claire16's review against another edition
4.0
Chi è l'estraneo? Conrad in questa breve novella ci presenta due possibili candidati al ruolo: il giovane capitano, al quale da soli 15 giorni è stato affidato il comando della nave, e uno strano fuggiasco, trovato nel cuore della notte aggrappato alla nave.
E questo marinaio, tratto in salvo grazie a uno straordinario colpo di fortuna, è davvero un estraneo? In fondo è fisicamente identico al capitano, e una serie di coincidenze tra le vite dei due lo fanno più assimilare a un doppio, a uno negativo del capitano. Il titolo originale, con quel suo "sharer" sottolinea la comunanza tra i due, il loro essere uguali, ma diversi nel destino a loro assegnato: e il segreto della sua esistenza li ingloba in una sfera quasi privata, di comunanza e complicità.
Se Conrad mi aveva ammaliata e cattura con "Cuore di tenebra", ora ha quasi conquistato il mio cuore.
E questo marinaio, tratto in salvo grazie a uno straordinario colpo di fortuna, è davvero un estraneo? In fondo è fisicamente identico al capitano, e una serie di coincidenze tra le vite dei due lo fanno più assimilare a un doppio, a uno negativo del capitano. Il titolo originale, con quel suo "sharer" sottolinea la comunanza tra i due, il loro essere uguali, ma diversi nel destino a loro assegnato: e il segreto della sua esistenza li ingloba in una sfera quasi privata, di comunanza e complicità.
Se Conrad mi aveva ammaliata e cattura con "Cuore di tenebra", ora ha quasi conquistato il mio cuore.
132minutes's review against another edition
2.0
While this was certainly more enjoyable than Heart of Darkness, I just don’t think I’m a fan of Conrad’s writing.
I was assigned Heart of Darkness in a Modernism class and the Secret Sharer was in the same book I had rented. In my confusion, I accidentally started reading The Secret Sharer when I was assigned Heart of Darkness. It took me until Part II to realize my mistake and at that point, I panicked, knowing I was now going to fall behind on my actual required reading, abandoned it half way through and never looked back. However, I remembered enjoying it!
Now, after more than two years, I finally got a hold of a copy and reread, this time with the intent of finishing. I will say, I was disappointed. It’s just not as good as I remember it. Not to say that it’s bad, it just felt a little too convoluted for me. The paragraphs were so long and complex that I often found myself reading full pages without actually comprehending a single thing. The words just tended to melt into one another, and the lack of paragraph breaks didn’t help.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this (although I would certainly recommend this over Heart of Darkness any day), but I don’t regret reading it! I just wish it didn’t take me HOURS to read just 40 pages when I could usually read that in about 30 minutes. I wish I didn’t fall asleep reading it, making it stretch into a second day for a measly 40 pages.
I was assigned Heart of Darkness in a Modernism class and the Secret Sharer was in the same book I had rented. In my confusion, I accidentally started reading The Secret Sharer when I was assigned Heart of Darkness. It took me until Part II to realize my mistake and at that point, I panicked, knowing I was now going to fall behind on my actual required reading, abandoned it half way through and never looked back. However, I remembered enjoying it!
Now, after more than two years, I finally got a hold of a copy and reread, this time with the intent of finishing. I will say, I was disappointed. It’s just not as good as I remember it. Not to say that it’s bad, it just felt a little too convoluted for me. The paragraphs were so long and complex that I often found myself reading full pages without actually comprehending a single thing. The words just tended to melt into one another, and the lack of paragraph breaks didn’t help.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this (although I would certainly recommend this over Heart of Darkness any day), but I don’t regret reading it! I just wish it didn’t take me HOURS to read just 40 pages when I could usually read that in about 30 minutes. I wish I didn’t fall asleep reading it, making it stretch into a second day for a measly 40 pages.
hollymckie's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. Wouldn't have finished this if it wasn't for uni.
jill_98's review against another edition
2.0
I just feel like I spent the whole of this story waiting for something to happen, so the fact that nothing ever did was disappointing. I’m sure I’ve totally missed the point of the whole thing, but considering I was ill the day of the seminar that covered it, I guess I’ll never know.
imalwayswrite's review against another edition
2.0
Unless you're a student of turn-of-the-century British literature and/or of Joseph Conrad, there is absolutely no reason to read this book. "The Secret Sharer" is actually a short story about a newly-appointed captain on a British merchant ship who harbors (no pun intended) a supposed fugitive from a different ship. This edition includes a basic introduction to literary criticism, including a short biography of Joseph Conrad and a bit of history that allows the reader to place the story in historical context.
Of course I didn't read any of that because the only reason I even picked this up in the first place is because, while watching the season 2 DVDs of E.R.,one episode was entitled "The Secret Sharer." Several E.R. episode titles have literary allusions, most of which I'm familiar with, but not this one. My husband said we own the short story and suggested I read it, and I agreed. Well, I watched that episode in, oh, September? I started reading the book shortly thereafter and only decided the other day to give up on it.
One of the types of literary criticism the editor discusses is reader-response, which is fairly self-explanatory: it focuses on the reader's experience of the text in question, in this case, Conrad's "The Secret Sharer." While I am not using reader-response theory to write this, let's just say that my experience was arduous. I couldn't get into the story, which isn't all that long, and had to start over at least 3 times. For some reason, I couldn't get past imagining the arrangement of the captain's L-shaped cabin based on Conrad's description. I kept wondering what happened that the captain suddenly was promoted and had a crew to whom he was a stranger. As I finally made my way through the story, I began to wonder if Leggatt, the alleged fugitive, was really only a figment of the captain's imagination and thinking that if that were the case, I'd feel incredibly gypped for the time I spent reading the stupid thing. I swore to myself that I'd read the story only.
Imagine my surprise when, after finally finishing the story, I went back and read the biographical and historical intro, found it interesting, and proceeded to read the intro to various critical theories, each of which is demonstrated by an essay analyzing "The Secret Sharer" in each of the types of criticism mentioned. I even decided to watch that episode of E.R. again to compare what I had read about the story as well as the story itself, to the episode.
Then I came to my senses and realized that what I was doing was homework. And since I'm no longer a student and no longer teach, I decided that I was done with the book. But I discovered that the scholar in me, however infinitesimal that part of me might now be, still exists.
Of course I didn't read any of that because the only reason I even picked this up in the first place is because, while watching the season 2 DVDs of E.R.,one episode was entitled "The Secret Sharer." Several E.R. episode titles have literary allusions, most of which I'm familiar with, but not this one. My husband said we own the short story and suggested I read it, and I agreed. Well, I watched that episode in, oh, September? I started reading the book shortly thereafter and only decided the other day to give up on it.
One of the types of literary criticism the editor discusses is reader-response, which is fairly self-explanatory: it focuses on the reader's experience of the text in question, in this case, Conrad's "The Secret Sharer." While I am not using reader-response theory to write this, let's just say that my experience was arduous. I couldn't get into the story, which isn't all that long, and had to start over at least 3 times. For some reason, I couldn't get past imagining the arrangement of the captain's L-shaped cabin based on Conrad's description. I kept wondering what happened that the captain suddenly was promoted and had a crew to whom he was a stranger. As I finally made my way through the story, I began to wonder if Leggatt, the alleged fugitive, was really only a figment of the captain's imagination and thinking that if that were the case, I'd feel incredibly gypped for the time I spent reading the stupid thing. I swore to myself that I'd read the story only.
Imagine my surprise when, after finally finishing the story, I went back and read the biographical and historical intro, found it interesting, and proceeded to read the intro to various critical theories, each of which is demonstrated by an essay analyzing "The Secret Sharer" in each of the types of criticism mentioned. I even decided to watch that episode of E.R. again to compare what I had read about the story as well as the story itself, to the episode.
Then I came to my senses and realized that what I was doing was homework. And since I'm no longer a student and no longer teach, I decided that I was done with the book. But I discovered that the scholar in me, however infinitesimal that part of me might now be, still exists.
scott_scott's review against another edition
2.0
The writing style took a bit of getting used to, because of the way Conrad refers to the starting of conversations. I was never instantly sure who was talking or what part of an event they were referring to unless it followed someone named talking before. I did not understand many of the names of parts of the ship, but this wasn't a problem. I didn't like how often or how obviously Conrad referred to the stranger as his second self, or that he felt like he was in two minds. The stranger himself seemed like a believable character, as did the other shipmates. Most of the dialogue seemed realistic for what i assume of the time period. I don't feel as if I have gained anything in terms of perspective from reading this, but it held my attention more than I thought it would.
jill_98's review against another edition
2.0
I just feel like I spent the whole of this story waiting for something to happen, so the fact that nothing ever did was disappointing. I’m sure I’ve totally missed the point of the whole thing, but considering I was ill the day of the seminar that covered it, I guess I’ll never know.
oldpondnewfrog's review against another edition
2.0
Too short to mean much, but it was still interesting to read. I always like books set at sea, especially in foreign tropical lands.
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