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Almayer’s Folly: A Story of an Eastern River Audiobook
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(3.05) - 421 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
A tale of personal tragedy as well as a broader meditation on the evils of colonialism, Almayer’s Folly is Joseph Conrad’s first novel. Set in the lush jungles of Borneo in the late 1800s, it charts the decline of a Dutch merchant after a twenty-five year struggle against overwhelming odds.
Despite the bitterness of his disillusioned wife, Almayer refuses to accept the financial ruin he has precipitated. Instead, he dreams of fantastic wealth and a triumphant return to the civilization of his youth, accompanied by his loving daughter, Nina. But when Nina turns away from his elusive fantasies to the tangible reality of her native lover, Almayer must face the fruits of his own folly.
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"Was about to start 'An Outcast of the Islands' and decided to re-read this one first since it follows some of the same characters and it's been years since I read Almayer, and I really liked it. I think I like it even more upon the second reading--a very nice beginning to my upcoming Conrad binge."
— Bibliomantic (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“The human heart as recorded in Mr. Conrad’s pages is the human heart of an immense number of men in all ages and in all climes.”
— Ford Madox Ford
Almayer’s Folly Listener Reviews
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" Almayer's live on the Malay archipelago. The only white man. "
— Lance, 1/23/2014 -
" The characters were more real than in "Heart of Darkness" and "The Lagoon". "
— Matt, 1/18/2014 -
" Enjoyed! Much better than Heart of Darkness. "
— Maria, 12/10/2013 -
" Generally considered a minor work, I think in some ways it jsut made it on to my my book shelf at the right time for my to appreciate Conrad's style. "
— Calvin, 11/24/2013 -
" I thought this was much better than Lord Jim, which I never could finish. I love Conrad's poetic style. I am always amazed that he wrote such lyric prose, considering that English was his third language. This story is a great sultry south seas novel, and I usually hate anything with this setting. "
— Jason, 11/19/2013 -
" I have read this one several times. I really admire it. Conrad is probably my favourite author and this is my favourite book. It's not a perfect book but it has a pulse and passion. I always feel connected to the current of life whenever I read anything by Conrad and I feel it most strongly here. "
— Joseph, 11/18/2013 -
" Fantastic! Conrad's first novel has some amazing passages weaving the human psyche in unison with the dynamics of the surrounding nature. A pleasure to read. "
— Haaze, 7/20/2013 -
" About as fine a first novel as I've ever read. "
— Steve, 1/20/2013 -
" Conrad's first published novel anticipates Heart Of Darkness, with a similar tale set in dutch Borneo. Marvellously atmospheric and without victorian verbosity. Pack this in your bag if you're off to S E Asia. "
— Lockhart, 12/6/2012 -
" i love his sentences but i couldn t follow the story. "
— Joe, 8/9/2012 -
" Early Conrad, before he became modernist and interesting. So it reads like a boys own adventure story. Still, interesting enoughfor Conrad nerds (like me!) "
— Shedhead, 7/18/2012 -
" Conrad's first, and possibly weakest, effort. Still a thought-provoking read, though. "
— Gareth, 7/7/2012 -
" Conrad's first and well worth the time. Don't let my three-star review scare you away. This just allows for the four- and, yes, five-star reviews that some of his more mature works deserve. This was my second time through Almayer and I enjoyed it a good bit more this time 'round. "
— Timothy, 1/1/2012 -
" Oh, white people. When will you learn to leave other cultures alone? "
— Matthew, 11/4/2011 -
" Early Conrad, before he became modernist and interesting. So it reads like a boys own adventure story. Still, interesting enoughfor Conrad nerds (like me!) "
— Shedhead, 5/14/2011 -
" Oh, white people. When will you learn to leave other cultures alone? "
— Matthew, 2/5/2011 -
" <br/> i love his sentences but i couldn t follow the story. "
— Joe, 1/2/2011 -
" About as fine a first novel as I've ever read. "
— Steve, 4/14/2010 -
" Enjoyed! Much better than Heart of Darkness. "
— Maria, 6/20/2009 -
" Conrad's first published novel anticipates Heart Of Darkness, with a similar tale set in dutch Borneo. Marvellously atmospheric and without victorian verbosity. Pack this in your bag if you're off to S E Asia. "
— Lockhart, 8/25/2008 -
" I know, I know, I should really give it 4 stars because it's not Conrad's best, but for some reason I can't. I really liked this one. "
— Bibliomantic, 5/7/2008 -
" Generally considered a minor work, I think in some ways it jsut made it on to my my book shelf at the right time for my to appreciate Conrad's style. "
— Calvin, 3/9/2008
About Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad (Józef Teodor Konrad Nalecz Korzeniowski) (1857–1924) was born in Ukraine. Raised by an uncle after the death of his parents, he educated himself by reading widely in Polish and French. At age twenty-one he began a long career sailing the seas on French merchant vessels, after which he went to London and began writing, using the romance and adventure of his own life for his incomparable sea novels.
About Geoffrey Howard
Geoffrey Howard (a.k.a. Ralph Cosham) was a stage actor and an award-winning narrator. He recorded more than 100 audiobooks in his lifetime and won the prestigious Audio Award for Best Narration and several AudioFile Earphones Awards.