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: Notes in the margins.
Summary: 3 Stars
I got through Heart of Darkness by writing myself notes in the margins to help me figure out and remember what was happening. If you're being forced to read this, look at it from an analytical point of view and you might get through it. See it as an object to be studied rather than a thing to be enjoyed.
After I was finished, the one question I asked myself was, "what was I supposed to get from this?" Heart of Darkness is dense and bland, however, that doesn't mean it shouldn't be explored.
I explored it, and am appreciative for the experience; but, don't hold your breath waiting for me to pick it up again any time soon.
Book Review: Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
This may be one of the best novels of the English language. Not an easy read by today's standards but amazing nonetheless. It may have to be read more than once to truly appreciate the greatness of this inner trip into the Heart of Darkness.
As a side note Francis Ford Coppola masterpiece `Apocalypse Now" is based on this piece.
Book Review: Conrad Takes On Two Sides Of Man
Summary: 5 Stars
The two Joseph Conrad novellas "Heart Of Darkness" and "The Secret Sharer" make for an interesting juxtaposition in this Signet Classic edition, not only because they are great stories but because of their interesting dialogue on the nature of man.
In "Heart Of Darkness," we follow our narrator, Marlow, as he leads a boat up the Congo to bring back an ivory seller named Kurtz, seeing along the way example after example of how cruelly the colonial powers treat the native population. Worse follows when Marlow finally reaches Kurtz, discovering a former idealist turned pirate who simply kills what he can and takes what he wants until jungle fever claims him.
Most people read "Heart Of Darkness" after seeing "Apocalypse Now," the Francis Ford Coppola movie based on the tale. It's startling how many elements of Conrad's story made the final cut, including a crazy Russian in the book who raves about how Kurtz has "expanded his mind" in such a way that makes you wonder if Conrad somehow foresaw Dennis Hopper. The modern nature of Conrad's writing seemed to anticipate the cinema of today. "Heart of Darkness" was certainly a favorite of auteurs; Orson Welles thought of making it into a movie before deciding instead on "Citizen Kane."
"Heart Of Darkness's" arrival to the present day hasn't been all favorable. It's out of favor with many academics because of passages like this, about the native population:
"It was unearthly, and the men were - No, they were not inhuman. Well, you know, that was the worst of it - the suspicion of their not being inhuman. It would come slowly to one. They howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity - like yours - the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar."
Not pleasant reading for the 21st century, but keep in mind this is the narrator talking, not Conrad. Conrad is playing a subtle game with the reader, stoking notions of racial superiority as a means of illuminating the wanton viciousness of the white colonists, who advanced civilization has made crueler and coarser than the blacks they enslave. The first time you read "Heart of Darkness" you worry for Marlow traveling in the company of a group of man-eating grass beaters. The second time, you realize that those black tribesmen are the only cannibals in the book who control their appetite.
No question Conrad was a supreme pessimist when it came to human nature, which is why "The Secret Sharer" is such a welcome contrast. The narrator here is a captain on a ship, very young and held in suspicion by his crew, who finds himself harboring a fugitive, wanted for murder on another vessel.
The captain brings him to his cabin, where the two become joined in their act of secrecy, sweating out possible discovery from the captain's crew. In time, they become like two children having a whispered conversation after midnight during a sleepover, brothers almost. As the bond deepens, the captain notices a modest resemblance between them.
Sure, there's the requisite ambiguity, but if "Heart of Darkness" is all about the dark side of human nature, and of course it is, "The Secret Sharer" in a quieter way presents us with Conrad's notion of what makes life worth living, the ability of people to look out for one another and serve as shoulders to lean upon. Plus it has ample examples of Conrad's sea writing, which is really quite good.
Book Review: Adventure into one's own inner soul
Summary: 4 Stars
An adventure into deepest, darkest Africa . . . An exposé of the evils of European Imperialism . . . A deep, introspective look into the recesses of one's own soul and character . . . "Heart of Darkness" is a novel which deals with these three complexities in an interesting, enjoyable, and thought-provoking manner.
Joseph Conrad's classic is, on the surface, a novel which chronicles the adventures of Marlow as part of a Belgian Congo "trading" company, and his pursuit for the larger-than-life Kurtz. However, it delves into the hypocrisy of Imperialism, the darkness in one's soul, and the relative meaning of insanity. Although the naked savagery and cruelty of the Europeans toward the Africans is exposed, particularly in the "Grove of Death," Marlow's more pressing concerns are with the effect that Imperialism has upon the "civilized" individual. By all accounts, Kurtz was a model citizen in Europe and of utmost regard, bounded by the social norms and mores of the rigid European society. Yet, when he plunges into the jungles of Africa, the previous social norms which bounded him are now broken, and his soul has infinite freedom. It is in this environment of limitless freedom that the soul will undoubtedly veer toward the dark abyss of one's inner being. Truly, Kurtz has been horrified about what has become of him, and Marlow shudders at the potential fate of his own soul.
Although this novel exposes the hypocrisy and savagery of Imperialism, it does not regard the native Africans in a high light, either. Although Marlow certainly displays compassion toward the "savages" and is the most sympathetic toward them, he still views them as mere inhuman objects. At times, Marlow seems to be more concerned about the inefficiency and wastes of the colonial system, than of the welfare of the natives. But at least Marlow exposes the hypocrisy of the Europeans who claim to "civilize the savages," but are interested in nothing more than their own wealth and self-interest.
For the PC crowd, the Offend-o-Meter is pretty high. The native Africans are stereotyped as savages and cannibals who believe in witchcraft and sorcery. They are regarded as ignorant and superstitious and inferior to the Europeans, even by Marlow. Women are regarded as out of touch with reality, and merely objects for a man's affection and wealth. And of course ivory is hunted and is celebrated in abundance. But I think these can be dismissed as a relic of its era.
Overall, this is a great book that not only explores European Imperialism, but also the depths of one's inner soul. And although Imperialism isn't soundly rejected, it still provides an interesting study for the prevailing wisdom of the time.
Book Review: Greatest English Novel
Summary: 5 Stars
Heart of Darkness may be the greatest novel written in the English language. This book must be read more than once in order to truly appreciate the masterpiece that it is. The book is made even better when one studies Conrad's life and realizes that English was his fifth language and he didn't learn it until his 30s. Truly amazing!