"The cab rattled, jingled, jolted; in fact, the last was quite extraordinary.  By its disproportionate violence and magnitude it obliterated every sensation of onward movement; and the effect was of being shaken in a stationary apparatus like a medieval device for the punishment of crime, or some very newfangled invention for the cure of a sluggish liver."

"It is universally understood that, as if it were nothing more substantial than vapour floating in the sky, every emotion of a woman is bound to end in a shower."

This is yet another classic that, while after reading it I completely understand why it is a classic, just wasn't for me. I will start, however, by saying that Joseph Conrad's descriptive phrasing and abundant use of adjectives and clever similes were quite brilliant and, for me, the saving grace of the whole thing. The novel is a lesson in the mastery of the English language, and despite my not liking it overall, it has so many quotable moments throughout, I couldn't pick just one!

Unfortunately, the story just could not keep my interest. This is partly because I am simply not one for political dramas and partly because it was so damn slow paced. Until the last 15% or so, which was riveting, but by then I had had to reread so many parts because I kept losing interest and zoning out that even a compelling ending couldn't fix my attitude toward it.