Heart of Darkness is a novella written by Joseph Conrad. Released in serial form in 1899, it tells of the hunt for a mysterious figure known as Kurtz in the Congo River. Written as a critique of colonialism and the Belgian ivory trade, Heart of Darkness is frequently cited as a major anti-colonialist work - though some figures like Chinua Achebe have criticized it.
Characters[]
- Charles Marlow - the narrator of the novella, a recurring character in Conrad's works
- Kurtz - an ivory trader
rest to be added
Publisher's summary[]
Although Polish by birth, Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) is regarded as one of the greatest writers in English, and Heart of Darkness, first published in 1902, is considered by many his "most famous, finest, and most enigmatic story" (Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed.). The tale concerns the journey of the narrator (Marlow) up the Congo River on behalf of a Belgian trading company. Far upriver, he encounters the mysterious Kurtz, an ivory trader who exercises an almost godlike sway over the inhabitations of the region. Both repelled and fascinated by the man, Marlow is brought face to face with the corruption and despair that Conrad saw at the heart of human existence.
In its combination of narrative and symbolic power, masterly character study and acute psychological penetration, Heart of Darkness ranks as a landmark of modern fiction. It is a book no serious student of literature can afford to miss.
Author's continuity[]
- Charles Marlow also appears in Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim, Chance, and Youth.
See also[]
| Title | Author | Release date | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Things Fall Apart | Chinua Achebe | 1958 | A novel which counters and follows the themes of Heart of Darkness |
| At Play in the Fields of the Lord | Peter Matthiessen | 1965 | A novel with similar themes to Heart of Darkness |
| Flatland | Edwin A. Abbott | 1884 | A novella with somewhat similar themes to Heart of Darkness |
| Blood Meridian | Cormac McCarthy | 1985 | A novel with somewhat similar themes to Heart of Darkness |
Sources[]
- Wikipedia
- Goodreads