Book: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

The finest of all Conrad's tales, 'Heart of Darkness' is set in an atmosphere of mystery and menace, and tells of Marlow's perilous journey up the Congo River to relieve his employer's agent, the renowned and formidable Mr Kurtz. What he sees on his journey, and his eventual encounter with Kurtz, horrify and perplex him, and call into question the very bases of civilization and human nature. Endlessly reinterpreted by critics and adapted for film, radio, and television, the story shows Conrad at his most intense and sophisticated. The other three tales in this volume depict corruption and obsession, and question racial assumptions. Set in the exotic surroundings of Africa, Malaysia. and the east, they variously appraise the glamour, folly, and rapacity of imperial adventure. This revised edition uses the English first edition texts and has a new chronology and bibliography.

 

 

2/5

Well, this book was a toughie. There were a lot of things happening and they were major distractions I couldn't focus on one single page. The book was fine but it deserves another read to enjoy it even though it's a bit difficult to keep up with the story. The style of writing was in the frame narrative which has a story within a story and it's sometimes hard to follow. The book has a beautiful concept that crystalizes, if I could use this word, at the end. The ending was my favorite part, where Marlow, the main character, returns to the civilizations after spending time in such a cruel wild world as the Congo river. I advise people to read it only if they have the time and the energy needed to focus on reading such a complicated book. I gave two stars because I wasn't able to enjoy it, it's not the book, it's the stuff that was going on while I was reading it.