Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer (Signet classics) [Paperback]

Joseph Conrad (Author), Albert J. Guerard (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1950 | Series: Signet classics

Heart Of Darkness. The story of the civilized, enlightened Mr. Kurtz who embarks on a harrowing "night journey" into the savage heart of Africa, only to find his dark and evil soul. The Secret Sharer. The saga of a young, inexperienced skipper forced to decide the fate of a fugitive sailor who killed a man in self-defense. As he faces his first moral test the skipper discovers a terrifying truth -- and comes face to face with the secret itself. Heart Of Darkness and The Secret Sharer draw on actual events and people that Conrad met or heard about during his many far-flung travels. In portraying men whose incredible journeys on land and at sea are also symbolic voyages into their own mysterious depths, these two masterful works give credence to Conrad's acclaim as a major psychological writer.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Heart Of Darkness. The story of the civilized, enlightened Mr. Kurtz who embarks on a harrowing "night journey" into the savage heart of Africa, only to find his dark and evil soul. The Secret Sharer. The saga of a young, inexperienced skipper forced to decide the fate of a fugitive sailor who killed a man in self-defense. As he faces his first moral test the skipper discovers a terrifying truth -- and comes face to face with the secret itself. Heart Of Darkness and The Secret Sharer draw on actual events and people that Conrad met or heard about during his many far-flung travels. In portraying men whose incredible journeys on land and at sea are also symbolic voyages into their own mysterious depths, these two masterful works give credence to Conrad's acclaim as a major psychological writer. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

Heart Of Darkness. The story of the civilized, enlightened Mr. Kurtz who embarks on a harrowing "night journey" into the savage heart of Africa, only to find his dark and evil soul. The Secret Sharer. The saga of a young, inexperienced skipper forced to decide the fate of a fugitive sailor who killed a man in self-defense. As he faces his first moral test the skipper discovers a terrifying truth -- and comes face to face with the secret itself. Heart Of Darkness and The Secret Sharer draw on actual events and people that Conrad met or heard about during his many far-flung travels. In portraying men whose incredible journeys on land and at sea are also symbolic voyages into their own mysterious depths, these two masterful works give credence to Conrad's acclaim as a major psychological writer. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Signet Classics (December 1, 1950)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451523210
• ISBN-13: 978-0451523211
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,998,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Difficult Story of Imperial Colonialism and the Individual, August 13, 2007

By 

Big Cadillac "Survivor" (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer (Bantam Classics) (Paperback)

It should be noted immediately that "Heart of Darkness" is not an action packed morality tale like its cinematic cousin "Apocalypse Now", but an excursion into literary techniques such as symbolism and metaphor. As a result, many high school students and English under-grads are put to task to decode Conrad's frequently splendid, but occasionally arcane, use of English. Even if you are like me, (i.e. not a big fan of heavy symbolism, who prefers more literal writing) you will still enjoy this book with a little work.

Heart of Darkness takes place sometime around the turn of the 19th Century. The story is narrated by a worldly and morally ambiguous seafarer named Marlow. Marlow tells us, in great detail, about a voyage he took up the Congo River and his observations and tribulations thereof.

*Some Spoilers Follow*

A main theme to think about is Conrad's repeated thrashing of 19th Century Imperial Colonialism. There are numerous references throughout the book, including the title, of the moral ambiguity, discovery, and tension between "civilized" nations and "primitive" ones and, more importantly, applying this idea allegorically to an individual's internal struggle with his/her own individuality and moral compass.

On the negative side, this book is often over-analyzed to incomprehensibility as eager students and teachers find dubious meanings in admittedly confusing areas. I tend to chalk this up to unfortunate paragraph structure and disappointing anticlimaxes such as Marlow's visits with Kurtz.

Regardless, Conrad wrote a fine tale with historical relevance and personal insight. The trip up the river is especially brilliant. However, do not expect an action packed tale of heroes and villains, but rather think about what the "Heart of Darkness" means.

4/5

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shortness of Novel Belies its Depth, July 27, 2001

By 

Ricky Hunter (New York City, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer (Bantam Classics) (Paperback)

Joseph Conrad created a small masterpiece with the writing of Heart of Darkness (along with the near-miss of masterpiece status of the Secret Sharer, included in this volume) that still reverberates as an examination of the human pysche. Kurtz is a powerful creation that lasts because he is both so frighteningly unreal as he grows in Marlow's imagination but, in the end, too devastingly real as a product of the horrors around him. The territory surrounding the Congo river was truly as horrible as anything brought forth in this novel and reading Adam Hochschild's history, King Leopold's Ghost, along with this book by Joseph Conrad will give the reader a powerful view of the effects of colonization on the continent of Africa. A terrifying journey down the Congo that is important to take.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic of British Literature, February 15, 2007

By 

presypclhs (New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heart of Darkness and the Secret Sharer (Enriched Classics (Pocket)) (Mass Market Paperback)

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is a classic of British literature. Although Conrad was born in Russia-controlled Poland and did not become fluent in English until he was 21 years old, he demonstrates a tremendous mastery of the English language. Like many of his stories, Heart of Darkness is based on one of Conrad's own adventures (when he captained a steamboat down the Congo River).

Heart of Darkness chronicles the adventures of Charlie Marlow, a sailor and wanderer whose adventures lead him into the Congo Free State (under the control of Belgium) during the height of African Imperialism. As Marlow progressed further and further into the Congo, he confronts the growing darkness of mankind. The novel is often mistakenly taught in schools as a great anti-Imperialism novel, but this is not quite accurate. Almost every aspect of Heart of Darkness is ambiguous. Although Conrad clearly criticizes the false claims of humanitarian motives in imperialism, he does not condemn the act of imperialism. It is not even clear whether Conrad considers the Africans to be human.

Despite all its ambiguities, the Heart of Darkness is an important novel. At the very least, it paints a stunning and painful portrait of the cruelty and inhumanity of imperialist activities. If Conrad is not condemning imperialism, which is likely the case, then the novel ably portrays the underlying racism (and sexism, incidentally) in European thought during the time period.

The Secret Sharer is a short-story included with some copies of Heart of Darkness. The story follows a ship captain who rescues someone from the waters and allows him to stay on his ship, hidden from the ships' crew. The man turns out to have been a sailor on another ship who killed a crew-member during a storm. The captain protects the killer and eventually allows him to escape. Like the Heart of Darkness, the Secret Sharer is an ambiguous tale open to myriad interpretations.

Conrad's writing style is, admittedly, difficult at times. Although both stories are short, it takes a considerable amount of time to finish each one. The Heart of Darkness is told almost entirely through narrative which, at times, can become confusing and force the reader to go back and re-read some of the previous passages. Some readers are turned off by Conrad's writing style, while others find it very appealing. Whether you find it challenging or not, however, it is important to read the Heart of Darkness. It is difficult to find a better portrait of the horrors of imperialism.