Heart of Darkness

by

eBook

English language

Published Dec. 7, 2014 by Standard Ebooks.

4 stars (2 reviews)

Originally published serially as a three-part story, Heart of Darkness is a short but thematically complex novel exploring colonialism, humanity, and what constitutes a savage society. Set in the Congo in Central Africa, the tale is told in the frame of the recollections of one Charles Marlow, a captain of an ivory steamer. Marlow’s search for the mysterious and powerful “first-class agent” Kurtz gives way to a nuanced and powerful commentary on the horrors of colonialism, called by some the most analyzed work at university-level instruction.

1 edition

reviewed Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Read it for English class, but it's good!

4 stars

Finished reading it for my English class a few weeks ago. I always like the books we've read in high school, but this book was nearly a different story. It was honestly a very difficult and confusing read. But reading summaries alongside the book, as well as making notes for assignments helped me understand the book, and combined with the way the book resolves, I kinda really like it? I don't think I'll reread it again, but I can see why it's such a classic.

reviewed Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Not a review …

4 stars

… because reviewing Heart of Darkness, would be preposterous – classics be classics for a reason. Two observations:

  1. Heart of Darkness has aged very well; better than most late Victorian literature, I’d venture to say. If all you remember of Conrad is some Eng Lit course dross, give him a second chance.
  2. If context is your thing, read King Leopold’s Ghost before (re)reading this. Knowing about the Congo Conrad was inspired by gives his story another depth entirely.