Heart of Darkness
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3.9 • 200 Ratings
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Publisher Description
Heart of Darkness (1899) is a short novel by Polish novelist Joseph Conrad, written as a frame narrative, about Charles Marlow's life as an ivory transporter down the Congo River in Central Africa. The river is "a mighty big river, that you could see on the map, resembling an immense snake uncoiled, with its head in the sea, its body at rest curving afar over a vast country, and its tail lost in the depths of the land". In the course of his travel in central Africa, Marlow becomes obsessed with Mr. Kurtz.
Customer Reviews
A window into the soul of man
A fantastic piece of 19th century literature by a respected Anglo-Polish author.
Conrad’s writing about Africa is often three-layered, he often describes the geography, the mood, and the subconscious all simultaneously.
The worldview of this novel is very old and outdated, African men are often described as primitive and savage. This novel provides the rationale behind that old colonialist way of thinking which is very interesting to those wanting to understand the roots of modern day racism.
Superb
Heart of Darkness explores the most horrific and animalistic aspects of human nature in an eloquent manner that will never be forgotten. To read it is to embark on a dark journey of self-discovery.
No Foreword
A piece old extremely racist literature, belonging to the same class of artifacts as Mein Kampf : what does one do with a document such as this? The rating is not for the creator of the ebook - it is for Conrad. There is something Horrible and Terrifying in this Book and it is not Africa, the Congolese, or even the Protagonist(s) -- it is Colonialism manifest & perpetuated -- visible in this book are many of the mechanisms we still see affecting global discourse today. This book should be read with a very critical gaze.
I think a foreword which discusses the racism and the context would be very helpful.