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3.03 AVERAGE
3.03 AVERAGE
I've been sitting with this one for a bit, mainly because it's really hard to square the praise I've seen it get with the horrific racism dripping from every page.
What this book *wants* to be is indeed a horrific condemnation of colonialism at its worst. It sort of gets there, but it's stumbling over all of its early 20th-century biases and weird Victorian hangups.
These days, there exist dozens of better works that grapple with the legacy of colonialism in Africa. Every single one of them will summarize this book. No need for anyone who isn't specifically interested in Victorian literature on colonialism to touch this mess.
What this book *wants* to be is indeed a horrific condemnation of colonialism at its worst. It sort of gets there, but it's stumbling over all of its early 20th-century biases and weird Victorian hangups.
These days, there exist dozens of better works that grapple with the legacy of colonialism in Africa. Every single one of them will summarize this book. No need for anyone who isn't specifically interested in Victorian literature on colonialism to touch this mess.
I had tried to read this book several times before, always feeling out of sync with it—but this December, I finally finished it.
The novel builds its tension around the enigmatic Mr. Kurtz, a figure whose presence is both ubiquitous and, paradoxically, hollow. By the time Kurtz finally appears, he is a fragment of the man we were led to anticipate—his voice, his thoughts, his power all dissipated. And yet, Marlow truly does come to know Kurtz“as well as it is possible for one man to know another”. This knowledge coming from their humanity and mortality. This anti-climactic unraveling serves as the novel’s profound statement: the truths we seek are often empty, and what remains is the bareness of human existence, experience and darkness.
Marlow’s fascination with Kurtz is not born of blind admiration but of a subtle recognition that Kurtz understands the moral abyss of his own actions. He respects Kurtz not for his power or “promise” or “vision”, but only because from the beginning he senses that Kurtz, however fleetingly, understands the “horror” of what he has done and become.
The portrayal of African characters is deeply unsettling by design. They are shown through the eyes of the colonizers—silent, savage, dehumanized. Yet, in this depiction, Conrad exposes the inhumanity of that perspective. The novel does not soften or sanitize Marlow’s perspective—it could not, without falsifying history.
The genius of the book is so simple: Conrad never explicitly says that the bad things are bad and the good things are good; it presumes “the horror” of it all to be self-evident.
The novel builds its tension around the enigmatic Mr. Kurtz, a figure whose presence is both ubiquitous and, paradoxically, hollow. By the time Kurtz finally appears, he is a fragment of the man we were led to anticipate—his voice, his thoughts, his power all dissipated. And yet, Marlow truly does come to know Kurtz“as well as it is possible for one man to know another”. This knowledge coming from their humanity and mortality. This anti-climactic unraveling serves as the novel’s profound statement: the truths we seek are often empty, and what remains is the bareness of human existence, experience and darkness.
Marlow’s fascination with Kurtz is not born of blind admiration but of a subtle recognition that Kurtz understands the moral abyss of his own actions. He respects Kurtz not for his power or “promise” or “vision”, but only because from the beginning he senses that Kurtz, however fleetingly, understands the “horror” of what he has done and become.
The portrayal of African characters is deeply unsettling by design. They are shown through the eyes of the colonizers—silent, savage, dehumanized. Yet, in this depiction, Conrad exposes the inhumanity of that perspective. The novel does not soften or sanitize Marlow’s perspective—it could not, without falsifying history.
The genius of the book is so simple: Conrad never explicitly says that the bad things are bad and the good things are good; it presumes “the horror” of it all to be self-evident.
Quite difficult to read. When I had the energy to properly focus, it was a great read. Very immersive. Confronting and pretty honest. Very specific with the human emotions and power dynamics it was showing. Might have to read this one again, I got lost quite a few times
Nä vet ni va. 2014 läste jag den här boken och fattade ingenting. Nu läste jag den och fattade betydligt mycket mer men inte var den bättre för det. Hoppas innerligt att jag inte behöver stöta på den igen i framtida kurslitteratur. Blä så tråkigt.
challenging
informative
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The horror!!!
fast-paced
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes