Heart of Darkness (Dover Thrift Editions) by Joseph Conrad Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Heart of Darkness (Dover Thrift Editions)
Book Review: One of the greatest novels ever written
Summary: 5 Stars
Unspeakably beautiful prose. The images reinforcing the narrative reinforcing the resulting horror, always slightly offstage, but always so close to your own soul as if to feel its very breath.
The plot consists of a frame story and narration of an "adventure" or a misadventure, where a young ambitious man takes a job as a river pilot, sent to investment operations in Africa, with a mission to go upriver and obtain goods and ivory. The story follows his journey from introduction to his employer, his travels in Africa, and his return.
But the plot is not the story, for it is the internal narration that we encounter his growing knowledge and apprehension and anxiety but compelling necessity of meeting Kurtz, the manager of the inner station of the operation.
But even the voice is not the story, for it is the care in which the words are chosen, and the ineffable quality of their lulling you into a state of consciousness of evil. After reading the book you are left marvelling at how literature is capable of such power.
Book Review: I could write a book about this book!
Summary: 5 Stars
Conrad is an amazing writer! English is his THIRD language, too! This book is so incredibly packed with symbolism and beautiful, almost poetry-like, writing. He references classical literature and Biblical symbolism as well as creating his own themes that run through it. It's really an amazing work! I did my term paper in my British Literature class on it.Book Review: Gotcha!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
After several failed attempts at reading "Heart of Darkness," I finally curled up in a comfy chair one rainy night and read it all in one sitting. This was my experience: I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'M TERRIFIED. A masterpiece of hypnotic writing.Book Review: The Image of Civilized Evil
Summary: 5 Stars
I consider the work of Joseph Conrad, "Heart of Darkness" to be a literary masterpiece. One of his powerful tools throughout the novella is the imagery, which Conrad uses to illustrate, contrast, and compare ideas for the reader to visualize. We can recognize that the first imagery of darkness emerges from the title of the novella. As we read through the story, we encounter the repetition of light and most importantly the repetition of darkness. The imagery of light and darkness represents beyond the contrast of the colors. It illustrates white (the Europeans) and black (the Africans). Furthermore, it illustrates European colonization versus uncivilized African, righteousness versus inhuman act, and life versus death.
The imagery of light and darkness appears in numerous parts of the novella. Some of the examples, Marlow -he is a main character in the novella- discusses about a blank space on the map as "a white patch," but it had changed into "a place of darkness" (Conrad 5). Fresleven -he is one of the characters in the novella- was killed because of the misunderstanding of "two black hens" (6). Marlow arrives at a city, which reminds him of a "white sepulcher." Two women are "knitting black wool." Marlow sees a "white-haired" secretary (7). Marlow describes the two women as they were guarding the "door of darkness" (8). Marlow sees the color of "dark-green" almost "black" of the edge of the jungle (10). Marlow sees "black rags" around the Africans' loins (12). "We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness" (31). They come upon a "dark corner" at the Inner Station (33). As Marlow goes to see Kurt's intended, the room appears to "have grown darker, as if all the sad light of the cloudy evening had taken refuge on her forehead" (69). Marlow sees "an unearthly glow in the darkness" in Kurt's intended, which reflects her grief and sorrow (70). Marlow is unable to tell Kurt's intended the truth about Kurt's last word as Marlow describes, as "it would have been too dark -too dark altogether" (72). These are some examples of Conrad's illustration of light and darkness that keep repeating throughout the novella. However, the imagery of light and darkness is signified in several meanings according to the plot of the story and the reader's view.
The imagery of light and darkness can be depicted in several intensions. The imagery of light can be represented as white Europeans whose intention is to civilize the African's way of living. In contrast, the imagery of darkness can be represented as the uncivilized Africans. The second intension of light can be depicted as the European imperialism carried out by Kurtz -he is one of the main characters chosen to live among the Africans as the chief or a figurehead- over the Africans' tribe. It seems that Kurt's first intension acquired by his company is to bring light (civilization) into the lives of the Africans and also bring as much ivory as possible into the European company. Subsequently, we find that parts of Kurt's intension had change. His interest on ivory might have been the same or similar to the past but his interest in Africans' lives has changed. He is represented as the light for the Africans while the ivory is represented as darkness. The concept of African civilization by the European company becomes the darkness and the Africans' wild life becomes the light in the heart of darkness.
The imagery of light and darkness is arbitrary in the novella. What is considered to be righteousness according to the Europeans is indeed inhuman. One way is to think of light as bringing the civilization to the Africans, but this can also mean bringing the darkness into the African's lives by chaining them up and making them work as slaves. "The joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope; each had an iron collar on his neck, and all were connected together with a chain whose bights swung between them, rhythmically clinking" (13). The European imperialism is represented as the darkness and inhuman act. They go to Africa just because they want "to make money" (17). Europeans make money by collecting ivory and taking advantages of the Africans' land and also the Africans' lives. The image of European trading company as being white and righteousness is an illusion, instead, it is so dark and evil; as a result, many lives are being taken away.
The image of death is signified as darkness. The death of Fresleven signifies as the darkness in Africa and how brutal Africans are (6). The image of Africans being chained up is also signifies as the living death, the darkness; they are being controlled by white men and not being able to run freely (13). The death of a "middle aged Negro with a bullet hold in the forehead" is also signified as inhuman killing (17). This is a form of darkness from the European side. Lastly, it is the death of Kurtz, which signifies as the darkness from the European side and as well as the African side. Perhaps, Kurtz is the only one who can bring light into the lives of the Africans but since he is dead, the light is also vanished along with him leaving the darkness behind the Africans and also his intended who lives in Europe.
The imagery of light and darkness in the novella can be describes in many meanings. What we evaluate as the righteousness might consider as the darkness and inhuman act. Joseph Conrad is an outstanding English writer. He uses the imagery to illustrate and contrast opposite ideas such as light versus darkness, righteousness versus inhuman, and life versus death. What is interesting is that he does not suggest that one idea must be in the category of light or darkness, but instead he makes the reader chooses what is considered as light or darkness.
Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Dover, 1990.
Book Review: The best horror story of all time...
Summary: 5 Stars
If one is seeking answers to the question why things must always go wrong, one must read this book. I have read hundreds of pages of critical writing on Heart of Darkness, and as many interpretations. They were all extremely interesting; they were all a nice try... I would encourage the reader to endeavor to look into what there is beyond the story, not in what is being said, but what is not being said, and why. The answer is at the other end of your own mind. As for the Everyman's edition and Klinkenborg's introduction - just perfect!