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Herz der Finsternis
»Jede Seite von Catherine Anyangos Graphic Novel ist außergewöhnlich, und außergewöhnlich schön. Und es spielt keine Rolle, ob man Conrads Werk gelesen hat oder nicht.«
So beschrieb Rachel Cooke 2010 im Guardian die Adaption des 1902 erschienenen, wichtigsten Romans des Otago-Captains und Schriftstellers Joseph Conrad. David Zane Mairowitz, der den Text für die Neubarbeitung zusammenstellte, ergänzte die Geschichte mit Auszügen aus den Kongo-Tagebüchern des Autors. Joseph Conrad verarbeitete in der Novelle seine letzte Reise nach Belgisch-Kongo, die er nur knapp überlebt und die ihn seine Gesundheit gekostet hatte. »Heart of Darkness« zählt zu den bedeutendsten europäischen Romanen.
So beschrieb Rachel Cooke 2010 im Guardian die Adaption des 1902 erschienenen, wichtigsten Romans des Otago-Captains und Schriftstellers Joseph Conrad. David Zane Mairowitz, der den Text für die Neubarbeitung zusammenstellte, ergänzte die Geschichte mit Auszügen aus den Kongo-Tagebüchern des Autors. Joseph Conrad verarbeitete in der Novelle seine letzte Reise nach Belgisch-Kongo, die er nur knapp überlebt und die ihn seine Gesundheit gekostet hatte. »Heart of Darkness« zählt zu den bedeutendsten europäischen Romanen.
128 pages, Paperback
First published May 8, 2010
2 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
About the author
David Zane Mairowitz
26 books33 followersMairowitz is a writer who studied English Literature and Philosophy at Hunter College, New York, and Drama at the University of California, Berkeley.
He is the author of the plays "The Law Circus" (1969 and "Flash Gordon and the Angels" (1971). Other works include "BAMN: Outlaw Manifestos and Ephemera 1965-70," "The Radical Soap Opera: Roots of Failure in the American Left," "Kafka for Beginners" and "Introducing Camus."
He is the author of the plays "The Law Circus" (1969 and "Flash Gordon and the Angels" (1971). Other works include "BAMN: Outlaw Manifestos and Ephemera 1965-70," "The Radical Soap Opera: Roots of Failure in the American Left," "Kafka for Beginners" and "Introducing Camus."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 8, 2014
Okay, so I will admit up front that I have a somewhat intimate relationship with Joseph Conrad's original novella, among other things having written three academic undergraduate paper on the text; all of which obviously affects my reading of any adaptation into any medium. However, that having been said, I will nevertheless try to objective and precise.
This adaptation is written by David Zane Mairowitz, who borrows liberally (quite logically) from Conrad's text, and illustrated in black and white, or more precisely grey tones, by Catherine Anyango. If anything, I think Anyango's contribution reflects the highlights of the piece. For the most part, the quite murky drawings capture the essential tone of the novella (the scene where Marlow encounters the Russian who "looked like a harlequin" and whose "clothes were covered with bright patches, blue, red and yellow" seems to cry out for splashes of colour in true Frank Miller / Sin City style, to be honest).
For the most part, however, the comics text is highly problematic for me. Not only because its radical deviations from the source texts alters a lot, but because I am not fully sure that the text is legible with them. Conrad's text is a yarn, narrative unfolding itself in a cohesive and complex manner, with many twists and turns, and layers upon narrative layers. Mairowitz and Anyango manage to fragment the narrative stream on several levels, and the end result becomes confusing in several places. In fact, if I did not know the source text well enough to begin with, some parts would simply not make sense.
To give examples: Conrad establishes early on that Marlow goes to a European city, the nature of which makes the latter label it a sepulchral city, and similarly Marlow labels a group of ivory hunters "pilgrims". Mairowitz has removed the establishing instances (in the first case because of his interesting, but not quite functionally executed idea of drawing Conrad's Congo Diaries into the comics text (as if they were in fact Marlow's)), but then suddenly use Conrad's text in later segments but then without anything established to reference back to.
The use of the Congo Diary is also problematic, since it so easily removes the almost mythical aspect of Marlow's journey into the darkness. In Conrad's novella, there is a lack of named geography; Marlow travels to the Dark Continent and up a river like an immense snake. Sure, nobody is really fooled in the sense that Africa and Congo are quite visible behind the thin veil; but, I would argue, that the veil serves a narrative purpose, for better or worse (since it could be said to tie in with Chinua Achebe's fabled critique that "Conrad was a thorough-going racist"). Here the choice to visually depict Marlow as Conrad is not without problems either.
Mairowitz has also opted for the use of thought balloons for some of Marlow's past thoughts becomes a bit troublesome, from a semiotic perspective. If we had only had the visual narrative, there would be no problem; the thought balloons would simply be a way to focalise some of the narrative through Marlow's perspective. The problem, however, is that Marlow is the narrator, his narration being presented in captions. This in itself suggests the possibility of a duality between Marlow's words and the images we see: do the latter represent what Marlow relates to his audience on the Nellie (covering some, if far from all, of the gaps in the verbal narration), thereby constituting a part of his narration, or do they represent an underlying actuality, i.e. that which his audience is not told? The thought balloons (as well as the inserted fragments from the Congo Diary) disrupts the narrative even further and raises this question to a greater level. In short, the text keeps asking us how it should be read, instead of allowing us to read it. Personally, I find this somewhat annoying, and think it detracts from the story.
Much of the fragmentation stems from omissions. Now, I fully understand the necessity of omissions in the adaptation process, but Mairowitz and Anyango fail to present a cohesive text. Chunks of Conrad's writing appear disjointedly, causing poignant passages to become crude and without any narrative weight. Several times I had to backtrack to make sure a couple of pages had not stuck together so that I had missed something (and remember, I am someone very much familiar with the story – how do these instances come off to someone without that guiding structure, I wonder). It is sometimes as if Mairowitz (perhaps in conjunction with Anyango) has felt the need to include certain passages, but without necessarily ensuring that they have bearing in the adaptation itself. Case in point, at least two of Marlow's three interruptions, which brings the narrative back to the scene of narration on the Nellie in Conrad's novella, are kept in the comic; but the perhaps most important one, where Marlow talks about how he was not able to see Kurtz in all the rumours he hears about him and his voice – a disembodied voice, as it were – is brutally butchered to the point of insignificance. In Conrad's text, the irony revealed by the unknown exterior frame narrator is that while Marlow talks about the fact that his audience at least can see him, in his role as narrator aboard the Nellie, the dark has fallen so that Marlow himself at this point is in fact a disembodied voice himself. Meanwhile, in the comics version, Anyango gives us a fully visible Conradesque Marlow, and the sequence becomes toothless and irrelevant.
To sum up, I was intrigued when I found this volume online, and was very much looking forward to reading, but in retrospect I am disappointed. I will likely keep the it, but strictly for academic purposes; if I did not foresee a potential use for it in my work, this one would not be given a home in my shelves. That much is certain.
This adaptation is written by David Zane Mairowitz, who borrows liberally (quite logically) from Conrad's text, and illustrated in black and white, or more precisely grey tones, by Catherine Anyango. If anything, I think Anyango's contribution reflects the highlights of the piece. For the most part, the quite murky drawings capture the essential tone of the novella (the scene where Marlow encounters the Russian who "looked like a harlequin" and whose "clothes were covered with bright patches, blue, red and yellow" seems to cry out for splashes of colour in true Frank Miller / Sin City style, to be honest).
For the most part, however, the comics text is highly problematic for me. Not only because its radical deviations from the source texts alters a lot, but because I am not fully sure that the text is legible with them. Conrad's text is a yarn, narrative unfolding itself in a cohesive and complex manner, with many twists and turns, and layers upon narrative layers. Mairowitz and Anyango manage to fragment the narrative stream on several levels, and the end result becomes confusing in several places. In fact, if I did not know the source text well enough to begin with, some parts would simply not make sense.
To give examples: Conrad establishes early on that Marlow goes to a European city, the nature of which makes the latter label it a sepulchral city, and similarly Marlow labels a group of ivory hunters "pilgrims". Mairowitz has removed the establishing instances (in the first case because of his interesting, but not quite functionally executed idea of drawing Conrad's Congo Diaries into the comics text (as if they were in fact Marlow's)), but then suddenly use Conrad's text in later segments but then without anything established to reference back to.
The use of the Congo Diary is also problematic, since it so easily removes the almost mythical aspect of Marlow's journey into the darkness. In Conrad's novella, there is a lack of named geography; Marlow travels to the Dark Continent and up a river like an immense snake. Sure, nobody is really fooled in the sense that Africa and Congo are quite visible behind the thin veil; but, I would argue, that the veil serves a narrative purpose, for better or worse (since it could be said to tie in with Chinua Achebe's fabled critique that "Conrad was a thorough-going racist"). Here the choice to visually depict Marlow as Conrad is not without problems either.
Mairowitz has also opted for the use of thought balloons for some of Marlow's past thoughts becomes a bit troublesome, from a semiotic perspective. If we had only had the visual narrative, there would be no problem; the thought balloons would simply be a way to focalise some of the narrative through Marlow's perspective. The problem, however, is that Marlow is the narrator, his narration being presented in captions. This in itself suggests the possibility of a duality between Marlow's words and the images we see: do the latter represent what Marlow relates to his audience on the Nellie (covering some, if far from all, of the gaps in the verbal narration), thereby constituting a part of his narration, or do they represent an underlying actuality, i.e. that which his audience is not told? The thought balloons (as well as the inserted fragments from the Congo Diary) disrupts the narrative even further and raises this question to a greater level. In short, the text keeps asking us how it should be read, instead of allowing us to read it. Personally, I find this somewhat annoying, and think it detracts from the story.
Much of the fragmentation stems from omissions. Now, I fully understand the necessity of omissions in the adaptation process, but Mairowitz and Anyango fail to present a cohesive text. Chunks of Conrad's writing appear disjointedly, causing poignant passages to become crude and without any narrative weight. Several times I had to backtrack to make sure a couple of pages had not stuck together so that I had missed something (and remember, I am someone very much familiar with the story – how do these instances come off to someone without that guiding structure, I wonder). It is sometimes as if Mairowitz (perhaps in conjunction with Anyango) has felt the need to include certain passages, but without necessarily ensuring that they have bearing in the adaptation itself. Case in point, at least two of Marlow's three interruptions, which brings the narrative back to the scene of narration on the Nellie in Conrad's novella, are kept in the comic; but the perhaps most important one, where Marlow talks about how he was not able to see Kurtz in all the rumours he hears about him and his voice – a disembodied voice, as it were – is brutally butchered to the point of insignificance. In Conrad's text, the irony revealed by the unknown exterior frame narrator is that while Marlow talks about the fact that his audience at least can see him, in his role as narrator aboard the Nellie, the dark has fallen so that Marlow himself at this point is in fact a disembodied voice himself. Meanwhile, in the comics version, Anyango gives us a fully visible Conradesque Marlow, and the sequence becomes toothless and irrelevant.
To sum up, I was intrigued when I found this volume online, and was very much looking forward to reading, but in retrospect I am disappointed. I will likely keep the it, but strictly for academic purposes; if I did not foresee a potential use for it in my work, this one would not be given a home in my shelves. That much is certain.
April 20, 2020
Very shortened version of Heart of Darkness, so shortened that it barely makes sense at times. Very dark illustrations which I understand is on purpose, but somewhat lacks detail.
September 19, 2025
Na powrót do tej klasycznej historii byłem bardzo podekscytowany. „Jądro ciemności” Josepha Conrada czytałem już kilka lat temu – pamiętam z niego jedynie szczątkowy zarys fabuły oraz męczarnie, przez które musiałem wtedy przebrnąć, mimo że to przecież krótka powieść. Z drugiej strony byłem przekonany, że dziś, mając większe obeznanie w literaturze, odebrałbym ten tekst zupełnie inaczej. Tym razem sięgnąłem po jego adaptację w formie powieści graficznej.
I w zasadzie się nie myliłem – historia wciąż robi ogromne wrażenie. Jest głęboka, wieloznaczna, w nieoczywisty sposób porusza temat kolonializmu oraz ciemnych stron ludzkiej natury. Czytając opinie innych, zauważyłem, że wiele osób narzeka na znaczne skrócenie oryginału. Trudno mi się do tego jednoznacznie odnieść, bo pamiętam go dość słabo, ale rzeczywiście momentami miałem wrażenie, że czegoś mi brakuje.
Na szczególną uwagę zasługuje strona wizualna. Komiks został zilustrowany przy użyciu węgla i ołówka, a całość utrzymana jest w ciemnej tonacji, co doskonale buduje atmosferę niepokoju. Pierwsze strony zrobiły na mnie ogromne wrażenie. Niestety, im dalej, tym rysunki wydawały mi się coraz mniej dopracowane. Zdarzało się, że trudno było mi zorientować się, co dokładnie przedstawiają. Mimo to kontakt z tym dziełem był ciekawym doświadczeniem.
I w zasadzie się nie myliłem – historia wciąż robi ogromne wrażenie. Jest głęboka, wieloznaczna, w nieoczywisty sposób porusza temat kolonializmu oraz ciemnych stron ludzkiej natury. Czytając opinie innych, zauważyłem, że wiele osób narzeka na znaczne skrócenie oryginału. Trudno mi się do tego jednoznacznie odnieść, bo pamiętam go dość słabo, ale rzeczywiście momentami miałem wrażenie, że czegoś mi brakuje.
Na szczególną uwagę zasługuje strona wizualna. Komiks został zilustrowany przy użyciu węgla i ołówka, a całość utrzymana jest w ciemnej tonacji, co doskonale buduje atmosferę niepokoju. Pierwsze strony zrobiły na mnie ogromne wrażenie. Niestety, im dalej, tym rysunki wydawały mi się coraz mniej dopracowane. Zdarzało się, że trudno było mi zorientować się, co dokładnie przedstawiają. Mimo to kontakt z tym dziełem był ciekawym doświadczeniem.
October 24, 2022
Shortened version that it makes no sense without context.
Everything is illustrated in black, white and grey tones which reflects the somber mood of the story. Anything human is often seen as murky.
Everything is illustrated in black, white and grey tones which reflects the somber mood of the story. Anything human is often seen as murky.
July 12, 2021
Uma adaptação que, apesar de conseguir captar o clima do livro, deixou muita coisa de fora e não tem a mesma profundidade da obra original. A arte é boa e casa bem com a história.
February 21, 2025
"It’s impossible to convey the life sensation of any given epoch of one’s existence. Impossible. We live as we dream, alone."
Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, as a graphic novel, underscores the evils of bureaucracy and the small-minded, power-hungry individuals who fuel it. The artwork complements the narrative, drawing a vivid parallel between the physical darkness of the jungle and the darkness within men's hearts. The haunting metaphor is brought to life as we journey deeper into both the Congo and the psychological unraveling of the characters.
This graphic novel reminded me of my travels to Amsterdam and Belgium—places of luxury and wealth. Yet, as you witness the opulence, you're confronted with the harsh truth that much of this prosperity was built on exploitation, including the continuing colonial investments in Africa and the legacy of slavery. It's a sobering realization that calls into question the ethics of wealth and power, leaving one with a feeling of deep frustration.
Kurtz, the character at the novel’s center, evokes a striking comparison to modern figures like Donald Trump. His narcissism, arrogance, and manipulative desire for control resonate strongly, as he uses those around him as pawns to further his own brutal ambitions. The corrupt bureaucrats who enable him, driven by greed, only make his manipulation more effective. In this way, Kurtz is both a remarkable and tragic figure—an embodiment of power gone unchecked.
At its core, Heart of Darkness also explores the shared humanity between the African characters and the white men. The protagonist’s realization, as he hears the drumming in the jungle, that the rhythm carries a deeper meaning beyond the comprehension of the colonizers, underscores a universal truth: we all share a common origin. The pursuit of ivory, colonialism, and the dehumanization of Africans represents a betrayal so profound that it cannot be forgiven. This graphic novel is a stark reminder of humanity’s capacity for cruelty and the indelible impact of colonial violence.
Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, as a graphic novel, underscores the evils of bureaucracy and the small-minded, power-hungry individuals who fuel it. The artwork complements the narrative, drawing a vivid parallel between the physical darkness of the jungle and the darkness within men's hearts. The haunting metaphor is brought to life as we journey deeper into both the Congo and the psychological unraveling of the characters.
This graphic novel reminded me of my travels to Amsterdam and Belgium—places of luxury and wealth. Yet, as you witness the opulence, you're confronted with the harsh truth that much of this prosperity was built on exploitation, including the continuing colonial investments in Africa and the legacy of slavery. It's a sobering realization that calls into question the ethics of wealth and power, leaving one with a feeling of deep frustration.
Kurtz, the character at the novel’s center, evokes a striking comparison to modern figures like Donald Trump. His narcissism, arrogance, and manipulative desire for control resonate strongly, as he uses those around him as pawns to further his own brutal ambitions. The corrupt bureaucrats who enable him, driven by greed, only make his manipulation more effective. In this way, Kurtz is both a remarkable and tragic figure—an embodiment of power gone unchecked.
At its core, Heart of Darkness also explores the shared humanity between the African characters and the white men. The protagonist’s realization, as he hears the drumming in the jungle, that the rhythm carries a deeper meaning beyond the comprehension of the colonizers, underscores a universal truth: we all share a common origin. The pursuit of ivory, colonialism, and the dehumanization of Africans represents a betrayal so profound that it cannot be forgiven. This graphic novel is a stark reminder of humanity’s capacity for cruelty and the indelible impact of colonial violence.
October 22, 2020
Going up the Congo was like travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the Earth and the big trees were Kings, an empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest and this stillness of life did not in the least resemble a peace. It was the stillness of an implacable force brooding over an inscrutable intention. It looked at you with a vengeful aspect.
This graphic novel adaptation of Joseph Conrad's classic short story, Heart of Darkness, is a dark and disturbing affair. It captures Marlow's uncovering Kurtz' descent into madness perfectly. It also maintains Marlow's uneasy relationship with the 'natives', which is summed up with this observation;
I'm grateful for these cannibals... in their place men I can work with. The suspicion of their not being inhuman comes slowly to me. What thrills me is the thought of their... humanity.
A difficult read that highlights some of the atrocities of imperialism, colonialism, slavery, pillaging and plundering. The depiction of the mounds of ivory are truly disturbing!
This graphic novel adaptation of Joseph Conrad's classic short story, Heart of Darkness, is a dark and disturbing affair. It captures Marlow's uncovering Kurtz' descent into madness perfectly. It also maintains Marlow's uneasy relationship with the 'natives', which is summed up with this observation;
I'm grateful for these cannibals... in their place men I can work with. The suspicion of their not being inhuman comes slowly to me. What thrills me is the thought of their... humanity.
A difficult read that highlights some of the atrocities of imperialism, colonialism, slavery, pillaging and plundering. The depiction of the mounds of ivory are truly disturbing!
August 2, 2024
3.5 stars
A story that unfolds in two timeframes, delineated by the art either being black and white (the 'present') and sepia, the past, where Marlow (the story's narrator) journeys 200 miles (and more) upriver to Kurtz's central station ivory 'trading' post along the Congo river. At the end, the sepia bleeds into the reception/living room of Kurtz's "intended", who seemingly swallows the lie that Marlow relays about the last words uttered by Kurtz, before he died on the steamer.
The art, by Catherine Anyango, is remarkable in places, muddy & murky elsewhere, stiffly rendering figures for the most part, but embodying the darkness of Conrad's story. David Zane Mairowitz has picked out some stunning bits of prose (far too many to quote) from the original novel to make the journey impactful, it's commentary on the rapaciousness & casual cruelty of colonial rule and reach still relevant and powerful now.
A true horror story.
A story that unfolds in two timeframes, delineated by the art either being black and white (the 'present') and sepia, the past, where Marlow (the story's narrator) journeys 200 miles (and more) upriver to Kurtz's central station ivory 'trading' post along the Congo river. At the end, the sepia bleeds into the reception/living room of Kurtz's "intended", who seemingly swallows the lie that Marlow relays about the last words uttered by Kurtz, before he died on the steamer.
The art, by Catherine Anyango, is remarkable in places, muddy & murky elsewhere, stiffly rendering figures for the most part, but embodying the darkness of Conrad's story. David Zane Mairowitz has picked out some stunning bits of prose (far too many to quote) from the original novel to make the journey impactful, it's commentary on the rapaciousness & casual cruelty of colonial rule and reach still relevant and powerful now.
A true horror story.
May 20, 2019
“Heart of Darkness” by
David Zane Mairowitz (Adapter), Catherine Anyango (Illustrator), Joseph Conrad
Set over a hundred years ago during the Belgian occupation of Congo, I can’t tell if Conrad was reflecting or projecting the racism of the time.
The charcoal images are like those slightly blurry old photographs - creepy and sometimes ambiguous – with a teasing hint that ghosts may be lurking in the background. This story is horrible, not horrible in quality but in the story’s essence – with its echoes of gothic horror - a horrible set of scenarios that are both foreboding and dreadful.
“Now and then a boat from the shore gave one momentary contact with reality. … Faces like grotesque masks … eyeballs glistening …”
“We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness.”
“She talks like thirsty men drink …”
……..
David Zane Mairowitz (Adapter), Catherine Anyango (Illustrator), Joseph Conrad
Set over a hundred years ago during the Belgian occupation of Congo, I can’t tell if Conrad was reflecting or projecting the racism of the time.
The charcoal images are like those slightly blurry old photographs - creepy and sometimes ambiguous – with a teasing hint that ghosts may be lurking in the background. This story is horrible, not horrible in quality but in the story’s essence – with its echoes of gothic horror - a horrible set of scenarios that are both foreboding and dreadful.
“Now and then a boat from the shore gave one momentary contact with reality. … Faces like grotesque masks … eyeballs glistening …”
“We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness.”
“She talks like thirsty men drink …”
……..
December 5, 2020
I don't know the original novella, so I had serious troubles understanding this one at all. Which is sad, since I'm trying to build up a section of novel adaptations within the Graphic Novels in the library where I work. And I usually like these adaptations.
This one though, presented me fragments of narration that just sometimes matched the images. So I guess I just recognized a rather superficial part of the story. Mostly I didn't quite fetch the threatening part of "darkness", but mostly just received the images as dark. So the graphic novel didn't reach me, neither cognitively nor emotionally.
This one though, presented me fragments of narration that just sometimes matched the images. So I guess I just recognized a rather superficial part of the story. Mostly I didn't quite fetch the threatening part of "darkness", but mostly just received the images as dark. So the graphic novel didn't reach me, neither cognitively nor emotionally.
March 24, 2017
The story takes place during the Belgian occupation of Congo. The dark theme of the story sheds light on the horrors of colonialism in the country. I didn’t like the derogatory names the Congolese were called, but that was probably the nomenclature used at the time. What makes the book for me, is the artwork by Catherine Anyango. It captures the dark theme of the story well. The illustrations are murky, but has enough detail that kept me analysing the panels. The photo realistic depictions of the character faces were good too.
March 5, 2018
You can't fault this book on being atmospheric and chilling. The drawings are done in charcoal, with no colours, which makes it so creepy.
however, I wasn't 100% able to follow the plot. The language was rich and dark, but I struggled to figure out what was actually happening.
This is the second time I've read a classic in the form of a graphic novel and I think it's a great way to get into them. But this one was a little to vague for me.
however, I wasn't 100% able to follow the plot. The language was rich and dark, but I struggled to figure out what was actually happening.
This is the second time I've read a classic in the form of a graphic novel and I think it's a great way to get into them. But this one was a little to vague for me.
August 11, 2018
"Eu já comecei e abandonei o romance umas três vezes, porque sempre me sentia muito mal ao lê-lo, sei lá, aquele clima de suspense (um suspense muito terrível alias, parecia que o elemento de terror estava na própria natureza do local, o que é ainda mais medonho para mim), essa hq conseguiu me passar uma dose aceitável desse suspense e deu pra ter uma noção visual do tão mencionado, porém nunca alcançado no romance: Sr. Kurtz
May 11, 2022
I’m deeply heartbroken and touched by the brutal history of the colonization of Congo. I just find this book quite vague and I’m not really able to follow the story - I haven’t read the original story, just heard about it. I’m determined to learn about this dark part of history, I just think I can find another book. I think the illustrations are well made, though, and tell a story of their own, so I’m glad anyway that I picked this version of the story.
May 9, 2023
Reading this was as if I were approaching the darkness, but could not come into contact with it. The vagueness and sporadic edits of the story meant that I, someone who has not yet read the original text, struggled to follow the plot. There were moments - some illustrations, bits of language - that hinted at something greater, but this layout wasn’t able to pull me into it. A bit disappointing in the end.
October 18, 2025
A brilliant imagining of a classic
I found myself immersed in this graphic retelling of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness from the first page. Anyango’s illustrations shimmer between the fantastical and the real, a perfect mirror for Marlow’s account, his state of mind, and his responses to Kurtz’s madness.
I found myself immersed in this graphic retelling of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness from the first page. Anyango’s illustrations shimmer between the fantastical and the real, a perfect mirror for Marlow’s account, his state of mind, and his responses to Kurtz’s madness.
March 26, 2018
Jeg liker å kunne lese ulike tolkninger av det samme verket, i dette tilfelle den grafiske romanen. Tegnestilen er dyster fra start til ende, det gjør nesten vondt å lese, men den gjør også tidvis boken vanskelig å lese (akkurat som originalen).
October 22, 2019
I’d say that without knowledge of the source material, this is somewhat confusing and disjointed. I liked the artwork, but at times it was so dark that it was hard to work out what was actually happening. The language wasn’t used particularly well, and at times it made little to no sense.
April 15, 2020
Tegneserien er svært kuttet ned, og tegningene er såpass mørke og utydelige (kull) at det er vanskelig å forstå hensikten.
Ellers var jeg ikke klar over at "Apokalypse nå" er en blåkopi av Mørkets hjerte. Handlingen blir i overkant treg og symbolsk for min smak
Ellers var jeg ikke klar over at "Apokalypse nå" er en blåkopi av Mørkets hjerte. Handlingen blir i overkant treg og symbolsk for min smak
November 24, 2016
cool. also conrad was a top notch racist and the heart of darkness is the projected reflection of the west's malignancy
February 18, 2020
i have a complicated relationship with conrad's "heart of darkness", but this just butchered the original and was just really bad, hence the one star
March 29, 2020
The story is cut heavily and feels disjointed, difficult to follow.
July 13, 2021
I had high hopes on this one, but I could have skipped it easily. :/
Great art, though
Great art, though
August 21, 2021
The info and parts of the book is good and powerful. The artwork however simply does not work. Vagueness should never interpret madness.
Read
April 25, 2023Aled
December 18, 2023
Unsatisfying adaptation of Conrad’s classic foray into the murky world of ivory trading and cannibals. The pencil drawings vary in quality.
Read
April 5, 2024Haunting.
March 20, 2025
It makes no sense for a reader who has not read the book.
March 22, 2017
I am so not a fan of Heart of Darkness but this graphic novel was a good adaptation of it. The art was absolutely perfect for the story and it was extremely well done.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews