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Summary: Who knows our own Hearts of Darkness?
Review: 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. Marlow struggles to understand Kurtz and what makes him tick, but he only touches the surface of a man who can live in neither the Black or White world comfortably. He has been [harmed] by both worlds and therefore he is cursed. Heart of Darkness has many facets; it is a story about Imperialism, racism, and the darkness of human nature. Conrad purposely leaves the ending open to interpretation. ... This is a book that will make you think, make you want to it re-read again and again in case you have missed anything. There are also some genuinely funny moments in the book such as the Doctor who measures skulls for a hobby and the pompous Trading Post clerk who teaches his Black maid to starch his clothes. This edition, (Dover Thrift) is well worth getting as well, as it is [inexpensive] and cheerful and it definitely won't break the bank money wise.
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Summary: A real life story
Review: Conrad's story is remarkable, but people tend to ignore the fact that this is based on some real life events. The "whited sepulchre" that Marlow visits is Brussels and the river that he travels up is the Congo. In the nineteenth century King Leopold II of Belgium establshed the Congo as his own personal colony. It was not a colony of Belgium, it belonged soley to Leopold. The atrocities that he committed through his agents there are almost unspeakable. Somewhere aroung 10 million Africans died. For a good account of this read Hochschild's King Leopold's Ghost.
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Summary: Heart-wrenching
Review: To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure I "got" this book altogether. I'm sure there is something else hidden in the text; some eye-awakening symbolism, some brilliant analysis buried in a complex maze made more cumbersome by Joseph Conrad's circumlocution. I read this book with more than a few trips to the Dictionary, and, at times, I found myself re-reading the same paragraph. Conrad's prose is difficult, at times overwhelmingly so. Reading over criticisms of the book yielded some insights into imperialism (or something). But I didn't get that at all. I still don't, really. I guess, stretching it, you would bump into something akin to that. After all, here is Marlow, the protagonist, going off to Africa and all he finds is madness (not that he could see past his nose, what with all the fog and darkness, and gloominess, and broodingness). Instead, what I found was something bothersome lurking in the middle of all that confusion. Except it only related to me, you see, not to the world "out there." The book is an exploration of two peoples inner psychology. It is disturbing, to be sure, in the same way that existentialism is sometimes said to be disturbing - when done in a particular way, it leads to angst and meaninglessness. That "hell is other people" concept. Here, judge for yourself: "...it is impossible to convey the life-sensation of any given epoch of one's existence - that which makes its truth, its meaning - its subtle and penetrating essence. It is impossible. We live, as we dream - alone." (p. 39) "...but I like what is in the work - the chance to find yourself. Your own reality - for yourself, not for others - what no other man can ever know." (p. 41) "Droll thing life is - that mysterious arrangement of merciless logic for a futile purpose. The most you can hope from it is some knowledge of yourself - that comes too late - a crop of unextinguishable regrets." (p. 100) That's the theme, as I see it, of this novel. Never mind the arguments about this novel's 'hidden' attacks on imperialism (a double meaning on 'heart of darkness'-for one, it is the depth of your soul and, for two, it is the depth of Africa). It is the book's deeply penetrating and disturbing account of introspection that is most memorable. And on those grounds, I recommend it.
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Summary: a startlingly pure vision, disturbing.
Review: Conrad uses metaphor pretty much better than anyone ive ever read, his use of the english language would humble any scholar and he uses it here to show us the savage half of human nature. The character of Kurtz is a man who was considered brilliant by his 19th century contemporaries but when we encounter him, he is the primordial man in the place where all life began. Kurtz and this place(an ethereal vision of Africa revealed to us by the narrator Marlowe as he moves down the river toward Kurtz) seem to exist on another plane, before the advent of fear, faith, morality, hate, love and most importantly before the advent of lies. Kurtz sort of lives at one with nature, almost godlike in his understanding of its primal rhythms, yet at the same time his "civilized" self is horrorfied by nature's brutality. But it seems the savagery is preferable to the lies that are the foundation of western culture, because at least its honest, it isnt pretending to be something else. I tend to agree with the sentiment. The only thing negative thing about the novella is its dense with turn of the century references that are lost on me. However, even if you tend to prefer more modern authors like myself, I strongly recommend this powerful, savagely beautiful story.
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Summary: Heart of Darkness
Review: This was the second time I've read this book. I couldn't help but think, what if you had all the money you needed but couldn't do anything with it? This is how I viewed the book's theme of the mysterious Kurtz. He was corrupt and made money in ivory on the side from his "official" company business, but really was unable to use it for anything. I view this book as a work of irony. Conrad's writing style is antiquated, which can be frustrating. He rambles then switches scenes without warning. This may not be my favorite book, but it has meaning.
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Summary: Highlights imperialism's horrors
Review: Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad has been on my list of "books to read" for over a year; finally, I'm able to cross it off! The novel details one man's travels into the heart of Africa (or, the heart of darkness) during the late nineteenth century when imperialism flourished. There, he observes the corruptibility of man's nature, heart, and mind. This portrayal did not shock me as I would have expected, but that is most likely because I knew the story and imperialism's effects. Extremely long paragraphs and a continuous retrospective made this book difficult to read for long periods of time. However, having gotten through it, I can confidently say that it was worth the time spent.
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Summary: Colonial Gloom, Misty Plot
Review: Apparently touted by the early (and literate!) American pundit H.L. Mencken, this brief novel recounted at sea is strongest in my opinion in its dreamy use of language. The plot, such as it is, concerns a voyage into the depths of partly colonized lands, namely Africa with its slaves and beasts and some natives who, unaccustomed to technology, are apt to regard civilization, such as it is, as aliens or gods. Although the story line is hazy (as it is in dreams), the renowned author succeeds in creating an exotic mood of gloom (one of his favorite words)-a mood exacerbated by the technical device of recounting at sea tales taking place in the midst of a continent. The character played by Marlon Brando in the film Apocalypse Now is supposedly based in part on the "central" character of this novel, Kurtz, who, like the character in the Coppola film, appears only fleetingly, the better to show his obscurantist power.
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Summary: How To Make a 75 Page Story Into a 400 Page Book
Review: 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.
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Summary: Masterpiece and Inspiration for Masterpiece
Review: This is one of those books that is so well written that it makes me feel inferior. Yes, I struggled a little with Conrad's writing. No, I didn't regret having to. I'm not going to tell you what it is about. If you want to know you should buy this book. It's especially affordable in this addition so do yourself a favor and buy it. My only warning in that, although a short read, you may find this book slightly unattractive to return to due to some of Conrad's longer delvings into philosophy.
For those of you who don't know, Apocalypse Now was inspired by this book. For a short comparison see my review of the movie.
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Summary: One out of two
Review: The Secret Sharer isn't worth reading. The story starts off talking about the scenery which the author describes for way too long. The story ending does not really end the story. This story is dull and unexciting. Heart of Darkness however; is very well written. It is extremely rich in meaning and has great symbolism. It allows the reader to understand what is taking place more then the first book. The whole story is worth the time.
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