complaining about some technical error in the design or dimensions of the flag. I couldn’t help laughing at this dialogue of the deaf. The audiobook worked well here, with the narrator Roger Allam delivering MacWhirr’s lines with an excellent rendition of a Belfast accent, (at least as far as I could tell).
Despite his long years at sea, MacWhirr has never experienced an actual typhoon, and his lack of imagination means he cannot conceive of it as anything more than the storms he has seen before. He sails straight for it. Conrad employs brilliant descriptive language in relating the ship’s experiences, as well as the long agony of sailing through a storm in which any moment could be your last. As he says, in an earthquake or an avalanche a man is carried away in an instant, but a typhoon at sea seems an interminable stress.
Will the ship make it through? It’s a great adventure story!
January 4, 2020
Look, I am not hip on exciting adventure stories, so I have had to ask myself why in the world I have enjoyed this as much as I do. Writing the review has helped me think this through. I hope my thoughts will help others decide if they will enjoy the book too.
First of all, the writing, the prose, is exceptionally good. It is pretty darn amazing, since English was not Joseph Conrad’s mother tongue! He was born in Poland in 1857. On the other hand, he worked for the British mercantile marine for sixteen years and thereafter became a British citizen*. Simply by becoming a British citizen though, does not mean one by osmosis becomes so fluent, so adept in the new language! The writing is vivid. The description of the storm will have you on the edge of your seat. Before the storm has even arrived, tension mounts. One palpably perceives the stillness, the menacing calm that precedes the storm. It is spooky; it is eerie. The storm erupts, all hell breaks loose, then the lull at the eye of the storm descends. The reader is completely caught up in the weather! Quite simply, the writing is extremely good.
Secondly, Conrad puts the different parts of the story together well. During the lull in the storm, we are told the barometer is dropping and dropping—it has never been so low. This tells us the second part of the storm will be worse! Conrad is clever, he doesn’t give us more storm, instead he speeds forward to when the storm is over. Then we become aware of the destruction the storm has wrought--by observing the horrible state of the ship. Had Conrad given us more storm, this would have been repetitive. Instead Conrad leaves it to our own imagination, in our mind’s eye the fury of the storm attains monstrous proportions. I see this as a smart move by the author. Conrad uses both what is given and what is withheld to advantage. Through both he conjures mood.
Into this scary adventure tale Conrad adds humor, ironical humor. I will give one example. When Captain MacWhirr’s wife gets her husband’s letters, does she read them carefully through and through? No! She finds them pedestrian and boring. At one point he writes of how on Christmas day he thought the ship would go under! She, skimming through the letter, did not even bother to turn over the letter’s pages! That shows how interested she is. We note her lack of interest and how inattentive she is. The humor got me thinking……
What is Conrad saying in this story? I think he is saying something about how readers read. How inattentive we are. Even Captain MacWhirr does not rely on what is written in important shipping manuals. What is interesting is what Conrad is saying by this. Readers should pay attention, but few do.
What else is Conrad saying? He draws the racial and sexist prejudices that existed in his time. He does not refute that they exist, but he also shows alternate ways of thinking. I see this in how Captain MacWhirr speaks of his wife and the manner in which the Chinese coolies , but then at the end the captain writes again to his wife telling her how he misses her and we observe how he fairly . This is a step forward. Conrad gives us characters that are true to the era and yet he shows little steps that can be taken to ameliorate conditions for those who are at a disadvantage. In my view, the middle road, which Conrad takes, is realistic.
The audiobook is narrated by Roger Allam. It’s good; it’s fine. I did at times have difficulty hearing what is said. The name of Jukes, the young first mate, an important figure, was not always clearly articulated. It seemed to me to be pronounced in different ways, which I found confusing at the start. The narration I have given three stars.
The prose, how Conrad chose to put the story together and the addition of humor is what has made the book worth reading for me. He also had me thinking about the message/s he wished to convey.
*This information has been made available to me by Elizabeth, a GR friend in a group discussion of the book. Curious for more? Look here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
First of all, the writing, the prose, is exceptionally good. It is pretty darn amazing, since English was not Joseph Conrad’s mother tongue! He was born in Poland in 1857. On the other hand, he worked for the British mercantile marine for sixteen years and thereafter became a British citizen*. Simply by becoming a British citizen though, does not mean one by osmosis becomes so fluent, so adept in the new language! The writing is vivid. The description of the storm will have you on the edge of your seat. Before the storm has even arrived, tension mounts. One palpably perceives the stillness, the menacing calm that precedes the storm. It is spooky; it is eerie. The storm erupts, all hell breaks loose, then the lull at the eye of the storm descends. The reader is completely caught up in the weather! Quite simply, the writing is extremely good.
Secondly, Conrad puts the different parts of the story together well. During the lull in the storm, we are told the barometer is dropping and dropping—it has never been so low. This tells us the second part of the storm will be worse! Conrad is clever, he doesn’t give us more storm, instead he speeds forward to when the storm is over. Then we become aware of the destruction the storm has wrought--by observing the horrible state of the ship. Had Conrad given us more storm, this would have been repetitive. Instead Conrad leaves it to our own imagination, in our mind’s eye the fury of the storm attains monstrous proportions. I see this as a smart move by the author. Conrad uses both what is given and what is withheld to advantage. Through both he conjures mood.
Into this scary adventure tale Conrad adds humor, ironical humor. I will give one example. When Captain MacWhirr’s wife gets her husband’s letters, does she read them carefully through and through? No! She finds them pedestrian and boring. At one point he writes of how on Christmas day he thought the ship would go under! She, skimming through the letter, did not even bother to turn over the letter’s pages! That shows how interested she is. We note her lack of interest and how inattentive she is. The humor got me thinking……
What is Conrad saying in this story? I think he is saying something about how readers read. How inattentive we are. Even Captain MacWhirr does not rely on what is written in important shipping manuals. What is interesting is what Conrad is saying by this. Readers should pay attention, but few do.
What else is Conrad saying? He draws the racial and sexist prejudices that existed in his time. He does not refute that they exist, but he also shows alternate ways of thinking. I see this in how Captain MacWhirr speaks of his wife and the manner in which the Chinese coolies , but then at the end the captain writes again to his wife telling her how he misses her and we observe how he fairly . This is a step forward. Conrad gives us characters that are true to the era and yet he shows little steps that can be taken to ameliorate conditions for those who are at a disadvantage. In my view, the middle road, which Conrad takes, is realistic.
The audiobook is narrated by Roger Allam. It’s good; it’s fine. I did at times have difficulty hearing what is said. The name of Jukes, the young first mate, an important figure, was not always clearly articulated. It seemed to me to be pronounced in different ways, which I found confusing at the start. The narration I have given three stars.
The prose, how Conrad chose to put the story together and the addition of humor is what has made the book worth reading for me. He also had me thinking about the message/s he wished to convey.
*This information has been made available to me by Elizabeth, a GR friend in a group discussion of the book. Curious for more? Look here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
June 17, 2018
Le due cose che più mi sono piaciute: la presentazione iniziale dei personaggi, molto divertente, e l'ellissi narrativa tra penultimo e ultimo capitolo, con elegante danza dei punti di vista.
Ma il cuore del libro, il grande tour de force centrale, l'impatto col Tifone, è davvero lungo e difficilmente penetrabile con chiarezza per il turbinio di termini tecnici (e la traduzione di Ugo Mursia che avevo a disposizione, in alcuni punti è per me quasi altrettanto indecifrabile quanto l'inglese marinaresco).
Sono contento però di averlo letto; ed è bello vedere come nella memoria va a intrecciarsi con altre navigazioni, altri mari, altri personaggi di Conrad.
Ma il cuore del libro, il grande tour de force centrale, l'impatto col Tifone, è davvero lungo e difficilmente penetrabile con chiarezza per il turbinio di termini tecnici (e la traduzione di Ugo Mursia che avevo a disposizione, in alcuni punti è per me quasi altrettanto indecifrabile quanto l'inglese marinaresco).
Sono contento però di averlo letto; ed è bello vedere come nella memoria va a intrecciarsi con altre navigazioni, altri mari, altri personaggi di Conrad.
January 21, 2018
Another extraordinary novella from the pen of a man who wrote about the sea like no other. Beautiful writing combined with an intense and exciting story is more than enough to satisfy me as a reader, but Conrad doesn't stop at that. Typhoon is more than a novella about how men react under stress. It is more that a story about human bravery. Conrad knows how to complex even in shorter literary forms.
What always amazed me about this writer is the incredibly detailed psychological portrayal of his character. Conrad is one of those writers who can paint a soul of man with a few clever hints. This is probably the main reason why I can't get enough of his writing. Moreover, he novels (and characters) never feel repetitive, even when he explores similar themes. Another thing worth mentioning is there is a good amount of humour in this one. Conrad can be quite funny. If you want to see how he does subtle irony and humour, this book is as good choice as any.
The ending was brilliant and made me reflect about the bridge that divided the wives and the husbands of the old. Here we have loyal husbands who write long letters to wives they love. The wives in question seem to be perfectly alright with the fact they hardly ever see their husbands. Moreover, the wives (even the children) don't seem to be eager to see them at all. The mariner husbands clearly idolize their wives and children who in turn care little for them.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? We're taught that before feminism women used to be perceived as lesser beings but maybe it is no less true that in those times women were also often idolized, seen as perfectly innocent creatures- and put first. It was completely normal to expect from a man to risk his life and work hard for his family even when he would get nothing in return.
What always amazed me about this writer is the incredibly detailed psychological portrayal of his character. Conrad is one of those writers who can paint a soul of man with a few clever hints. This is probably the main reason why I can't get enough of his writing. Moreover, he novels (and characters) never feel repetitive, even when he explores similar themes. Another thing worth mentioning is there is a good amount of humour in this one. Conrad can be quite funny. If you want to see how he does subtle irony and humour, this book is as good choice as any.
The ending was brilliant and made me reflect about the bridge that divided the wives and the husbands of the old. Here we have loyal husbands who write long letters to wives they love. The wives in question seem to be perfectly alright with the fact they hardly ever see their husbands. Moreover, the wives (even the children) don't seem to be eager to see them at all. The mariner husbands clearly idolize their wives and children who in turn care little for them.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? We're taught that before feminism women used to be perceived as lesser beings but maybe it is no less true that in those times women were also often idolized, seen as perfectly innocent creatures- and put first. It was completely normal to expect from a man to risk his life and work hard for his family even when he would get nothing in return.
December 27, 2023
Ci sono cose delle quali i libri non parlano affatto.
Si potrebbe dire "Natale ai Tropici", ma con Conrad è tutta un'altra grammatica che con Neri Parenti. Rilettura a distanza di tantissimissimi anni. All'epoca avevo scritto una scarna recensione: "L'ho di gran lunga preferito al tanto osannato Cuore di tenebra. Un dipinto a tinte ugualmente forti ma meno ermetico.", le lenzuolate ancora non andavano di moda.
Rilettura interessata: con un romanzo breve concludo la challenge di GR, appena trenta libri; mi viene la malinconia se ripenso agli anni in cui riuscivo a leggerne cinquanta e passa, ma d'altro canto nel frattempo ne sono successe di cose belle e brutte, e dunque già il raggiungimento di un risultato modesto si può considerare un successo a tutti gli effetti. E poi nei trenta sono inclusi due tomoni mostruosi, quindi potevano benissimo essere quaranta.
Ma la rilettura non era solo interessata, è stata anche altamente interessante: dopo essermi letta con grande soddisfazione Falk e Amy Foster, ci voleva un altro titolo per chiudere il cerchio di una ipotetica trilogia, la "trilogia Conrad" del 2023.
Proprio come Amy, e per non parlare di Falk, anche il capitano MacWhirr è un personaggio di difficile catalogazione, pressoché impossibile da etichettare. Non è un eroe, non è un'aquila, anzi non sbaglia di molto il suo ufficiale quando lo definisce uno sciocco. Nella scena in cui MacWhirr, parlando con il suo ufficiale, non capisce le similitudini e le figure retoriche che questi inserisce nel discorso, il capitano sembra quasi una specie di Forrest Gump. Eppure, il suo essere così strettamente ancorato alla realtà, al qui ed ora, la sua mancanza di immaginazione, è proprio quel che gli consente di andare avanti a tutto spiano anche di fronte al disastro più colossale. E poi io mi ricordavo una cosa positivissima (almeno nella mia opinione) di questo personaggio, mi era rimasto impresso il suo essere di poche parole e la sua meraviglia di fronte alla quantità di chiacchiere dei suoi uomini a bordo e della gente in generale:
"Non riesco a capire che cosa trova di cui parlare", disse. "Due ore filate. Non è che voglia rimproverarla. A terra, per tutto il giorno, continuo a vedere gente che chiacchiera, e poi la sera si mettono a sedere e continuano a chiacchierare bevendo qualcosa. Si vede che tornano sempre sugli stessi argomenti. Non riesco a capire."Uno che riflette così è un idiota-geniale. Forse anche qui ci ha messo lo zampino il buon Fëdor Michajlovič. Questo capitano non sarà un'aquila ma è un'autentica roccia.
L'uragano, con la sua capacità di fare impazzire i mari, di affondare navi, di sradicare alberi, di abbattere mura robuste e di scaraventare al suolo gli stessi uccelli dell'aria, aveva incontrato sul proprio cammino quest'uomo taciturno e, impegnandosi al massimo, riuscì a strappargli qualche parola. Prima che la furia rinnovata dei venti si scagliasse sulla nave, il capitano MacWhirr fu indotto a dichiarare, quasi in tono infastidito: "Non mi piacerebbe perderla".
Da sottolineare il discorso riguardo la mancanza di immaginazione del protagonista, perché è uno dei temi principali del racconto: la capacità di immaginazione di una persona (ovvero la mancanza di immaginazione) viene analizzata in ogni singolo personaggio, rappresenta la chiave attraverso cui ogni personaggio si rapporta con gli altri e con il mondo e la realtà tutta.
Il titolo è del tutto rappresentativo dei contenuti. C'è una descrizione assolutamente perfetta dell'uragano, sia per quanto riguarda le descrizioni visive del paesaggio (o meglio del non-paesaggio, visto che di notte durante un tifone non si vede più un bel niente di niente), sia per quanto riguarda gli aspetti fisici e meccanici dell'evento meteorologico, sia per quanto riguarda gli effetti del disastro sulla nave ma soprattutto gli effetti che l'evento catastrofico produce su ognuno dei personaggi, il modo in cui le loro attitudini li portano a reagire, lo studio della loro indole. Una specie di reality ante-litteram: prendo un branco di persone diverse, le metto in una situazione estrema che più estrema non si può, e vediamo che cosa fanno e che cosa dicono.
Poi c'è un passaggio in cui, con poche parole, riesce a riassumere la vita degli uomini miti e quasi insignificanti e pressoché trasparenti, in pratica riassume Stoner in sole cinque righe, alla faccia di Williams.
Il capitano MacWhirr aveva navigato sulla superficie degli oceani come certi uomini sfiorano gli anni della vita per poi calare dolcemente in una placida tomba, ignorando la vita stessa fino all'ultimo, senza essere mai stati costretti a constatare tutto quel che può contenere in fatto di perfidia, di violenza e di terrore. Esistono, sul mare e sulla terra, uomini così fortunati... o così disdegnati dal destino o dagli oceani.
Ultima nota di colore: non mi ricordavo che fosse un romanzo a suo modo natalizio. No, non ci sono panettoni né slitte né renne né vischio, eppure il tutto si svolge proprio nei giorni del Natale:
Non le venne in mente di voltare il foglio e di leggerlo. Avrebbe saputo allora che, tra le ore quattro e le ore sei antimeridiane del venticinque dicembre, il capitano MacWhirr si era effettivamente convinto che la sua nave non avrebbe potuto resistere un'ora di più con quel mare, e si era detto che non avrebbe più riveduto la moglie e figli.
Cinque stelle confermatissime, si chiude l'anno in bellezza.
October 29, 2018
Il capitano Mac Whirr è un personaggio particolarissimo: imponente, taciturno, se ne va in giro a terra con un ombrello, un cappello, per nascondere la sua stempiatura e un pastrano lungo estate o inverno che sia, senza nulla di quello che ci si aspetta da un capitano di romanzo. Il fatto che Conrad lo descriva subito dà il senso di volerlo mettere subito in contatto con il lettore, non per simpatia perché il personaggio potrebbe non risultare simpatico, ma per empatia. E quell’indole pacifica e silenziosa è ancora di più in contrasto con la furia degli elementi in cui si trova coinvolto. Una Natura di una potenza inaudita, che si esprime attraverso forze inimmaginabili e invisibili, con un furore selvaggio “che passa ma che non si esaurisce mai” . E le descrizioni dei paesaggi sono splendide: “ La superficie del mare aveva il lucido cangiante d'una stoffa di seta greggia….Il sole, pallido e senza raggi, spandeva un calore di piombo in una luce bizzarramente diffusa… Un debole sprazzo di luce tremolò tutt'intorno, come se brillasse sulle pareti di una caverna — in un rifugio del mare segreto e cupo, col pavimento di schiuma e di flutti…”
La coesione che non fa il mare fra gli uomini dell’equipaggio la fa il tifone in cui si ritrovano. Jukes, il secondo, si ritrova avvinghiato al capitano mentre le onde si infrangono contro la nave. E lì MacWhirr sembra un porto sicuro, un albero maestro a cui aggrapparsi con tutte le forze, una voce che dà speranza, la speranza di farcela nonostante tutto. Lui solo contro la tempesta.
Un racconto intenso che descrive il profondo legame che Conrad sempre ebbe con la natura, in infinite sfaccettature che la rendono sempre la protagonista.
La coesione che non fa il mare fra gli uomini dell’equipaggio la fa il tifone in cui si ritrovano. Jukes, il secondo, si ritrova avvinghiato al capitano mentre le onde si infrangono contro la nave. E lì MacWhirr sembra un porto sicuro, un albero maestro a cui aggrapparsi con tutte le forze, una voce che dà speranza, la speranza di farcela nonostante tutto. Lui solo contro la tempesta.
Un racconto intenso che descrive il profondo legame che Conrad sempre ebbe con la natura, in infinite sfaccettature che la rendono sempre la protagonista.
October 18, 2017
"Don't you be put out by anything. Keep her facing it. They may say what they like, but the heaviest seas run with the wind. Facing it -- always facing it -- that's the way to get through. You are a young sailor. Face it. That's enough for any man. Keep a cool head."
A few years ago, Penguin published 80 short novellas and essays and called the set Little Black Classics Box Set. Last year they expanded that set by another 46 books. This one is number 96.
Conrad can take a simple idea and gradually pull out of it the deep complexities of man. Typhoon is a novella that basically cooks a brilliant story out of a storm + a boat + Captain MacWhirr and his crew. Setting was fantastic. Characters were perfect. Story was tight. Narrative was interestingly rigged with letters from MacWhirr to his wife, Juke to his friend and Rout to his wife. These letters framed the narrative with a reflected look at the distance between those at sea and those who remain safe on land. I only gave it four stars because I've read better novels by Conrad (Victory, Nostromo, Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim), not because I've read many better writers.
A few years ago, Penguin published 80 short novellas and essays and called the set Little Black Classics Box Set. Last year they expanded that set by another 46 books. This one is number 96.
Conrad can take a simple idea and gradually pull out of it the deep complexities of man. Typhoon is a novella that basically cooks a brilliant story out of a storm + a boat + Captain MacWhirr and his crew. Setting was fantastic. Characters were perfect. Story was tight. Narrative was interestingly rigged with letters from MacWhirr to his wife, Juke to his friend and Rout to his wife. These letters framed the narrative with a reflected look at the distance between those at sea and those who remain safe on land. I only gave it four stars because I've read better novels by Conrad (Victory, Nostromo, Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim), not because I've read many better writers.
October 4, 2022
107th book of 2022.
I had a collection of Conrad tales but I realised I'm not in the mood to read them at all. Typhoon is one of Conrad's most popular novellas, so it's a good place to settle for the time being. There's not much to say about it, though; in standard Conrad fashion, it's the story of men at sea, shipwrecks, storms, etc. His writing is great, but not nearly as brilliant as in his problematic but startlingly, Heart of Darkness. So, I'd recommend reading that instead if you haven't. And once you've read that, read Lindqvist's 'Exterminate All the Brutes', where he uses that line taken from Conrad's novel and goes on a Sebaldian journey through the Sahara and meditates on the dark history of Europe in Africa.
I had a collection of Conrad tales but I realised I'm not in the mood to read them at all. Typhoon is one of Conrad's most popular novellas, so it's a good place to settle for the time being. There's not much to say about it, though; in standard Conrad fashion, it's the story of men at sea, shipwrecks, storms, etc. His writing is great, but not nearly as brilliant as in his problematic but startlingly, Heart of Darkness. So, I'd recommend reading that instead if you haven't. And once you've read that, read Lindqvist's 'Exterminate All the Brutes', where he uses that line taken from Conrad's novel and goes on a Sebaldian journey through the Sahara and meditates on the dark history of Europe in Africa.
November 4, 2017
سبک نوشتاری کتاب پیچیده و بسیار با تکلفه.صفحات قابل توجهی از کتاب از زبان سوم شخص مفرد بیان میشه و ناگاه اول شخص مفرد داستانو بیان میکنه.این شخص به همه چیز هم احاطه داره.
قرار دادن داستان در زبان دو راوی از کشش داستان بسیار کم میکنه.چون انسجامی نداره.
اول فکر کردم مشکل ترجمه است ولی وقتی رویو دوستان در مورد کتابهای کنراد رو خوندم گویا کلا سبک این نویسنده هست.
داستان در مورد سفر دریایی یک کشتی انگلیسی هست.سیاه پوستی به نام جیمز وارد کشتی میشه که تمارض به بیماری میکنه.همه میدونن که دروغ میگه اما دلشون هم براش میسوزه و باهاش همدلی میکنن
مقهور و مغلوب شدن دریانوردان در برابر جیمز که دروغ میگه و خودشو برتر میبینه و مظلوم نمایی میکنه غیرقابل باور بود برای من.
قرار دادن داستان در زبان دو راوی از کشش داستان بسیار کم میکنه.چون انسجامی نداره.
اول فکر کردم مشکل ترجمه است ولی وقتی رویو دوستان در مورد کتابهای کنراد رو خوندم گویا کلا سبک این نویسنده هست.
داستان در مورد سفر دریایی یک کشتی انگلیسی هست.سیاه پوستی به نام جیمز وارد کشتی میشه که تمارض به بیماری میکنه.همه میدونن که دروغ میگه اما دلشون هم براش میسوزه و باهاش همدلی میکنن
مقهور و مغلوب شدن دریانوردان در برابر جیمز که دروغ میگه و خودشو برتر میبینه و مظلوم نمایی میکنه غیرقابل باور بود برای من.
May 3, 2023
Per molti anni Joseph Conrad [ 1857-1924] é stato il mio scrittore preferito e se mi sono allontanato dalle sue pagine negli ultimi anni, tuttavia ogni volta che leggo una sua storia so che mi "prenderà", mi divertirà, mi darà modo di riflettere sulle vicende umane, sul caso, sulla fortuna, su quelle incognite che regolano malgrado tutto la nostra vita.
In questa sua opera, pubblicata nel 1902, inizialmente a puntate, una nave mercantile é in partenza da un porto col suo equipaggio, il suo carico sistemato nella stiva e in più 200 coolies cinesi stipati nella coperta di prua da riportare alle loro famiglie: sembrerebbe un viaggio per mare come tanti se il barometro improvvisamente non si abbassasse preannunciando una burrasca senza precedenti, quella cui, suo malgrado, andrà incontro il mercantile “Nan-Shan”: e in quelle ore da incubo in cui tutto sembra perduto, quando mare, cielo, vento e pioggia, inconsapevoli nemici, sembrano accanirsi senza tregua contro la nave sballottandola di qua e di là come un fuscello, togliendo ogni speranza di salvezza, rifulgono la calma e l’autocontrollo del capitano MacWhirr, il comandante della nave, il coraggio e l’audacia del giovanissimo ufficiale Jukes, il senso del dovere del capo-macchinista Salomon Rout. Sarà una lotta impari e impossibile di uomini senza scampo che spezzerà l’equilibrio psichico dei meno equilibrati ma farà rifulgere ulteriormente il valore dei migliori, di chi antepone il senso del dovere e scaccia in fondo all'anima l’egoismo e i terrori personali.
Un racconto palpitante e appassionato che senza la minima flessione narrativa ed emotiva tiene legati alle sue pagine fino all’ultima…onda!
In questa sua opera, pubblicata nel 1902, inizialmente a puntate, una nave mercantile é in partenza da un porto col suo equipaggio, il suo carico sistemato nella stiva e in più 200 coolies cinesi stipati nella coperta di prua da riportare alle loro famiglie: sembrerebbe un viaggio per mare come tanti se il barometro improvvisamente non si abbassasse preannunciando una burrasca senza precedenti, quella cui, suo malgrado, andrà incontro il mercantile “Nan-Shan”: e in quelle ore da incubo in cui tutto sembra perduto, quando mare, cielo, vento e pioggia, inconsapevoli nemici, sembrano accanirsi senza tregua contro la nave sballottandola di qua e di là come un fuscello, togliendo ogni speranza di salvezza, rifulgono la calma e l’autocontrollo del capitano MacWhirr, il comandante della nave, il coraggio e l’audacia del giovanissimo ufficiale Jukes, il senso del dovere del capo-macchinista Salomon Rout. Sarà una lotta impari e impossibile di uomini senza scampo che spezzerà l’equilibrio psichico dei meno equilibrati ma farà rifulgere ulteriormente il valore dei migliori, di chi antepone il senso del dovere e scaccia in fondo all'anima l’egoismo e i terrori personali.
Un racconto palpitante e appassionato che senza la minima flessione narrativa ed emotiva tiene legati alle sue pagine fino all’ultima…onda!
April 21, 2018
Ce n'è tanto di cattivo tempo in giro per il mondo
ed è giusto passarci attraverso
Descrizioni potenti ed efficacissime ,come l'ultimo tramonto prima della Cosa Vera
Il sole al tramonto mostrava un diametro diminuito e una smorta incandescenza cupa e senza raggi, come se milioni di secoli trascorsi dalla mattina l'avessero portato vicino alla fine.
Un fitto banco di nubi divenne visibile a settentrione; aveva una tinta sinistra oliva scuro e poggiava basso e immoto sul mare, simile ad un ostacolo solido sulla rotta della nave. Questa gli andava incontro arrancando come una creatura esausta spinta dalla morte. Il tramonto di rame svanì lentamente e il buio liberò in alto uno sciame di grosse stelle incerte le quali, come se qualcuno ci soffiasse sopra, tremolavano in modo eccessivo e sembravano sospese vicinissime alla terra
Poi la violenza dell'uragano, il prodigioso impeto che investe la nave Nan-Shan, che è come una creatura viva gettata in balia di una folla inferocita che la sospinge terribilmente qua e là, la percuote, la solleva in alto e la scaglia a terra per calpestarla, tanto che poi alla fine ha un aspetto lacero e miserabile
La terribile tempesta che si
abbarbica alla mente degli uomini , con una grande potenza disgregatrice ,isolando l'individuo dai suoi simili (acuta l'indagine psicologica che evidenzia i diversi comportamenti -e le motivazioni profonde- nelle avversità dell'esistenza )
Una lettura che vivi con tutti i sensi, sei investito dall'ululato del vento, dagli spruzzi di acqua salata, immerso nell'oscurità dell'uragano , in una tensione mentale che quasi ti provoca una spossatezza fisica ...alla fine ti pare di essere un po' incrostato di sale :)
5 stelle!
ed è giusto passarci attraverso
Descrizioni potenti ed efficacissime ,come l'ultimo tramonto prima della Cosa Vera
Il sole al tramonto mostrava un diametro diminuito e una smorta incandescenza cupa e senza raggi, come se milioni di secoli trascorsi dalla mattina l'avessero portato vicino alla fine.
Un fitto banco di nubi divenne visibile a settentrione; aveva una tinta sinistra oliva scuro e poggiava basso e immoto sul mare, simile ad un ostacolo solido sulla rotta della nave. Questa gli andava incontro arrancando come una creatura esausta spinta dalla morte. Il tramonto di rame svanì lentamente e il buio liberò in alto uno sciame di grosse stelle incerte le quali, come se qualcuno ci soffiasse sopra, tremolavano in modo eccessivo e sembravano sospese vicinissime alla terra
Poi la violenza dell'uragano, il prodigioso impeto che investe la nave Nan-Shan, che è come una creatura viva gettata in balia di una folla inferocita che la sospinge terribilmente qua e là, la percuote, la solleva in alto e la scaglia a terra per calpestarla, tanto che poi alla fine ha un aspetto lacero e miserabile
La terribile tempesta che si
abbarbica alla mente degli uomini , con una grande potenza disgregatrice ,isolando l'individuo dai suoi simili (acuta l'indagine psicologica che evidenzia i diversi comportamenti -e le motivazioni profonde- nelle avversità dell'esistenza )
Una lettura che vivi con tutti i sensi, sei investito dall'ululato del vento, dagli spruzzi di acqua salata, immerso nell'oscurità dell'uragano , in una tensione mentale che quasi ti provoca una spossatezza fisica ...alla fine ti pare di essere un po' incrostato di sale :)
5 stelle!
August 1, 2015
بعضی از توصیف ها و فضاسازی ها خیلی زیبا بود. درکل لذت داشت خوندنش.
December 31, 2019
Another sea story for me to end the year (and the decade!). I enjoyed this infinitely more than Poe's The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. Packed into this short novel is a bit of plot and a lot of characterization, together with pleasing prose. Several other reviewers mention how well Conrad writes, despite English not being his first language. Maybe that's why he writes so well?
The men who served under Captain MacWhirr don't think highly of him. Generally, they think this quiet, sober man is a fool. When the barometer drops, and even MacWhirr knows there's "dirty" weather ahead, they think he knows not a thing. They want him to alter course, but he is determined to keep to schedule. It isn't as if MacWhirr knows what he should do facing such weather, it is his first typhoon. (Hard to imagine that, his having been in the South China Sea for several seasons, but that's another matter.)
MacWhirr, First Mate Jukes and Chief Engineer Rout are all well drawn characters. They are flesh and blood on the printed page. Conrad also gives us caricatures of their home life and family. While these parts lend more than a little humor, they also add to the characterizations of the seamen. The typhoon is also real enough.
I did hope to like this. I have read two previous novels by Conrad - one I liked 5-stars worth and one that scraped by at 2-stars. This was the decider: do I read more or let him go in favor of someone else. So now my only problem is to find another that I think I can hold on to.
The men who served under Captain MacWhirr don't think highly of him. Generally, they think this quiet, sober man is a fool. When the barometer drops, and even MacWhirr knows there's "dirty" weather ahead, they think he knows not a thing. They want him to alter course, but he is determined to keep to schedule. It isn't as if MacWhirr knows what he should do facing such weather, it is his first typhoon. (Hard to imagine that, his having been in the South China Sea for several seasons, but that's another matter.)
MacWhirr, First Mate Jukes and Chief Engineer Rout are all well drawn characters. They are flesh and blood on the printed page. Conrad also gives us caricatures of their home life and family. While these parts lend more than a little humor, they also add to the characterizations of the seamen. The typhoon is also real enough.
I did hope to like this. I have read two previous novels by Conrad - one I liked 5-stars worth and one that scraped by at 2-stars. This was the decider: do I read more or let him go in favor of someone else. So now my only problem is to find another that I think I can hold on to.
April 5, 2013
One of the greatest examples in literature of landscape and nature treated as character. Although on one level this classic sea story is about the uneasy relations between the phlegmatic captain and his high-strung first mate, the antagonist, and in many ways the main character, is the storm itself.
This is my favorite of Conrad's novels, simply because the writing is so strong, evoking all the senses--you can feel it, hear, smell and taste the wind and water, and of course visualize it in all its shadowy hues, while the currents of man versus man, and men versus the elements, rage around each other like the storm itself. At the end, I felt like I had to rinse the salt water from my body.
This is the disintegrating power of a great wind: it isolates one from one's kind. An earthquake, a landslip, an avalanche, overtake a man incidentally, as it were--without passion. A furious gale attacks him like a personal enemy, tries to grasp his limbs, fastens upon his mind, seeks to rout his very spirit out of him.
This is my favorite of Conrad's novels, simply because the writing is so strong, evoking all the senses--you can feel it, hear, smell and taste the wind and water, and of course visualize it in all its shadowy hues, while the currents of man versus man, and men versus the elements, rage around each other like the storm itself. At the end, I felt like I had to rinse the salt water from my body.
February 18, 2018
[anobii Dec, 2015]
... mi spiacerebbe perderla ...
Sul finire dell’estate di un imprecisato anno di fine Ottocento, sul mar della Cina Meridionale, il piroscafo Nan-Shan arranca alla volta del porto di Fu-chou. La nave batte bandiera siamese, ma è stata costruita solo qualche anno prima negli arsenali di Dumbarton, in Inghilterra, e la comanda il tetràgono Capitano MacWhirr, un incrocio tra Peter Sellers/Chance the Gardener di Oltre il giardino e il Gregory Peck/Capitano Achab di Moby Dick. La nave trasporta merci e un ‘carico’ di duecento coolies(1) cinesi, che tornano ai villaggi nella provincia di Fu-chien, dopo qualche anno di lavoro in varie colonie tropicali. Il tempo è sereno, ma terribilmente afoso e senza vento; la continua discesa del barometro e un mare stranamente agitato non fanno presagire nulla di buono. Jukes, il giovane primo ufficiale, prova a suggerire di porre la prora a levante, per aggirare così il maltempo che si profila all’orizzonte. Ma il capitano, preoccupato del possibile ritardo, ”più di quattro quarte fuori rotta!”, decide di andare incontro al Tifone ...
... «Il suo grido risuonò come uno squillo d’allarme, tra le pareti metalliche della sala macchine. Verniciate di bianco, le pareti si innalzavano, inclinate a mo’ di tetto, verso la penombra dell’osteriggio; e tutto quell’ampio spazio somigliava all’interno d’un monumento, diviso in piani da griglie di ferro, con luci vacillanti a diverse altezze, e una massa d’ombra esitante al centro, tra il verticale agitarsi del macchinario sormontato dalla mole immobile dei cilindri. Un risuonar forte e selvaggio, fatto di tutte le voci dell’uragano, incombeva sul quieto calore dell’aria. l’ambiente odorava di metallo rovente e di olio, ed era offuscato da un tenue velo di vapore. I colpi di mare lì dentro sembravano passare da parte a parte con una scossa sorda e rintronante. Sul lucido dei metalli tremavano bagliori, come bianche lingue di fiamma; dal pagliolato sbucavan fuori una dopo l’altra le enormi manovelle in un lampeggiar d’ottone e d’acciaio – quindi sparivano ancora; mentre le bielle, dalle grosse articolazioni, simili a membra di scheletro, sembravano spingerle giù e di nuovo tirarle su con una precisione irresistibile. E più in fondo nella penombra altre bielle sgattaiolavano con decisione avanti e indietro, ciondolavano teste a croce, dischi metallici, scivolavano dolcemente l’uno sull’altro, lenti e regolari, in un gioco d’ombre e di luci. Talvolta quei movimenti poderosi e sicuri rallentavano tutt’insieme, quali funzioni d’un organismo vivente, colpito da un subitaneo accesso di languore; e gli occhi del signor Rout brillavano più cupi nel volto pallido e allungato. Egli combatteva la sua battaglia in pantofole di panno. Una giacchetta corta e lucida gli ricopriva appena le reni, e i bianchi polsi gli uscivano dalle maniche corte, quasi che il pericolo l’avesse fatto crescere, gli avesse allungato le membra, aumentato il pallore, infossati gli occhi.»
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(1) Da Wikipedia: I "coolie" asiatici della fine del 1880 e dell'inizio del Novecento venivano utilizzati negli USA, in Australia, in Nuova Zelanda e nella Indie occidentali, come operai sfruttati nei lavori più umili e pesanti che gli occidentali non volevano fare. Lavoravano molte ore al giorno e venivano pagati poco e di rado, spesso trattati in modo ingiusto.
... mi spiacerebbe perderla ...
Sul finire dell’estate di un imprecisato anno di fine Ottocento, sul mar della Cina Meridionale, il piroscafo Nan-Shan arranca alla volta del porto di Fu-chou. La nave batte bandiera siamese, ma è stata costruita solo qualche anno prima negli arsenali di Dumbarton, in Inghilterra, e la comanda il tetràgono Capitano MacWhirr, un incrocio tra Peter Sellers/Chance the Gardener di Oltre il giardino e il Gregory Peck/Capitano Achab di Moby Dick. La nave trasporta merci e un ‘carico’ di duecento coolies(1) cinesi, che tornano ai villaggi nella provincia di Fu-chien, dopo qualche anno di lavoro in varie colonie tropicali. Il tempo è sereno, ma terribilmente afoso e senza vento; la continua discesa del barometro e un mare stranamente agitato non fanno presagire nulla di buono. Jukes, il giovane primo ufficiale, prova a suggerire di porre la prora a levante, per aggirare così il maltempo che si profila all’orizzonte. Ma il capitano, preoccupato del possibile ritardo, ”più di quattro quarte fuori rotta!”, decide di andare incontro al Tifone ...
... «Il suo grido risuonò come uno squillo d’allarme, tra le pareti metalliche della sala macchine. Verniciate di bianco, le pareti si innalzavano, inclinate a mo’ di tetto, verso la penombra dell’osteriggio; e tutto quell’ampio spazio somigliava all’interno d’un monumento, diviso in piani da griglie di ferro, con luci vacillanti a diverse altezze, e una massa d’ombra esitante al centro, tra il verticale agitarsi del macchinario sormontato dalla mole immobile dei cilindri. Un risuonar forte e selvaggio, fatto di tutte le voci dell’uragano, incombeva sul quieto calore dell’aria. l’ambiente odorava di metallo rovente e di olio, ed era offuscato da un tenue velo di vapore. I colpi di mare lì dentro sembravano passare da parte a parte con una scossa sorda e rintronante. Sul lucido dei metalli tremavano bagliori, come bianche lingue di fiamma; dal pagliolato sbucavan fuori una dopo l’altra le enormi manovelle in un lampeggiar d’ottone e d’acciaio – quindi sparivano ancora; mentre le bielle, dalle grosse articolazioni, simili a membra di scheletro, sembravano spingerle giù e di nuovo tirarle su con una precisione irresistibile. E più in fondo nella penombra altre bielle sgattaiolavano con decisione avanti e indietro, ciondolavano teste a croce, dischi metallici, scivolavano dolcemente l’uno sull’altro, lenti e regolari, in un gioco d’ombre e di luci. Talvolta quei movimenti poderosi e sicuri rallentavano tutt’insieme, quali funzioni d’un organismo vivente, colpito da un subitaneo accesso di languore; e gli occhi del signor Rout brillavano più cupi nel volto pallido e allungato. Egli combatteva la sua battaglia in pantofole di panno. Una giacchetta corta e lucida gli ricopriva appena le reni, e i bianchi polsi gli uscivano dalle maniche corte, quasi che il pericolo l’avesse fatto crescere, gli avesse allungato le membra, aumentato il pallore, infossati gli occhi.»
Siete pronti? Indossate la cerata e calcate bene in testa il vostro sud-ovest. Preparatevi, inizia l’Avventura ...
(1) Da Wikipedia: I "coolie" asiatici della fine del 1880 e dell'inizio del Novecento venivano utilizzati negli USA, in Australia, in Nuova Zelanda e nella Indie occidentali, come operai sfruttati nei lavori più umili e pesanti che gli occidentali non volevano fare. Lavoravano molte ore al giorno e venivano pagati poco e di rado, spesso trattati in modo ingiusto.
June 21, 2018
Master & Commmander
La lettura di questo romanzo di Conrad mi ha portato a bordo del piroscafo Nan-Shan durante la terribile lotta durata tre giorni con un tifone. Onde possenti, sibilanti e fortissime raffiche di vento, salsedine sulla faccia, rumori e cigolii delle strutture, terrore senza pari di fronte a ciò che non si può controllare, grande senso di impotenza.
Sulla coperta del piroscafo, nel buio della notte, l'inferno, incontenibile. All'interno, in sala macchine, l'equipaggio ammutolito cerca di tenere le macchine in moto, faticando a stare in piedi, sudando per il terribile caldo, terrorizzato per essere sigillato in una trappola di metallo da cui potrebbe non uscire più.
"La lunga, eterna tensione di una tempesta produce questo effetto: l'attesa interminabile della catastrofe culminante. Ed è fisicamente spossante il semplice avvinghiarsi alla vita in quel tumulto eccessivo."
Non importa più il rango o lo stato delle persone, che diventano tutte uguali dinanzi al dramma del mare: ricchi, poveri, bianchi, neri, uomini, donne, cinesi, occidentali, mozzi o cambusieri, tutti corrono gli stessi pericoli, tutti perdono la loro dignità, tutti sono soli dinanzi alle condizioni avverse. Soli e soggetti al comando di un solo uomo, il comandante, indipendentemente dalla sua perizia, dal suo acume, dal suo carisma e dalla sua esperienza. Comandante che diventa a tutti gli effetti il protagonista della situazione.
"Jukes era contento, indiscutibilmente, di sentirsi al fianco il suo capitano. Ciò lo sollevava, come se quell’uomo avesse preso la parte più pesante della tempesta sulle proprie spalle. Tale è il prestigio, il privilegio ed il peso del comando. Ma il capitano Mac Whirr, lui, non poteva sperare da nessuno sulla terra un sollievo simile. Tale è l’isolamento del comando."
Il tifone passa e la nave sopravvive, contrariamente alle aspettative. Il capitano, nonostante la sua insignificanza e la sua scarsa esperienza, ha migliorato la sua consapevolezza e ne esce più forte; ma è anche più solo e incompreso di prima.
Le esperienze di un certo tipo fortificano il nostro carattere; ma forse troppo spesso ce ne accorgiamo solo noi che le viviamo.
Prosa perfetta, sensazioni rese alla perfezione, narrazione veloce e senza impuntamenti, grande capacità descrittiva.
Anche se capisco da questa lettura che gli argomenti trattati da Conrad non mi siano affatto congeniali; semplicemente non mi interessano. Plauso all'autore; ma passo decisamente oltre senza ritornarci più su.
December 21, 2019
I have never read anything by Joseph Conrad before and was intrigued to read this - not least as the late Clive James mentioned that he was his favourite author, in his reading memoir, Latest Readings. As Mr James has often pointed me in the direction of books/authors I have enjoyed, I was keen to give him a try.
Many of the characters in this novella have names which could come straight from Dickens; including the central, Captain MacWhirr, who is taking the steamer, Nan-Shan, straight into a typhoon. The scenes of the storm are extremely vivid and, it was obvious, Conrad writes with much experience here. He is a man often belittled by his crew and, in a clever twist, his wife - back home in England - can hardly be bothered to read his letters. Overall, an engaging novella.
Many of the characters in this novella have names which could come straight from Dickens; including the central, Captain MacWhirr, who is taking the steamer, Nan-Shan, straight into a typhoon. The scenes of the storm are extremely vivid and, it was obvious, Conrad writes with much experience here. He is a man often belittled by his crew and, in a clever twist, his wife - back home in England - can hardly be bothered to read his letters. Overall, an engaging novella.
June 10, 2018
"Il capitano McWhirr, con una fretta che non gli era abituale, cercava di infilare nell'occhiello il primo bottone dell'incerata. l'uragano, col suo potere di fare impazzire il mare, di colare a picco le navi, di sradicare gli alberi, di rovesciare le muraglie più salde e di sbattere al suolo perfino gli uccelli dell'aria aveva trovato sul proprio cammino quest'uomo taciturno e, pur facendo del suo meglio, non era riuscito a strappargli che poche parole. Prima che il rinnovato furore dei venti piombasse sulla nave, il capitano McWhirr fu indotto a dichiarare in un tono, per così dire, di fastidio: "Mi spiacerebbe perderla".
Questa seccatura gli fu risparmiata".
Uno dei racconti brevi più belli che abbia mai letto. Forte davvero 'sto "Tifone"!
Questa seccatura gli fu risparmiata".
Uno dei racconti brevi più belli che abbia mai letto. Forte davvero 'sto "Tifone"!
May 8, 2021
The conclusion I have come to, is the majority of reviewers have read Conrad because they want to read Conrad, perhaps going into it knowingly. Expecting wordy and descriptive. This book gets great reviews.
This book didn't hold my attention. It is a nautical story - a boat in a storm. There is perhaps not much to say about a boat in a storm, but it is certainly all covered here. So characters and interaction of the several crew members is about all to add to a boat in a storm.
For whatever reason I seem to read quite a few ship/boat books. Normally non-fiction, but nevertheless, it is a bit strange, as I am not in the slightest interested in going sailing/boating. I don't mind a bit of fishing, but on a boat it is normally balanced with an hour of looking a bit green, and staring at the horizon, regretting eating breakfast prior to fishing. My worst nightmare would be one of those Southern Ocean Antarctic stormy sea in a small boat 'adventures', few people, freezing cold, soaking wet, god I feel like I have pneumonia already, etc...
To be fair, this book may have just been read at an inconvenient time... I did fall asleep three times while reading it, but I don't necessarily blame the book. What I am trying to say is perhaps this book suffered from my lack of attention, or the fact work was busy this week.
I have more Conrad, and will try more another day.
This book didn't hold my attention. It is a nautical story - a boat in a storm. There is perhaps not much to say about a boat in a storm, but it is certainly all covered here. So characters and interaction of the several crew members is about all to add to a boat in a storm.
For whatever reason I seem to read quite a few ship/boat books. Normally non-fiction, but nevertheless, it is a bit strange, as I am not in the slightest interested in going sailing/boating. I don't mind a bit of fishing, but on a boat it is normally balanced with an hour of looking a bit green, and staring at the horizon, regretting eating breakfast prior to fishing. My worst nightmare would be one of those Southern Ocean Antarctic stormy sea in a small boat 'adventures', few people, freezing cold, soaking wet, god I feel like I have pneumonia already, etc...
To be fair, this book may have just been read at an inconvenient time... I did fall asleep three times while reading it, but I don't necessarily blame the book. What I am trying to say is perhaps this book suffered from my lack of attention, or the fact work was busy this week.
I have more Conrad, and will try more another day.
December 4, 2017
I guess my rhythm of reading Joseph Conrad's works will always be:
1st half: Forcing myself to read it
2nd half: somehow it grows on me to almost liking it
1st half: Forcing myself to read it
2nd half: somehow it grows on me to almost liking it
February 25, 2024
This longish short story by Joseph Conrad contains the best description I have ever read of a storm at sea, which I put down to Conrad’s experience as a merchant sailor and his facility with language, astonishingly not his native Polish.
We start with the growing apprehension of the tempest to come. The master Captain McWhirr decides to sail through the turbulence rather than go around it, to the consternation of his officers and crew. Here is a sample of the storm:
The result is that the Nan-Shan barely survives, but it does, while most of the crew and the passengers lose their heads.
Captain McWhirr recounts this adventure (he would not call it an adventure himself) in one of his regular lengthy and detailed letters to his wife, far away back home on land. She doesn’t really read it, which is her usual response to her husband’s missives.
A fantastic tale.
We start with the growing apprehension of the tempest to come. The master Captain McWhirr decides to sail through the turbulence rather than go around it, to the consternation of his officers and crew. Here is a sample of the storm:
The motion of the ship was extravagant. Her lurches had an appalling helplessness: she pitched as if taking a header into a void, and seemed to find a wall to hit every time. When she rolled she fell on her side headlong, and she would be righted back by such a demolishing blow that Jukes [‘Young Jukes, the chief mate’] felt her reeling as a clubbed man reels before he collapses. The gale howled and scuffled about gigantically in the darkness, as though the entire world were one black gully. At certain moments the air streamed against the ship as if sucked through a tunnel with a concentrated solid force of impact that seemed to lift her clean out of the water and keep her up for an instant with only a quiver running through her from end to end. And then she would begin her tumbling again as if dropped back into a boiling cauldron. (p24)Captain McWhirr’s singular personality is the crux of the story; particularly his qualities of stability, diligence and steadfast resolution, which when applied to his skill and expertise leads to the conviction that he is on the right course both literally and metaphorically. But then he lacks empathy, imagination, light and shade in his thinking.
The result is that the Nan-Shan barely survives, but it does, while most of the crew and the passengers lose their heads.
Captain McWhirr recounts this adventure (he would not call it an adventure himself) in one of his regular lengthy and detailed letters to his wife, far away back home on land. She doesn’t really read it, which is her usual response to her husband’s missives.
A fantastic tale.
December 31, 2019
Conrad's knowledge of the sea shines through in what can only be described as an exhausting read. From the outbreak of the typhoon to the end the story is relentless. There is no room to pause for thought you are thrown from one page to the next by the constant storm. Engulfed in the waves that sweep you on to the next page. Floundering around on the wind swept deck of each page you wonder if you will make it to the end of the sentence or pulled under by the fingers of the mighty ocean.
Wonderful writing from a man of great talent.
Wonderful writing from a man of great talent.
November 12, 2021
La forza della parola, è proprio il caso di dire. Conciso, essenziale, terrificante. Sembra di stare dentro l'uragano e nella testa del capitano MacWhirr. Una sola decisione, l'unica possibile, la sua.
"Prima che il rinato furore del vento si abbattesse sulla sua nave, il capitano MacWhirr fu indotto a dichiarare in tono quasi annoiato: - Mi dispiacerebbe perderla."
"Prima che il rinato furore del vento si abbattesse sulla sua nave, il capitano MacWhirr fu indotto a dichiarare in tono quasi annoiato: - Mi dispiacerebbe perderla."
December 6, 2012
"Una tempesta è una tempesta...e una nave a vapore deve affrontarla."
Vero capolavoro di equilibrio compositivo e di intensità espressiva, questo racconto fonde in maniera perfetta una strabiliante potenza descrittiva dell'evento naturale e una sottile capacità introspettiva dell'animo umano.
Le scene della tempesta richiamano alla memoria immagini, atmosfere, colori e suoni dell'Inferno dantesco, sia nello scatenarsi furioso degli elementi, sia nel groviglio violento dei corpi e delle emozioni. Si sente il ruggire delle onde, il turbinio del vento, il rollio della nave, lo sconcerto e la paura degli uomini, il loro odio assurdo, le loro meschine rivalità...
Su tutto e su tutti si staglia dapprima discreta, poi via via sempre più intensa e maestosa, una delle figure più suggestive della letteratura di ogni tempo: lui, il capitano Mac Whirr, un eroe al di fuori degli schemi rappresentativi e dei canoni standardizzati.
Il suo ritratto, all'inizio tratteggiato nei toni banalizzanti e irrisori dei giudizi dei suoi sottoposti, acquista progressivamente grandezza e spessore con l'acuirsi della violenza della tempesta, fino a sovrastare e dominare, immenso nella sua struggente solitudine, tutto ciò che gli ruota intorno.
Limpido e franco come lo sguardo dei suoi occhi azzurri, questo ometto insignificante e privo di fantasia è il nocchiero che ognuno vorrebbe avere al fianco e seguire per attraversare le tempeste della vita.
Vero capolavoro di equilibrio compositivo e di intensità espressiva, questo racconto fonde in maniera perfetta una strabiliante potenza descrittiva dell'evento naturale e una sottile capacità introspettiva dell'animo umano.
Le scene della tempesta richiamano alla memoria immagini, atmosfere, colori e suoni dell'Inferno dantesco, sia nello scatenarsi furioso degli elementi, sia nel groviglio violento dei corpi e delle emozioni. Si sente il ruggire delle onde, il turbinio del vento, il rollio della nave, lo sconcerto e la paura degli uomini, il loro odio assurdo, le loro meschine rivalità...
Su tutto e su tutti si staglia dapprima discreta, poi via via sempre più intensa e maestosa, una delle figure più suggestive della letteratura di ogni tempo: lui, il capitano Mac Whirr, un eroe al di fuori degli schemi rappresentativi e dei canoni standardizzati.
Il suo ritratto, all'inizio tratteggiato nei toni banalizzanti e irrisori dei giudizi dei suoi sottoposti, acquista progressivamente grandezza e spessore con l'acuirsi della violenza della tempesta, fino a sovrastare e dominare, immenso nella sua struggente solitudine, tutto ciò che gli ruota intorno.
Limpido e franco come lo sguardo dei suoi occhi azzurri, questo ometto insignificante e privo di fantasia è il nocchiero che ognuno vorrebbe avere al fianco e seguire per attraversare le tempeste della vita.
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