Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Heart of Darkness: And Selections from the Congo Diary by Joseph Conrad

53 reviews

jessthanthree's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Moderate: Death, Racism, Torture, Violence, and War

luis0n7i's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Cannibalism

edesia_guest's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Important to read to understand ideas perpetuated at the time but it’s still a horrible book which holds bias and prejudice. you need to be aware of the author and context but if sensitive just avoid. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, and Colonisation

Minor: Cannibalism

93explorer's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

 Mixed thoughts about this book, but leaning towards the negative. This book and its concepts were just really hard to read, especially from the point of view of the colonizer rather than the people being colonized. I think the general detachment and apathy from Marlow and the narrator made this book 10x worse in terms of the ideas, violence, and racism, and this made it really hard for me to want to read and analyze it for class. The only redeeming thing about this book was Conrad’s writing in terms of imagery and description, as it does really transport the reader into the narrative. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Colonisation, and War

rory_john14's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore, Fire/Fire injury, and War

Minor: Animal death, Genocide, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Classism

issyd23's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

An absolute masterpiece - made me love apocalypse now even more 5 ⭐️ 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence

mushrooms23's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Murder, and War

ayah_reads's review against another edition

Second book for my Empire and its Fictions course! 

What even was that??? I don't see the critique of Western colonialism?? Is it the "horror" Kurtz is referring to?? The story is still founded on the idea of Africa as savage, "the darkness" even if it messes around it with, so any critique is honestly just so weak?? Africa and Africans are just used as the background to delve into the European psyche, like?? Literary analysis is just all good to forget this dehumanisation. I read this and I think it was always about Europe and its own issues, why do you have to go and bring other countries in to it and be part of the story that justifies colonialism??

The story itself is literally one massive monologue, only saving grace is there a third person narrator but Marlow really just tells this whole story to the men on the boat, like ?? Why are these stories never written in actual narrative form. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Colonisation

dustycedar's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

• Had high hopes for this book initially given its (at the time) progressive views on imperialism & colonialism
• It was overall still SUPER racist & the author really put a lot of effort into trying to sound profound
• I think it’s probably a good book to read in terms of literary analysis, but can be difficult to get through because of its harsh themes & general structure 
• TONS OF QUEER UNDERTONES
• Tons of blatant racism & sometimes graphic descriptions 
• Probably wouldn’t read again for pleasure 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Murder, and Colonisation

midnightcomets's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

Very racist. Did not connect to any of the characters. The writing style was not for me, even though it had some good quotes. Would not recommend it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence