Dark allegory describes the narrator's journey up the Congo River and his meeting with, and fascination by, Mr. Kurtz, a mysterious personage who dominates the unruly inhabitants of the region. Masterly blend of adventure, character development, psychological penetration. Considered by many Conrad's finest, most enigmatic story.
Heart of Darkness
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
Review
As powerful a condemnation of imperialism as has ever been written Observer Once experienced, it is hard to let Heart of Darkness go. A masterpiece of surprise, of expression and psychological nuance, of fury at colonial expansion and of how men make the least of life ... endlessly readable and worthy of rereading Telegraph --Amazon customer
"Goonetilleke's edition does much to restore the context [in which Conrad was writing] and begins with a helpful summary of Congo history. The edition contains excerpts from some of the best writers in English on conditions in the Congo Free State." (The Times Literary Supplement )
"This edition offers a bold and intelligent introduction to the book's aesthetic and philosophical challenges, gives an excitingly useful chronology of the Congo with excerpts from Congo exploration literature, and deftly anticipates issues that discussion of the text will raise." (David Leon Higdon Conradiana )
"Evenhanded it connects Conrad palpably to the European colonization of the continent." (Harper's Magazine )
"[This edition is] far better than anything else on the market today." (Craig Keating ) --New York Times
"Goonetilleke's edition does much to restore the context [in which Conrad was writing] and begins with a helpful summary of Congo history. The edition contains excerpts from some of the best writers in English on conditions in the Congo Free State." (The Times Literary Supplement )
"This edition offers a bold and intelligent introduction to the book's aesthetic and philosophical challenges, gives an excitingly useful chronology of the Congo with excerpts from Congo exploration literature, and deftly anticipates issues that discussion of the text will raise." (David Leon Higdon Conradiana )
"Evenhanded…it connects Conrad palpably to the European colonization of the continent." (Harper's Magazine )
"[This edition is] far better than anything else on the market today." (Craig Keating ) --New York Times
"Goonetilleke's edition does much to restore the context [in which Conrad was writing] and begins with a helpful summary of Congo history. The edition contains excerpts from some of the best writers in English on conditions in the Congo Free State." (The Times Literary Supplement )
"This edition offers a bold and intelligent introduction to the book's aesthetic and philosophical challenges, gives an excitingly useful chronology of the Congo with excerpts from Congo exploration literature, and deftly anticipates issues that discussion of the text will raise." (David Leon Higdon Conradiana )
"Evenhanded…it connects Conrad palpably to the European colonization of the continent." (Harper's Magazine )
"[This edition is] far better than anything else on the market today." (Craig Keating ) --New York Times
"Goonetilleke's edition does much to restore the context [in which Conrad was writing] and begins with a helpful summary of Congo history. The edition contains excerpts from some of the best writers in English on conditions in the Congo Free State." (The Times Literary Supplement )
"This edition offers a bold and intelligent introduction to the book's aesthetic and philosophical challenges, gives an excitingly useful chronology of the Congo with excerpts from Congo exploration literature, and deftly anticipates issues that discussion of the text will raise." (David Leon Higdon Conradiana )
"Evenhanded…it connects Conrad palpably to the European colonization of the contin --New York Times
"Goonetilleke's edition does much to restore the context [in which Conrad was writing] and begins with a helpful summary of Congo history. The edition contains excerpts from some of the best writers in English on conditions in the Congo Free State." (The Times Literary Supplement )
"This edition offers a bold and intelligent introduction to the book's aesthetic and philosophical challenges, gives an excitingly useful chronology of the Congo with excerpts from Congo exploration literature, and deftly anticipates issues that discussion of the text will raise." (David Leon Higdon Conradiana )
"Evenhanded…it connects Conrad palpably to the European colonization of the continent." (Harper's Magazine )
"[This edition is] far better than anything else on the market today." (Craig Keating ) --New York Times
"Goonetilleke's edition does much to restore the context [in which Conrad was writing] and begins with a helpful summary of Congo history. The edition contains excerpts from some of the best writers in English on conditions in the Congo Free State." (The Times Literary Supplement )
"This edition offers a bold and intelligent introduction to the book's aesthetic and philosophical challenges, gives an excitingly useful chronology of the Congo with excerpts from Congo exploration literature, and deftly anticipates issues that discussion of the text will raise." (David Leon Higdon Conradiana )
"Evenhanded it connects Conrad palpably to the European colonization of the continent." (Harper's Magazine )
"[This edition is] far better than anything else on the market today." (Craig Keating ) --New York Times
"Goonetilleke's edition does much to restore the context [in which Conrad was writing] and begins with a helpful summary of Congo history. The edition contains excerpts from some of the best writers in English on conditions in the Congo Free State." (The Times Literary Supplement )
"This edition offers a bold and intelligent introduction to the book's aesthetic and philosophical challenges, gives an excitingly useful chronology of the Congo with excerpts from Congo exploration literature, and deftly anticipates issues that discussion of the text will raise." (David Leon Higdon Conradiana )
"Evenhanded…it connects Conrad palpably to the European colonization of the continent." (Harper's Magazine )
"[This edition is] far better than anything else on the market today." (Craig Keating ) --New York Times
"Goonetilleke's edition does much to restore the context [in which Conrad was writing] and begins with a helpful summary of Congo history. The edition contains excerpts from some of the best writers in English on conditions in the Congo Free State." (The Times Literary Supplement )
"This edition offers a bold and intelligent introduction to the book's aesthetic and philosophical challenges, gives an excitingly useful chronology of the Congo with excerpts from Congo exploration literature, and deftly anticipates issues that discussion of the text will raise." (David Leon Higdon Conradiana )
"Evenhanded…it connects Conrad palpably to the European colonization of the continent." (Harper's Magazine )
"[This edition is] far better than anything else on the market today." (Craig Keating ) --New York Times
"Goonetilleke's edition does much to restore the context [in which Conrad was writing] and begins with a helpful summary of Congo history. The edition contains excerpts from some of the best writers in English on conditions in the Congo Free State." (The Times Literary Supplement )
"This edition offers a bold and intelligent introduction to the book's aesthetic and philosophical challenges, gives an excitingly useful chronology of the Congo with excerpts from Congo exploration literature, and deftly anticipates issues that discussion of the text will raise." (David Leon Higdon Conradiana )
"Evenhanded…it connects Conrad palpably to the European colonization of the contin --New York Times
"Goonetilleke's edition does much to restore the context [in which Conrad was writing] and begins with a helpful summary of Congo history. The edition contains excerpts from some of the best writers in English on conditions in the Congo Free State." (The Times Literary Supplement )
"This edition offers a bold and intelligent introduction to the book's aesthetic and philosophical challenges, gives an excitingly useful chronology of the Congo with excerpts from Congo exploration literature, and deftly anticipates issues that discussion of the text will raise." (David Leon Higdon Conradiana )
"Evenhanded…it connects Conrad palpably to the European colonization of the continent." (Harper's Magazine )
"[This edition is] far better than anything else on the market today." (Craig Keating ) --New York Times
From the Publisher
Hesperus Press, as suggested by their Latin motto, Et remotissima prope, is dedicated to bringing near what is far—far both in space and time. Works by illustrious authors, often unjustly neglected or simply little known in the English–speaking world, are made accessible through a completely fresh editorial approach or new translations. Through these short classic works, which feature forewords by leading contemporary authors, the modern reader will be introduced to the greatest writers of Europe and America. An elegantly designed series of exceptional books.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 56 people found the following review helpful
By Kali
Format:Paperback
I was once one of those students forced to read this book at school. I was dragged kicking and screaming to its pages and read it only because I did not want to flunk my English Literature class. I was riveted from the first page, right up to the last paragraph. It is quite simply Conrad's finest book, (yes, I read his other books after this one.) However be aware, this is not everyone's cup of tea. There will be some people who will read this book and think, "Oh God, you have to be kidding!" However if you can get passed this mentality then you are in for a real literary treat.
The story is simple enough, a young Englishman; Marlow (this character appears in Conrad's story "Youth") goes out to Africa to seek his fortune. He is at first idealistic, and full of himself. However he quickly realises that Africa is full of petty bureaucrats who have no idea how to make use of this dark jewel they have acquired. Like Colonists before them, they proceed to ravage and plunder the land of its natural resources. Enter Kurtz, an Ivory Trader who has gone Native. He has become a Renegade, living with his Black mistress in the heart of Africa's interior; systematically turning his back on his supposed civilised self.
Marlow meets Kurtz after an eventful trip up the Congo and finds himself curiously attracted to this strange man who is [very ill], and obviously going insane. Kurtz in turn is an embarrassment to his employers who would rather see him dead than returned to "civilization." Of course this is unspoken, and the hypocrisy of human natures sticks out like a sore thumb in this novel, especially as Kurtz is one of the best Ivory Traders on the Congo route.
... Read more ›302 of 338 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I would like to address myself specifically to the Norton Critical Edition of this book. The difficulty that many readers face when they pick up a classic, pre-twentieth century novel is that they are not conversant with the history of the times in which it was written. Heart of Darkness can be enjoyed purely as a well written novella, but then you miss so much of what Conrad is trying to say not only regarding the thin veneer of man's social persona (ala Lord of the Flies) but about the evils of 19th century imperialism. What is the story of Colonialism? Do Conrad's derogatory remarks about Blacks make him a bigot? What were Conrad's overall views on life? What were Conrad's personal experiences in the Congo? What did readers think of Heart of Darkness when it was written, and what do the critics think of it today?
The Norton Critical Edition gives you 325 extra pages of material written by Conrad and others that provide answers to the above questions. You don't have to read all of these many articles, of course, but a good sampling of them will make your immersion in this famous story all the more enjoyable and meaningful.
This is a story that everyone should read, and the Norton Critical Edition provides the best format for the reading experience.
112 of 124 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
No-one seriously interested in English literature can afford not to read this book. As a central device, the parallel journey into the heart of Africa and the dark centre of the human experience, remains as powerful as ever. The writing in the opening pages, depicting the men and the Thames and the wide possibilities that rise with every outgoing tide, remain as evocative as anything in English. Conrad's subject is barbarity, a theme as relevant now as then. His dark view of the colonial instinct also stands as a warning at this very hour. With "Lord Jim" a thicker, but in many ways easier book to read, Conrad poses the great existential question that was to dominate personal politics throughout the 20th Century, the taking of personal responsibility, the search for personal redemption - as one character puts it: "How to be - Ach! How to be?" With "Heart of Darkness" he articulates what Michael Ignatieff has described as "the seductiveness of moral disgust." Faced with the darkness around him, the character Kurtz advises "exterminate the brutes." His final, dread epiphany, his message from the heart of his own darkness "The Horror! The Horror!" is as chilling now as it was a century ago - a century that has seen more horror than even Conrad could have imagined.
164 of 185 people found the following review helpful
By sid1gen
Format:Paperback
Several people I am acquainted with have questioned my reading of "Heart of Darkness," using as argument the fact that they read it "in high school." Apparently, for these very well-read souls, if the book was in their high school reading list, then it should never be approached again. Well, both the poem of "El Cid" and the novel "Don Quijote" first revealed their wonders to me when I was in high school, and now that I have read them again (and "Don Quijote" complete this time), they have just proved to be timeless classics with something to tell a person of any age. "Heart of Darkness," by Joseph Conrad, is a classic that, given its length, invites several readings, particularly if one goes beyond the "high school-depth" sadly evident in those acquaintances of mine. The different, dark, alien world of the Congo as barely seen through Marlow's eyes, juxtaposed with the author's subtle-but-powerful condemnation of a system that promotes exploitation of those seen as "inferior," is one of this novella's most important, and often missed, commentaries. Marlow is the English sailor who does not, and cannot, understand anything that is not English, from the nameless city across the Channel (Brussels, most probably), to the ghost-like figures that people his employer's offices, to the multi-coloured map that shows how Africa has been carved, to the multi-coloured Russian whose language Marlowe cannot recognize and believes is cypher, to the river itself, to the native inhabitants of the land he is invading. This trip up the Congo river that Marlow tells his shipmates about while on the Thames is a journey after a man's voice, his treasure of ivory, and his report on the natives.... Read more ›
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
Somebody told me that Apocalypse Now the film was based on this book so I had to read it.
I wasn't disappointed, it is an excellent read.
I wasn't disappointed, it is an excellent read.
Published 1 day ago by Andrew Speake
5.0 out of 5 stars
Replaced my printed copu
Seems I have lost my printed copy, when I went online to find a replacement this edition was free so worked great for me. I recommend the book strongly.
Published 2 days ago by Gabriela Batista
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing!
I have not just read but I have experienced Joseph Conrad's genial work of art. It was really a fascinating vision of an irrepressible truth, which the author put into words,... Read more
Published 3 days ago by hugo
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wow!
After years of hearing this book mentioned in regard to the colonization of Africa and the movie 'Apocalypse Now' I decided to read it recently. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Tagstick
5.0 out of 5 stars
More than a Classic
Conrad has written one of the greatest literary pieces of modern times. It is a tale I always come back to, and the athmosphere and the prose that flows like the river it... Read more
Published 7 days ago by Troels Danielsen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Short, Intense
Conrad is a master of tone. Like Shirley Jackson, you find yourself full of dread and horror, but it isn't a plot element that evokes that response. Read more
Published 9 days ago by Mrs. Burns
5.0 out of 5 stars
True Classic
I needed to read this for my Praxis two test and I am glad that I added it to my library.
Published 10 days ago by Mellissa S Bonar
4.0 out of 5 stars
Read the book, watch the movie
The heart of darkness is novel full of historical insight, but whose story is told in a language that feels somewhat archaic to the modern reader. Read more
Published 13 days ago by Daniel
5.0 out of 5 stars
Deliciously descriptive and reading by Branagh is better than theater!...
Take the journey with Marlow - Conrad's descriptions so rich and vivid; vocabulary so wonderfully precise; Branagh with perfect tone, inflection, and animation - you feel the story... Read more
Published 17 days ago by Soo Lee Davis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing, Brilliant, Must Read
This is not the book to be lightly read. This does not imply however that this book is heavy in a sense of being boring or ancient in the feel. Read more
Published 18 days ago by saket
