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Heart of Darkness & Tales of Unrest
HarperCollins UK Audio Classics presents abridged and unabridged readings of the world's favorite literary masterpieces. Among the distinguished readers are Christopher Lee, Derek Jacobi, Simon Callow, Linus Roache, Elizabeth McGovern, Terry Jones, Peter Firth, and Rufus Sewell. Each package of cassettes in the Audio Classics series is beautifully packaged and shrink-wrapped.
239 pages, Paperback
First published February 15, 1996
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450 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Conrad
3,095 books4,860 followersJoseph Conrad was a Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language and, although he did not speak English fluently until his twenties, he became a master prose stylist who brought a non-English sensibility into English literature. He wrote novels and stories, many in nautical settings, that depict crises of human individuality in the midst of what he saw as an indifferent, inscrutable, and amoral world.
Conrad is considered a literary impressionist by some and an early modernist by others, though his works also contain elements of 19th-century realism. His narrative style and anti-heroic characters, as in Lord Jim, for example, have influenced numerous authors. Many dramatic films have been adapted from and inspired by his works. Numerous writers and critics have commented that his fictional works, written largely in the first two decades of the 20th century, seem to have anticipated later world events.
Writing near the peak of the British Empire, Conrad drew on the national experiences of his native Poland—during nearly all his life, parceled out among three occupying empires—and on his own experiences in the French and British merchant navies, to create short stories and novels that reflect aspects of a European-dominated world—including imperialism and colonialism—and that profoundly explore the human psyche.
Conrad is considered a literary impressionist by some and an early modernist by others, though his works also contain elements of 19th-century realism. His narrative style and anti-heroic characters, as in Lord Jim, for example, have influenced numerous authors. Many dramatic films have been adapted from and inspired by his works. Numerous writers and critics have commented that his fictional works, written largely in the first two decades of the 20th century, seem to have anticipated later world events.
Writing near the peak of the British Empire, Conrad drew on the national experiences of his native Poland—during nearly all his life, parceled out among three occupying empires—and on his own experiences in the French and British merchant navies, to create short stories and novels that reflect aspects of a European-dominated world—including imperialism and colonialism—and that profoundly explore the human psyche.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
December 25, 2022
“The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. What redeems it is the idea only. An idea at the back of it; not a sentimental pretence but an idea; and an unselfish belief in the idea— something you can set up, and bow down before, and offer a sacrifice to....”
Good books, like good films, sell us on illusions. In Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho we witness a nude Janet Leigh being hacked to death in a motel shower. And yet we don’t. By an ingenious edit of celluloid and sound effects, we only THINK we see every brutal, sadistic stab. And, look closely, she’s not even nude.
1899 - Joseph Conrad’s Kurtz is a great man. The whole premise of Heart of Darkness hangs on that one presumption. We know Kurtz is great because almost every character in this novella tells us so. His business associates, his advocates, his adversaries, his “intended,” all tout his achievements. Kurtz is an intellectual giant, just ask anyone! It is on this lynchpin, this literary illusion of Kurtz’s greatness, that Conrad’s narrative relies.
Heart of Darkness works as a philosophical indictment of British Colonialism because we readers believe that every word from Kurtz’s mouth is a nugget of profound truth. Hence, in the end, all Kurtz has to say is “the horror” and we feel it in our bones. Every malfeasance. Every injustice. Every transgression.
Good books, like good films, sell us on illusions. In Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho we witness a nude Janet Leigh being hacked to death in a motel shower. And yet we don’t. By an ingenious edit of celluloid and sound effects, we only THINK we see every brutal, sadistic stab. And, look closely, she’s not even nude.
1899 - Joseph Conrad’s Kurtz is a great man. The whole premise of Heart of Darkness hangs on that one presumption. We know Kurtz is great because almost every character in this novella tells us so. His business associates, his advocates, his adversaries, his “intended,” all tout his achievements. Kurtz is an intellectual giant, just ask anyone! It is on this lynchpin, this literary illusion of Kurtz’s greatness, that Conrad’s narrative relies.
Heart of Darkness works as a philosophical indictment of British Colonialism because we readers believe that every word from Kurtz’s mouth is a nugget of profound truth. Hence, in the end, all Kurtz has to say is “the horror” and we feel it in our bones. Every malfeasance. Every injustice. Every transgression.
April 10, 2020
I struggled through this book. He seems to write in a way designed to impress folks with his prose, stringing out descriptions and feelings without saying much. His style kept me from discerning what was actually happening until much after the events which had transpired. This book is on many lists of great literature. I do not see it, perhaps because my capacity is limited.
February 25, 2020
This was an alright book, I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. 3 stars :)
Read
July 25, 2014That took a while. At least I better understand where "Mistah Kurtz— he dead" comes from now. Kind of. A bit. Maybe.
April 13, 2025
Didn't realise this was Heart of Darkness and then 5 other short stories by Conrad, 'Heart of Darkness' was alright but the short stories were really shit.
Maybe it's because Conrad was Polish, or because it's from 1899, but the prose just seemed deliberately hard to understand, and he just uses so many unnecessary words that it's really hard to understand and follow the story. Often had little idea of what was happening until afterwards and made me not want to read further.
As for the story, I don't really find it an indictment of colonialism, as much as just a case study in colonialism. Like read this if you want an exemplar in abhorrent colonial discourse concerning indigenous African people, but I didn't find much criticism in it (perhaps because of the indiscernible writing style). Half the story is just glazing Kurtz, who just turns out to be a twat and dies soon after. Wanted to give this 1 star but parts were mildly entertaining I guess, just happy it's finally finished
Maybe it's because Conrad was Polish, or because it's from 1899, but the prose just seemed deliberately hard to understand, and he just uses so many unnecessary words that it's really hard to understand and follow the story. Often had little idea of what was happening until afterwards and made me not want to read further.
As for the story, I don't really find it an indictment of colonialism, as much as just a case study in colonialism. Like read this if you want an exemplar in abhorrent colonial discourse concerning indigenous African people, but I didn't find much criticism in it (perhaps because of the indiscernible writing style). Half the story is just glazing Kurtz, who just turns out to be a twat and dies soon after. Wanted to give this 1 star but parts were mildly entertaining I guess, just happy it's finally finished
September 9, 2024
Heart of Darkness er veldig spennende, og fascinerende å lese med Apokalypse Nå! i mente. Men svært utdatert dette her da? Tror n-ordet brukes på nesten annenhver side.
January 25, 2020
Read “Heart Of Darkness” ends on page 92 Some of my favorite passages:
No I don’t like work I’d rather laze about and think of all the fine things that can be done. I don’t like work - no man does - but I like what is in the work - the chance to find yourself l. Your own reality - for yourself, not for others - what no other man can ever know. They can only see the mere show, and never can tell what it really means. -pg 39
No fear can stand up to hunger, no patience can wear it out, disgust simply does not exist where hunger is; And as to superstition, beliefs, and what you may call principles, they are less than chaff in a breeze. Don’t you know the devilry of lingering starvation, its exasperating torment, its black thoughts, its sombre and brooding ferocity? Well, I do. It takes a man all his inborn strength to fight hunger properly. It’s really easier to face bereavement, dishonor, and the perdition of one’s soul - than this kind of prolonged hunger...Restraint?! I would just as soon have expected restraint from a hyena prowling amongst the corpses of a battlefield. -pg 53
I have wrestled with death. It is the most unexciting contest you can imagine. It takes place in an impalpable greyness, with nothing underfoot, with nothing around, without spectators, without clamor, without glory, without the great desire of victory, without the great fear of defeat, in a sickly atmosphere of tepid skepticism, without much believe in your own right, and still less in that of your adversary. If such is the form of ultimate wisdom, then life is a greater riddle than some of us think it to be. -pg 84
No I don’t like work I’d rather laze about and think of all the fine things that can be done. I don’t like work - no man does - but I like what is in the work - the chance to find yourself l. Your own reality - for yourself, not for others - what no other man can ever know. They can only see the mere show, and never can tell what it really means. -pg 39
No fear can stand up to hunger, no patience can wear it out, disgust simply does not exist where hunger is; And as to superstition, beliefs, and what you may call principles, they are less than chaff in a breeze. Don’t you know the devilry of lingering starvation, its exasperating torment, its black thoughts, its sombre and brooding ferocity? Well, I do. It takes a man all his inborn strength to fight hunger properly. It’s really easier to face bereavement, dishonor, and the perdition of one’s soul - than this kind of prolonged hunger...Restraint?! I would just as soon have expected restraint from a hyena prowling amongst the corpses of a battlefield. -pg 53
I have wrestled with death. It is the most unexciting contest you can imagine. It takes place in an impalpable greyness, with nothing underfoot, with nothing around, without spectators, without clamor, without glory, without the great desire of victory, without the great fear of defeat, in a sickly atmosphere of tepid skepticism, without much believe in your own right, and still less in that of your adversary. If such is the form of ultimate wisdom, then life is a greater riddle than some of us think it to be. -pg 84
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2019
I picked this up mostly for Heart of Darkness and just completed that portion. I am a fan of 19th century prose and I can definitely detect some inspiration of Poe, an all-time favourite of mine, in Conrad’s writing. Having studied this work almost fifteen years ago I thought it would be a good idea to revisit it, knowing its cultural relevance and having just a sense of impact that it left on me.
It’s true that Conrad’s writing style is not immediately digestible, though one could easily detect purpose in the confounding nature of the prose given the context of the story—ineptitude and horrific wonder drive Marlowe’s narration. Conrad’s creation of Kurtz is at the heart of this story, and the third part is where the meat lies for me.
I love the way that the character is built up so much, and we experience only the last flicker of a once great flame, wondering how much of what was originally told is true. Marlowe is certainly impressed, and tells just as much, but we see in the end only he carries the legend of the man forward, choosing to make true about him what he sees fit. That is the essential beauty of this work: it is heavy with meaning of the context of when, where, and who it describes. Though it was written only a century ago, this seems like an ancient world that is revealed to us by a narrator, skeptical of the very machine that he perpetuates and abides by.
I will update my review once I complete the further stories in this book, if I decide it’s necessary.
It’s true that Conrad’s writing style is not immediately digestible, though one could easily detect purpose in the confounding nature of the prose given the context of the story—ineptitude and horrific wonder drive Marlowe’s narration. Conrad’s creation of Kurtz is at the heart of this story, and the third part is where the meat lies for me.
I love the way that the character is built up so much, and we experience only the last flicker of a once great flame, wondering how much of what was originally told is true. Marlowe is certainly impressed, and tells just as much, but we see in the end only he carries the legend of the man forward, choosing to make true about him what he sees fit. That is the essential beauty of this work: it is heavy with meaning of the context of when, where, and who it describes. Though it was written only a century ago, this seems like an ancient world that is revealed to us by a narrator, skeptical of the very machine that he perpetuates and abides by.
I will update my review once I complete the further stories in this book, if I decide it’s necessary.
January 15, 2019
Heart of Darkness 5/5
Karain: A Memory 5/5
The Idiots 3/5
An Outpost of Progress 4/5
The Return 4/5 (the most ambitious)
The Lagoon 3/5
Karain: A Memory 5/5
The Idiots 3/5
An Outpost of Progress 4/5
The Return 4/5 (the most ambitious)
The Lagoon 3/5
March 31, 2020
Everyone said: Shannon, don't read Heart of Darkness. It's boring.
Usually I disagree. Not this time.
Usually I disagree. Not this time.
August 5, 2025
probably closer to a 3.5.
totally forgot that HEART OF DARKNESS is more of a short story than a full fledged novel. thankfully, the slimness helps Joseph Conrad move things along quickly enough because this guy, as he proves in five other short stories that come in this edition, loves to yap sometimes.
for HEART OF DARKNESS, Conrad creates an impeccable sense of place in the jungles of Africa; an unknown land filled with bizarre people, both native and foreign, and a foreboding sticky air. there's a gap Conrad explores in how his characters view the colonization efforts they become entrenched in: the storyteller is clearly shook by his adventures while other people he crosses paths with simply muck about. but one man, a Mr Kurtz, acts as some kind of last bastion for the reader - a well regarded man lost to a land of violence and greed. Conrad, and the storyteller, build up Kurtz to ultimately reveal he too has become consumed by the land, and now is spit out as a broken, violent, and bizarre interloper, one who rails against the colonizers he works for while ruling over the residents he has come across. Conrad views this man, this idol, as a tragedy and inevitably of man continuing on with imperialistic needs. it's a surprising depth that makes its final moments hit hard.
the remaining five stories of this edition include:
KARAIN - A MEMORY - a nostalgic moment that focuses on merchants remembering a local warlord they came across. Conrad here hits a nice pace and tone, creating a scenario that seeps with a lived in sort of voice while grappling with the memories of not only its tellers, but the charismatic man they come across.
THE IDIOTS - this one is a bit more rushed. what seems to start out as some sort of horror-ish soiree to a seaside town instead turns into a family saga. in portraying a young couple struggling to make ends meet, Conrad seems to relish in misery for this tale. it has its moments but feels a bit too loose.
AN OUTPOST OF PROGRESS - honestly probably my favorite of all the stories here. it builds off the setting and themes of HEART OF DARKNESS but adds a more obvious satirical bent, focusing on two goobers trying to keep their African outpost in check for a couple of months. cue scenes of them going mad while failing to do much of their chores. despite a more humorous tone, Conrad keeps an air of menace running underneath everything culminating in an explosion of madness.
THE RETURN - makes for a narrative big swing for Conrad, focusing on an English couple coming to terms with a relationship transgression. Conrad's writing here goes fully internal, from the spouses point of view, rattling off into long monlogues of his feeling over every minute action and reveal that comes his way. it's a smaller set story, and starts off interesting, with an interesting path to boot, but Conrad gets lost in his meandering paragraphs, bringing things to wrap with a thud.
THE LAGOON - another bittersweet memento of a story, this one about a man relaying his past as his love slowly dies away next to him. throughout all of these stories, Conrad constantly creates this world where memory and reality bleed into something that become a nightmare or dream or both. it's a very involving and unique sort of creation and in THE LAGOON, adventure, love and tragedy create a soft, hurt finale for a collection that has viewed pain (or unrest, if you will) from all angles.
totally forgot that HEART OF DARKNESS is more of a short story than a full fledged novel. thankfully, the slimness helps Joseph Conrad move things along quickly enough because this guy, as he proves in five other short stories that come in this edition, loves to yap sometimes.
for HEART OF DARKNESS, Conrad creates an impeccable sense of place in the jungles of Africa; an unknown land filled with bizarre people, both native and foreign, and a foreboding sticky air. there's a gap Conrad explores in how his characters view the colonization efforts they become entrenched in: the storyteller is clearly shook by his adventures while other people he crosses paths with simply muck about. but one man, a Mr Kurtz, acts as some kind of last bastion for the reader - a well regarded man lost to a land of violence and greed. Conrad, and the storyteller, build up Kurtz to ultimately reveal he too has become consumed by the land, and now is spit out as a broken, violent, and bizarre interloper, one who rails against the colonizers he works for while ruling over the residents he has come across. Conrad views this man, this idol, as a tragedy and inevitably of man continuing on with imperialistic needs. it's a surprising depth that makes its final moments hit hard.
the remaining five stories of this edition include:
KARAIN - A MEMORY - a nostalgic moment that focuses on merchants remembering a local warlord they came across. Conrad here hits a nice pace and tone, creating a scenario that seeps with a lived in sort of voice while grappling with the memories of not only its tellers, but the charismatic man they come across.
THE IDIOTS - this one is a bit more rushed. what seems to start out as some sort of horror-ish soiree to a seaside town instead turns into a family saga. in portraying a young couple struggling to make ends meet, Conrad seems to relish in misery for this tale. it has its moments but feels a bit too loose.
AN OUTPOST OF PROGRESS - honestly probably my favorite of all the stories here. it builds off the setting and themes of HEART OF DARKNESS but adds a more obvious satirical bent, focusing on two goobers trying to keep their African outpost in check for a couple of months. cue scenes of them going mad while failing to do much of their chores. despite a more humorous tone, Conrad keeps an air of menace running underneath everything culminating in an explosion of madness.
THE RETURN - makes for a narrative big swing for Conrad, focusing on an English couple coming to terms with a relationship transgression. Conrad's writing here goes fully internal, from the spouses point of view, rattling off into long monlogues of his feeling over every minute action and reveal that comes his way. it's a smaller set story, and starts off interesting, with an interesting path to boot, but Conrad gets lost in his meandering paragraphs, bringing things to wrap with a thud.
THE LAGOON - another bittersweet memento of a story, this one about a man relaying his past as his love slowly dies away next to him. throughout all of these stories, Conrad constantly creates this world where memory and reality bleed into something that become a nightmare or dream or both. it's a very involving and unique sort of creation and in THE LAGOON, adventure, love and tragedy create a soft, hurt finale for a collection that has viewed pain (or unrest, if you will) from all angles.
July 7, 2020
Full disclosure, I read only the Heart of Darkness of this collection by Conrad. Overall, it was okay, as you will see, I have some conflicting opinions.
Let's start with pros:
-Imagery and the way this is written is absolutely beautiful. I think that it's worth a read on this merit alone.
-Is a contemporary view of the atrocities of expansion/colonization and does expose many of the realities of the Ivory Trade, written by someone who knew these realities first hand. Spoiler, the realities are horrific.
-I noticed a theme and a recurring discussion of intentionality. I try to live my life with more intentions than not, so I just appreciate that.
-Is not really pro expanding of the British (or any other European) Empire which is great, as we know, empires bad. Especially purely for profit motives. You can easily connect the commodification of Ivory to other recent commodifications (ex. White Sage, Rhubarb, rocks, labor) and the exploitation that is rampant wherever capitalism's hands get in.
-We get some cannibalism mentions, as we often get with these sorts of "adventurer" stories. I think that the thought process and desperation of those impacted were well handled. What people do with corpses is utterly fascinating and we get other corpse content as well beyond this.
Cons
-I don't think this book is as scathing as many I think hold its' reputation as. In my opinion, Conrad wasn't making an argument that expansion/colonization is bad for their sake alone. Just that it involved violence and atrocities that are unmentionable: erring on/near to genocide. But these atrocities are not for the sake that they are being committed against those who are Conrad's equals, they are still "barbarous savages" whose only value is the use that they could be once "civilized."
-Conrad is still very racist. The language he uses to describe indigenous Africans is rude at best and downright dehumanizing at worst. There are several comparisons of Congolese people to animals, which while "normal" at the time, I really just don't have the energy for. I don't think that he really regarded brown people as complex people, again, just in the frame of utility.
-I think this would have been a better play rather than a novella. The framing device was annoying when you essentially have two narrators. The entire story is in quotations because our narrator is recounting this narration from the original source, Marlow. I just find it annoying.
Overall, this was an easy 92 page read that did get me thinking and I had to learn some context about the ivory trade in Congo during the 1890s. Which, any more history and context that I learn through reading I think is an overall plus. I think that there are probably better accounts of the Congo Ivory Trade pre 1900 than this fictional novella, but if you like older English literature I think this is a solid read. Can't say I'm clamoring to read any other Conrad writings though.
Let's start with pros:
-Imagery and the way this is written is absolutely beautiful. I think that it's worth a read on this merit alone.
-Is a contemporary view of the atrocities of expansion/colonization and does expose many of the realities of the Ivory Trade, written by someone who knew these realities first hand. Spoiler, the realities are horrific.
-I noticed a theme and a recurring discussion of intentionality. I try to live my life with more intentions than not, so I just appreciate that.
-Is not really pro expanding of the British (or any other European) Empire which is great, as we know, empires bad. Especially purely for profit motives. You can easily connect the commodification of Ivory to other recent commodifications (ex. White Sage, Rhubarb, rocks, labor) and the exploitation that is rampant wherever capitalism's hands get in.
-We get some cannibalism mentions, as we often get with these sorts of "adventurer" stories. I think that the thought process and desperation of those impacted were well handled. What people do with corpses is utterly fascinating and we get other corpse content as well beyond this.
Cons
-I don't think this book is as scathing as many I think hold its' reputation as. In my opinion, Conrad wasn't making an argument that expansion/colonization is bad for their sake alone. Just that it involved violence and atrocities that are unmentionable: erring on/near to genocide. But these atrocities are not for the sake that they are being committed against those who are Conrad's equals, they are still "barbarous savages" whose only value is the use that they could be once "civilized."
-Conrad is still very racist. The language he uses to describe indigenous Africans is rude at best and downright dehumanizing at worst. There are several comparisons of Congolese people to animals, which while "normal" at the time, I really just don't have the energy for. I don't think that he really regarded brown people as complex people, again, just in the frame of utility.
-I think this would have been a better play rather than a novella. The framing device was annoying when you essentially have two narrators. The entire story is in quotations because our narrator is recounting this narration from the original source, Marlow. I just find it annoying.
Overall, this was an easy 92 page read that did get me thinking and I had to learn some context about the ivory trade in Congo during the 1890s. Which, any more history and context that I learn through reading I think is an overall plus. I think that there are probably better accounts of the Congo Ivory Trade pre 1900 than this fictional novella, but if you like older English literature I think this is a solid read. Can't say I'm clamoring to read any other Conrad writings though.
Read
July 24, 2025Conflicted about this — on one hand style wise Conrad is astonishing — and he discusses the latent potential for evil in all language in a way I resonate with — but also the anti-colonial argument he makes relies on the use of that latent, linguistic violence to dehumanize the unnamed Africans in the story (even in the rare instances where he ‘senses kinship’ with them), and the use of that dehumanized being as a narrative figure for the “true savagery” at the heart of all civilization. (In some ways this makes Conrad remarkably consistent: he practices that which he argues is present in language; his entire novel makes a case for the violence it can commit.) There have to be other ways to get at the absurdity at the heart of colonial worlds—Elevator in Sai Gon, Season of Migration to the North (though this one also relies on the violence against women that’s implicit in Marlow’s dismissiveness to do that same narrative/metaphorical lifting for its case against colonial society). It operates similarly to narrative prosthesis: the racialized man as figure of the ills of society, but race is the disabling factor (re: race as technology).
**the layering of story — story through which Marlow meets Kurtz’s figure, story of civilization and white man’s burden through which we meet the universe in this novel, story through which we even meet Marlow’s vision of the world. Layer upon layer of it, human symbols and faces / avatars of “civilization” (this vague, conceptual thing) speaking through each other, all dialogues. You know you are meant to distrust all surfaces in this novel, including the racism. The real novel to study is that surface narrative (like a fabric whose weave must be studied) and how it operates—and this is why I think Heart of Darkness is worth reading: to study the mythic power of language / narrative in constructing great evils and learn how to distrust everything that seeks to seduce you to its fixed way of seeing. I wouldn’t quite call this a restorative reading of the novel so much as an understanding of why it as an artifact still looms so large (with a fetishistic power—in the sense that Marx too borrowed the concept of the fetish from his idea of primitive civilization, from/as a racist and colonial metaphor. Heart of Darkness operates in much the same way. The metaphors we choose are, in fact, the message and the medium. It’s all fabric. It all must be understood.
**the way command over language is a marker of “human sanity” >> (69) Kurtz’s madness AND HIS FULL COMMAND OVER LANGUAGE **language as a KIND of madness here just as much as silence is - and Marlow himself trying to establish himself as of "sound method," the narrative as his attempt to prove himself still cohesive as a colonial subject as much as he's trying to speak otherwise...
**the layering of story — story through which Marlow meets Kurtz’s figure, story of civilization and white man’s burden through which we meet the universe in this novel, story through which we even meet Marlow’s vision of the world. Layer upon layer of it, human symbols and faces / avatars of “civilization” (this vague, conceptual thing) speaking through each other, all dialogues. You know you are meant to distrust all surfaces in this novel, including the racism. The real novel to study is that surface narrative (like a fabric whose weave must be studied) and how it operates—and this is why I think Heart of Darkness is worth reading: to study the mythic power of language / narrative in constructing great evils and learn how to distrust everything that seeks to seduce you to its fixed way of seeing. I wouldn’t quite call this a restorative reading of the novel so much as an understanding of why it as an artifact still looms so large (with a fetishistic power—in the sense that Marx too borrowed the concept of the fetish from his idea of primitive civilization, from/as a racist and colonial metaphor. Heart of Darkness operates in much the same way. The metaphors we choose are, in fact, the message and the medium. It’s all fabric. It all must be understood.
**the way command over language is a marker of “human sanity” >> (69) Kurtz’s madness AND HIS FULL COMMAND OVER LANGUAGE **language as a KIND of madness here just as much as silence is - and Marlow himself trying to establish himself as of "sound method," the narrative as his attempt to prove himself still cohesive as a colonial subject as much as he's trying to speak otherwise...
April 22, 2019
My first go at Conrad. Did not read the other stories; will potentially return for them later on, carrying some healthier patience. Heart of Darkness was very good as far as it’s proclivity for the visceral and the elaborate. It blossoms there. And Conrad has good method for the psychology, he makes a good view of the entirely exposed, disassembled man. The imagery and the intensities are superb, and there are truly great passages, truly great lines within.
Beyond the silver of these though, I have to admit it was an exhausting endeavour. The story, it’s exposition, digressions, epiphanies — they are overdone for the majority. I became muddled somewhat and frequently by a mixture of disinterest and fatigue. I wanted a more precise prose, despite the clear importance of all of the ambivalent ambiguity and repetition (vis a vis symbolism, metaphor), though it never truly, at any point, arrived. I cannot discredit too much — there is a poignant aspiration in Conrad’s style, bolstered by the necessity to confound in order to retain the voice of the story and its emotionally overwrought narrator. It must be a consistent machine and it is not of the same significance without any of its parts, I know. But by the end, as I was met with that hefty feeling that any timeless work should offer by the final line, I was met too with relief.
It was a moment of that bitter-sweetness; I felt both edified and emancipated.
I have Lord Jim and Nostromo in wait on the shelf. I would be fraud to say that I am excited to grab either at the moment, but Conrad, he isn’t a poor writer. No. In fact, if I consider it well, it may be that actually he is a little too good. I will revisit this one day to make sure.
Beyond the silver of these though, I have to admit it was an exhausting endeavour. The story, it’s exposition, digressions, epiphanies — they are overdone for the majority. I became muddled somewhat and frequently by a mixture of disinterest and fatigue. I wanted a more precise prose, despite the clear importance of all of the ambivalent ambiguity and repetition (vis a vis symbolism, metaphor), though it never truly, at any point, arrived. I cannot discredit too much — there is a poignant aspiration in Conrad’s style, bolstered by the necessity to confound in order to retain the voice of the story and its emotionally overwrought narrator. It must be a consistent machine and it is not of the same significance without any of its parts, I know. But by the end, as I was met with that hefty feeling that any timeless work should offer by the final line, I was met too with relief.
It was a moment of that bitter-sweetness; I felt both edified and emancipated.
I have Lord Jim and Nostromo in wait on the shelf. I would be fraud to say that I am excited to grab either at the moment, but Conrad, he isn’t a poor writer. No. In fact, if I consider it well, it may be that actually he is a little too good. I will revisit this one day to make sure.
February 9, 2020
I've been putting this 'classic' off for a long time and finally found the motivation with the PopSugar Reading Challenge this year (2020) which has a prompt for a book set in a country that starts with C. This was recommended to me and my library had just picked up the graphic novel adaptation version by Peter Kuper so I started both. I feel like reading the graphic novel was cheating a little but at the same time, thanks to the forward and author's note, I got a better understanding of this book through a wider lens, specifically about how this book has misogynistic and inflammatory (or more specifically, racist) language and themes but is set in a time when that was seen as normal. This really detracted from the story for me. I ended up paying more attention to other reads and it took me forever to trudge through the rest of the short story. I actually preferred the graphic novel, which did a wonderful job of portraying the darkness and chaos of the story without the racial slurs.
There are two more stories in this edition that I will try to come back to another time.
There are two more stories in this edition that I will try to come back to another time.
October 12, 2020
Most of the stories are about colonialism, Heart Of Darkness talks about the Colonialism in Africa. The reasons for Colonization were economical, and religious. According to Khan Academy it states: “Historians generally recognize three motives for European exploration and colonization in the New World: God, gold, and glory.”
The book also talks about ‘ The Horror... The Horror”. This comes from one of the characters in the story Heart Of Darkness where Kurtz describes the reality of either his own life, or life as a whole.
The prose is stylistic and and profound. You will be amazed about how profound some of its descriptions are. However, it isn’t without its shortcomings; the book has offensive (to some) use of language and judging by how the modern age reacts to this type of language, some won’t like the entirety of the book just for this one section it features. Overall, I enjoyed the book.
The book also talks about ‘ The Horror... The Horror”. This comes from one of the characters in the story Heart Of Darkness where Kurtz describes the reality of either his own life, or life as a whole.
The prose is stylistic and and profound. You will be amazed about how profound some of its descriptions are. However, it isn’t without its shortcomings; the book has offensive (to some) use of language and judging by how the modern age reacts to this type of language, some won’t like the entirety of the book just for this one section it features. Overall, I enjoyed the book.
September 27, 2020
All these stories include moments of brilliant insight into human nature, and descriptions that are thick with detail, and action. Then there many other moments when the author totally belabors the point and it was difficult to remain focused. Oh, and did I mention the colonialist point of view? All the descriptions and attitudes towards black men made me flinch and cringe. Yikes! Interesting to me that he did not speak in much detail of the women, nor did he use disparaging language of any black women. I am keeping this book for the many gems within the stories, but I sure wish he'd had a modern editor.
April 28, 2021
Critica sólo de Heart of Darkness. Decepcionante. Quizá traía expectativas muy altas o quizá al ser un libro tan conocido, muy en la cultura popular y con una crítica al colonialismo de primera mano que quizá se queda corta y no muestra tanta oscuridad como promete su libro. El personaje del Coronel Kurtz - que para mí tiene la cara de Brando- es quizá la mayor decepción pues se desinfla en un climax que no llega, en mucho me recuerda al juez Holden de Blood Meridian, pero cuando este personaje deslumbraba con cada aparición y te deja descorazonado, Kurtz se desmorona. Probablemente lo releeré en el futuro para ver si lo veo con otros ojos. Recomendable pero evitar expectativas ayudará.
August 2, 2022
I can usually read a book of this length in about a week, but this took me a month because it was so uninteresting. I had no desire to pick it up and continue reading but I simply didn’t want to leave it unfinished. Throughout the book it was hard for me to understand what had happened until I had read well past any certain event. Conrad’s writing style is like he’s trying to impress everyone by using $10 words when a $1 word would do just fine. I didn’t enjoy this book at all. Only one of the short stories, “The Return”, was decent (2.5 stars I’d say). Why this is a classic is beyond me. A complete waste of time.
July 20, 2017
This version of the book contains the novella Heart of Darkness, as well as five other short stories written by Joseph Conrad. I was disappointed in Heart of Darkness. For how much emphasis was placed on Kurtz, I was expecting to see him in the story for more than the few pages he actually appears. I was more fond of the short stories An Outpost of Progress and Karain: A Memory, which also featured exotic locales and characters who have received almost mythical reputations but were more enjoyable.
September 1, 2022
Quite the read. Nice and short, puts colonization into perspective and how "civilized' humans act in an uncivilized environment. The format of the literature took some time to get used to but I liked it in the end. The movie Apocalypse Now is based upon this book and I liked the movie a lot so I felt I needed to read this. Well worth it and even cooler how the story reapplied to the Vietnam War. This would be more like 4.5 stars.
Also the novella is only 91 pages. There are other short stories in this book, I haven't read those yet but they seem to follow similar themes.
Also the novella is only 91 pages. There are other short stories in this book, I haven't read those yet but they seem to follow similar themes.
January 19, 2023
Started this one in Dec. 2022. Part of an Adventure set I own and want to read everything on my shelves so I dove in. I can understand why Conrad's writing is classic as it's very poetic and is able to describe emotions and thoughts in ways that I think things but never knew how to explain. But I struggled with the slow movement of storyline and thick descriptions while reading 10 minute chunks with kids running around. 😆 His insight into cultural differences (especially how serious the spiritual world is for most of the non-caucasian world) was very spot on.
December 24, 2023
Of all the stories told in this book, the Karain story was the best. Heart of Darkness itself was a difficult read but it was interesting to see a criticism on colonialism, or at least I read it that way.
The Return is one of the worst stories I've ever read and I am convinced anyone who gives it a 3 star or over (there is a separate entry for it on Goodreads) is doing so simply because they've been told it is a piece of classical literature by a well known author from his era. It's long and drawn out.
Not sure what I expected from this book but I found it wholely underwhelming.
The Return is one of the worst stories I've ever read and I am convinced anyone who gives it a 3 star or over (there is a separate entry for it on Goodreads) is doing so simply because they've been told it is a piece of classical literature by a well known author from his era. It's long and drawn out.
Not sure what I expected from this book but I found it wholely underwhelming.
February 24, 2024
Had to read the Heart of Darkness portion for history class and it was different.
It was boring, hard to read and also very sad/broken. The author reminded me of a kid in class who just adds random words in to describe something to make him seem intelligent. It took me a while to get through this book because I had to go back over pages to understand what was happening.
Overall I was lost in this book. And the answer to the heart of darkness was easy to identify from the first few pages if u have common sense.
It was boring, hard to read and also very sad/broken. The author reminded me of a kid in class who just adds random words in to describe something to make him seem intelligent. It took me a while to get through this book because I had to go back over pages to understand what was happening.
Overall I was lost in this book. And the answer to the heart of darkness was easy to identify from the first few pages if u have common sense.
May 29, 2020
I'm only reading Heart of Darkness for right now, I might get to the other stories in this collection at a later date but for right now, I think I could live without ever reading Joseph Conrad's writing again.
Heart of Darkness: 2/5 stars because I didn't enjoy Conrad's writing, I couldn't connect with the characters, and I overall couldn't care less about what was going on. I do however see why people might like this story and why it is a classic.
Heart of Darkness: 2/5 stars because I didn't enjoy Conrad's writing, I couldn't connect with the characters, and I overall couldn't care less about what was going on. I do however see why people might like this story and why it is a classic.
September 20, 2023
In 1995, David Denby, writing for The New Yorker, asked "Is Joseph Conrad’s novel a critique of colonialism, or an example of it?" That debate has been going on for decades and I am personally of the latter half of the question. Heart of Darkness is, without doubt, a problematic, imperialistic, racist, and hurtful tale of white men thinking they own the world. (Plot twist, they do not. Just to be clear.)
1.75 out of 5 but only because it's a well written racist piece of dung.
1.75 out of 5 but only because it's a well written racist piece of dung.
September 25, 2018
DNF
This book is hard AF to get through. If it’s not the gut churning abuse of natives, then it’s the weak English and vague settings. For real. I was barely able to get through two or three pages at a time without losing interest or forgetting where the main character was or what he was doing. I can see the value of reading this as a ~classic~ but it just wasn’t doing it for me.
This book is hard AF to get through. If it’s not the gut churning abuse of natives, then it’s the weak English and vague settings. For real. I was barely able to get through two or three pages at a time without losing interest or forgetting where the main character was or what he was doing. I can see the value of reading this as a ~classic~ but it just wasn’t doing it for me.
December 23, 2018
There is nothing redeeming about this book, very dense and took forever to drudge through. I was expecting some story relating to colonization and the evils that follow, instead I got a boring journey that ended abruptly. I repeatedly ask myself what is the point why am I reading this and finally how is this a classic. I could not bring myself to read the other short stories.
May 16, 2021
Joelle Still Reads Her Bookcase #22
The oppressiveness of (sun)light...darkness...utter and impregnable silence: Conrad never deviates from these three themes. The darkness within, the darkness without; sunlight causing only more silence. The genius of his works is not whay they DO say, but what very distinctly what they DO NOT say.
The oppressiveness of (sun)light...darkness...utter and impregnable silence: Conrad never deviates from these three themes. The darkness within, the darkness without; sunlight causing only more silence. The genius of his works is not whay they DO say, but what very distinctly what they DO NOT say.
April 8, 2023
Heart of Darkness was pretty alright. Read the book after watching Apocalypse Now and was pretty disappointed, I much prefer the storyline of the film. Kurtz’s death being natural and not by Marlowe’s hand seemed like a cop-out in my opinion. For the short stories, the only one I really enjoyed was The Return to be honest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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