Heart of Darkness (Norton Critical Editions) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Paul B. Armstrong (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Fourth Edition is again based on Robert Kimbrough’s meticulously re-edited text. Missing words have been restored and the entire novel has been repunctuated in accordance with Conrad’s style. The result is the first published version of Heart of Darkness that allows readers to hear Marlow’s voice as Conrad heard it when he wrote the story. "Backgrounds and Contexts" provides readers with a generous collection of maps and photographs that bring the Belgian Congo to life. Textual materials, topically arranged, address nineteenth-century views of imperialism and racism and include autobiographical writings by Conrad on his life in the Congo. New to the Fourth Edition is an excerpt from Adam Hochschild’s recent book, King Leopold’s Ghost, as well as writings on race by Hegel, Darwin, and Galton. "Criticism" includes a wealth of new materials, including nine contemporary reviews and assessments of Conrad and Heart of Darkness and twelve recent essays by Chinua Achebe, Peter Brooks, Daphne Erdinast-Vulcan, Edward Said, and Paul B. Armstrong, among others. Also new to this edition is a section of writings on the connections between Heart of Darkness and the film Apocalypse Now by Louis K. Greiff, Margot Norris, and Lynda J. Dryden. A Chronology and Selected Bibliography are also included. .

About the Author

Paul B. Armstrong is Dean of the College and Professor of English at Brown University. He is the author of Play and the Politics of Reading: The Social Uses of Modernist Form, Conflicting Readings: Variety and Validity in Interpretation, The Challenge of Bewilderment: Understanding and Representation in James, Conrad, and Ford and The Phenomenology of Henry James. He is the editor of the Norton Critical Edition of E.M. Forster’s Howards End.

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.; 4th edition (December 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393926362
• ISBN-13: 978-0393926361
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #36,004 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best edition of great novel, November 15, 2006

By	S. H. Wells (Tulsa, OK United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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Heart of Darkness is one of those classics of literature that should be read by everyone. It is dark and deeply psychological. But more than just a great novel, it is probably one of the most frequently referenced culture touchstones in the western world (if you think Apocolypse Now was an "important film," then you should read the inspiration behind it--Heart of Darkness). But anyone can find "what is this book about" on many websites. THe Norton Critical edition is probably the best way to read Heart of Darkness. THe Norton Critical edition includes contemporary reviews, and major literary critics discussing the importance of the book. In other words, if you read the Norton Critical edition you'll of course be able to talk about "what happens" in the book but also "why it is significant"

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Devil Froze From Fear, August 8, 2007

By	T. Dodge (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Daytime scents of nightmare horrors. Man and his insane ways - bushman, postman, commoner, who to blame? Unless you are familiar with the background of this stunning novel do yourself a favor and get the Norton Critical Edition. For a century Conrad's novel has drawn raves and rage. Each is left to decide where the sanity line lies, to the right or to the left. Upriver or downriver? Riveting every page of the way.

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliance, August 24, 2006

By	Matthew Menjou "Mattyboy" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Recently criticized by PC "academics" for its racism, Heart of Darkness remains one of the best books ever written. Yes, the book is racist, but it is no different than most of the prejudices held by Western Europeans of the period. That doesn't detract from the fact that this book is beautifully written (Conrad's long, twisting sentences, like the River Marlow travels up, have inspired my writing style to a great degree) and works as an amazing allegory for the dual nature of humanity: the battle between man and the inner beast. Before you let anybody turn you off of this book for its racism or its long sentence structure, just give it a read-through (its very short, though there's a lot underneath the surface). This is one trip upriver you won't regret.