Heart of Darkness
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Although Polish by birth, Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) is regarded as one of the greatest writers in English, and Heart of Darkness, first published in 1902, is considered by many his "most famous, finest, and most enigmatic story." — Encyclopaedia Britannica. The tale concerns the journey of the narrator (Marlow) up the Congo River on behalf of a Belgian trading company. Far upriver, he encounters the mysterious Kurtz, an ivory trader who exercises an almost godlike sway over the inhabitants of the region. Both repelled and fascinated by the man, Marlow is brought face to face with the corruption and despair that Conrad saw at the heart of human existence.
In its combination of narrative and symbolic power, masterly character study and acute psychological penetration, Heart of Darkness ranks as a landmark of modern fiction. It is a book no serious student of literature can afford to miss.
Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) und Ford Madox Ford (1873–1939) gehören zu den bedeutendsten Erzählern der modernen Literatur des 20. Jahrhunderts. In seinen vielschichtigen, auch vieldeutigen Romanen und Erzählungen knüpfte Conrad oft an die Erfahrungen seiner Seemannsjahre an. Die Romane von Ford Madox Ford haben an Wertschätzung in den letzten Jahrzehnten ständig zugenommen und gelten heute ebenfalls als Klassiker; er arbeitete viel und eng mit Joseph Conrad zusammen, mit dem er mehrere Bücher verfasste.
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Reviews for Heart of Darkness
30 ratings18 reviews
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I'm a little torn on this one. Clearly,Conrad is a capable writer. Not entirely compelling, but skilled in the art of penned language.
The book was a lot of waiting for something to happen. (I know most see it as a social commentary, which it is not, so please do not think I missed the point of any authorial intention.) The only person I wanted to know about was Kurtz and damn it if I got nothing but a maniac on his death bed.
Conrad's language is beautiful and thankfully lacks the tactless erudition of his peers, but I wanted to know more about Kurtz; see things from his point of view. He was both the hero and the villain, but I never got to enjoy the whole point of the thing. In the end it was unbelievable that Marlow could admire Kurtz to the extent that he did, because he didn't even know the guy, his knowledge of him was entirely second hand. Who admires a guy whom they nothing about and who is a tyrannical monster no less? Boo.
One last thing. All writers, esteemed or not, should use the standard dialogue format. Yeah, yeah I get it-the flow of consciousness and unbroken thought and action-but it's lame. No one is distracted by each quote having its own line. Conrad does himself a disservice by placing his quotes in the body of the thinker's narrative. Please don't tell me there's any real need for it.
Anywho, there it is. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I like symbols and metaphors which is probably what I find so intriguing about Heart of Darkness. Every character (even the women who have minor parts but I would argue are major influences and drivers of the plot) as well as the setting can be read as symbolic for the social issues Conrad is trying to address. I agree that it is not easy to read because it is so rich with imagery and internal musings, and yet I would read it again and suspect I would find something new to like about it or that I missed before. The novella has a lot of layers and is an important example of social criticism that is still relevant today.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5These two novellas of Joseph Conrad demonstrate his vivid writing style, rich use of symbolism, and commanding prose which, despite the dark themes, often borders on poetry. “The Secret Sharer,” concerning a conflicted young sea captain torn between the duty to his ship and loyalty to a rescued officer who has murdered a mutinous shipmate, is the easier read of the two. The narrator captain sees the fugitive as his double, another side of himself, and identifies with him from the outset, though the associative elements beyond the physical similarities are difficult to discern. “Heart of Darkness,” based on a frightening episode in Conrad’s life, explores the dark recesses of the human heart and soul, and the depravity which results from endless greed. Conrad alludes to this being the universal timelessness of such savagery, stretching from primitive times to today and beyond: “The mind of a man is capable of everything because everything is in it, all the past as well as all the future.” There is a hypnotic quality to Conrad’s writing, which operates on several levels. These stories demand a second reading, and perhaps even a third to fully appreciate. They seem to linger in the mind.
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- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5When I picked it up in January, I got about half-way through Heart of Darkness and got nothing out of it. As I read, I could hardly tell what was going on.
This may have been because I wasn't paying attention.
Actually, that is exactly the reason. I was treating it like an assignment. When I picked up the book again, the second half of Heart of Darkness was far more interesting, and then The Secret Sharer was pretty cool too. I mean, the stories are a little odd, about somewhat odd characters. But once I finished The Secret Sharer, I went back and reread Heart of Darkness from the beginning and all in one go. That helped a lot.
Interesting, mysterious, nice description. Worth reading, and at least I don't have to stare at it unread on my shelf, or regret owning it in the first place.
However, what is with the sky and sea welded together "without a joint"(paraphrased)? I liked it well enough in Heart of Darkness, but then it showed up again in The Secret Sharer and really stood out, for that reason alone. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5These stories are two of those classics that I've heard about for years but never gotten around to reading. Now I finally have, and I can't say I've been missing too much. I began with Heart of Darkness, which is actually the second story in the volume, and it might have been better if I had started with The Secret Sharer, which is a bit more accessible if a little bland.I had anticipated that Heart of Darkness would be more action-packed, but as the writer of the introduction points out, this tale is a look into psychological issues, not driven so much by history or plot. To be honest, I found it boring. I imagine it was groundbreaking when it was released, but there have certainly been other (and probably better - The Poisonwood Bible comes to mind) novels that looked at similar issues since then. I read that the story was somewhat autobiographical, and I understand that Conrad actually made that trek up the Congo, but there were certain aspects that didn't ring true to me. They are small details compared to the themes in the story but the distracted me. For example, the narrator keeps talking about the silence surrounding the humans in Africa, but I cannot imagine jungle and river and tropics without imagining lots of NOISE - birds, insects, and larger animals. Could it really have been silent? In addition, I found myself questioning the narrator's assumption that the Africans on the trek with him were cannibals. Perhaps those locals were, but I fear this was a stereotype designed to make them more alien. Small things, as I said, but somehow important to me as a reader.There was much left unsaid in Heart of Darkness. The reader has to make assumptions about Kurtz and his actions, and I'm afraid I was in a bit of a muddle. Did he love the Africans and come to identify with them? Did he simply enjoy being idolized by them? Did he see them as human or less than human? What really was "the horror" he cried about at the end of his life? What were the events that led to the state in which Marlow found him? Difficult for me to say - and maybe that was the author's intention, or maybe I'm too far removed from that time and mindset to figure it out.The Secret Sharer was an easier read but less interesting. The narrator makes much of his feeling that Leggatt is his twin self, and I suppose that is because he identified with the stowaway, but I didn't really see the big deal. If he believed the man and felt it best to help him, then that's great. If he agonized over the propriety of his decision, there is little to indicate it in the text. Again, perhaps there is too much time and distance from the life he describes for me to be able to identify.I'm of course glad I have finally read these tales that have persisted for so long, and perhaps once I have spent more time mulling them over I will appreciate them more.
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- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The madness of Mr. Kurtz in his isolated camp deep in the dark, ominous jungle of the Congo stood as a stark warning against European colonial aspirations at the time the book was written, and the superb writing helps it to remain relevant today.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a great standard for classical English literature collections. Dark, descriptive, and lathed with the racial prejudices of the period of European colonial expansion, this tale provides a vivid narrative of the Belgian occupation of the heart of Africa.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Conrad's Heart Of Darkness, while a very short novel, (it barely breaks the hundred-page mark) is so concentrated as to tax the reader from tearing through it. Less of a travelogue of one man's journey into the jungle to retrieve another, and more of an analysis of the title's black center that exists in all of us. Not exactly a beach book.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/53/20 Quite enjoyed this one - thought it would be much tougher than it was. The introduction was lovely (although I have a MUCH older version, so I didn't read Oates) - it got me in the right mindset.Starting with "The Secret Sharer" was also good, as it got me accustomed to Conrad's style and psychology - not that you can ever fully understand it! But in any case "Heart of Darkness" would have been a hit. It's...absolutely haunting. Conrad is brilliant in how much he lets us know about Kurtz - or how little - because it allows us to put our own interpretations on him. He's a fascinating character. The theme of nightmares is also quite prevelant - the idea that neither of the two sides of imperialism we see - Kurtz and the company - are good, but only two versions of nightmares, of which Marlowe must choose one. It's powerful precisely because there is no redemption to be found. The concept of the alien - of the alien continent, as it were - pervades the novel. It's hard to tell if colonialism and imperialism are dealt with fully - we only get one side of the coin (meaning that the criticism comes only from the white europeans, and africans are denied a voice and identity in the novel). However, that may be by design, through Conrad's dealing with alienation.As usual, very disjointed review.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I tried reading Heart of Darkness 3 times before I finally got more than 5 pages into it without giving up. You definitely need to be in the right head space to get through this dense dense story, but it's well worth it. Beautiful imagery and really gets into your brain for a while. I think I'll need to read it again soon.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The introduction is really interesting. I did not know Joseph Conrad...a great "English" writer was really Polish. His name is really Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski. Wow, huh? That and he didn't really learn the English language until he was twenty. His books, well at least these two, have real moral and psychological undertones. I love that.Heart of DarknessPublished in 1902, Heart of Darkness begins the story on a ship leaving London. Marlow, one of the English passengers on the ship tells a story of when he was a Captain of a boat in the Congo doing Ivory trading. He is given the task of going down the Congo River to retrieve a fellow ivory trader, Kurtz, who has quite the reputation in the region.While the writing is very very wordy (the introduction even notes that), the imagery is very strong. He depicts the horrible conditions of the slaves in the area. And when he finally does meet Kurtz, the absolute lack of humanity in him is just...well plain scary. And that's when it gets sort of into the psychological aspect of the story. I mean Kurtz is a horrible trader who will do anything to get more ivory. I mean the guy has heads on stakes around his place. Just as a warning. But Kurtz has presence. Just pure evil genius. And Marlow actually starts to admire him. Not admire what he does or did but just the genius of it all. It really confronts that idea of the ability of everyone to be or do evil. Kind of like in World War II...how do regular people end up doing horrific things? Even the title of the story, Heart of Darkness is a psychological twist. Africa used to be called the "Dark Continent" but it's really about the darkness of the human heart.The Secret SharerThis short story, published in 1910, was a bit more straight forward than Heart of Darkness but still pretty good. The story is about a newbie Captain of a ship. He really hasn't gotten to know his crew or his ship. While he on watch during the night, he finds a naked man hanging onto the ladder of his ship in the water. He takes the man on board, hides him in his cabin, and learns his story. The man is named Leggatt and is from the ship, Sephora, which is nearby. During a horrible storm, Leggatt, in a fit of rage, killed a fellow shipmate because Leggatt thought the shipmate was being lax in his duties. He escaped punishment by diving in the water, feigning drowning and hiding.So the Captain actually sides with this guy! He hides him, lies to his crew, and lies to the Sephora Captain. He even goes as far as to call this guy "his other self"...I mean he really identifies more with this murderer than with anyone else. Kind of crazy.Conclusion:I'll have to read more Joseph Conrad. I love the psychological/moral twist in these stories. They really make me ponder things long after I've read them. And I love that Joseph Conrad actually went to these places since he worked in the French and British Merchant Navies. It makes me wonder how much of his stories he took from real life...which is kind of scary.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Wow. Apocalypse Now was so much more riveting. I actually gave up on this one about 20 pages shy of the end. I think the crazy guy dies at the end. I hope the steamboat sinks on the way back down the river. Paragraph breaks are your friend, Joseph Conrad.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Heart of Darkness deals with Marlowe's commandant of the "Nellie", which is transporting ivory downriver on the Congo. The environment is dark and foreign. Marlowe is a civilized man amongst savagery. He contemplates society and the darkness that pervades his own country. He hears from the men who have found work in this strange land of an enlightened man--Kurtz--who turns out to be not at all what is expected. I won't ruin it for you.The Secret Sharer tells of an unamed Captain given a boat and crew of whom he is totally unfamiliar. During their journey the Captain secretly takes on a nude swimmer whom he finds in the water at night. He comes to understand the man's questionable past, yet he places himself in the man's place and becomes his aide. Both novellas are deemed to be autobiographical. Conrad's prose is able to capture our imaginations so that we share in his strange watery adventures. His musings are philosophical, entertaining, and amazingly apt.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I will admit that its possible I didn't get this book, but I thought there was a large buildup and then a small payoff. Other things about this book were good the writing style was great and the story is engaging but when you finally meet Kurtz you expect something more than he is.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Although they are never directly addressed, the wounds inflicted by Leopold's rape of the Congo are visible everywhere, and for that reason alone, it is worth reading. The whole journey into the darkness of the human soul, too, of course. Appropriate reading for anyone.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This intellectually stimulating novel follows a man named Marlow on his adventure up the Congo river and into the middle of Africa, or "Heart of Darkness". He is a steam boat captain for a British Ivory-trading corporation. His duty is to first repair his damaged ship, then travel up the river to bring back the infamous Mr. Kurtz. Kurtz is a mysterious but highly intelligent man who somehow brings in boatloads of Ivory for the company. Marlow must embark on his journey to find Kurtz, to see if he's still alive, and perhaps unravel some of his secrets.One of the main characters, Mr. Kurtz, has embodied the idea of a Utopian society. He is perfectly happy living in the jungle with no other people from the civilized world. He prefers to make friends with the natives and spend his time digging up fossilized ivory. He becomes enthralled with this savage lifestyle and longs to remain in the jungle and even die there. When Marlow tries to get Mr. Kurtz to leave the station, Mr. Kurtz dies on the inside. His Utopian, wild, native life has been ruined. He has been thrown back into the dystopian society of Europe. The "white" people have ruined the Utopian societies of the jungle. They bring greed and slavery into a world that did not know such things. A dystopian society is thrust upon the natives and Mr. Kurtz (who has practically become a native himself).This was a very interesting book and overall it was very intriguing. It was a very difficult book to read, however. The wording was complicated at times and often the narrator, Marlow, went off on rants that would continue for pages and pages. If the storyline had been uninterrupted by these rants, the book would have been a lot better. This is definitely not a book you want to read for relaxation purposes, it takes a lot of thinking! Perhaps someone a little older would enjoy it more than I did.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Conrad's engrossing examination of the nature of man, civilization and madness in the form of a dark adventure is also a damning examination of European colonialism.Full of exacting descriptions of unresolved feelings and experiences, the book worms its way into your immagination.A classic of 20th century lit. for very good reason
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Secret Sharer is certainly the better of these two stories (but perhaps that is simply because I find the maritime setting generally more appealing than the colonial Africa one), though Heart of Darkness is one of the most compelling tales of human darkness that I've ever come across. HoD reads like a psychological thriller with the intelligence and insight needed to back it up. Intense and trudging, this story from the most brilliant of novelists does not make light or easy reading but is well worth any effort the reader makes to comprehend the primal darkness of the soul.