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3.03 AVERAGE
3.03 AVERAGE
Heart of Darkness makes me feel dumb. I just... don't get it. This is the second time I've read it, but with the same result. I'm a failure.
It was a book. The nightmarish aura built and built and then I just don't feel I ever got anywhere or met Kurtz.
They changed a few things for the movie.
They changed a few things for the movie.
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
fast-paced
challenging
dark
slow-paced
"The Horror! The Horror!" is a great summary of this book. While the politics of "Heart of Darkness" is largely dated, it offers a biting critique of imperialism, colonisation, and racism for the late 1800's. So many ills underlied the Belgians exploitation of the Congo, and Conrad does an thorough job in providing the reader with exposure to some of those atrocities. However, what makes the novel really biting is it provides an insight into the men that were on the ground that were committing these crimes. It it was not just systemic racism from European powers, but true racism in the heart of the colonists that buttressed the expansion of colonisation in Africa. In particular, Conrad provides ample evidence of just how thin the veneer of "bringing civilisation to the savages" really was.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Denne novelle (eller korte roman, om man vil) bliver set på som et af de vigtigste i verdenslitteraturen - især i forhold til modernismen. Joseph Conrad formår at lave sin historie så tvetydig og med træk fra både romantikken og modernismen - så det er svært at finde ud af, hvad han endeligt mener og hvad han vil med sin historie. Sproget i sig selv er meget beskrivende og han gør meget ud af, at han vil have læseren til at få mere ud af teksten end det der egentlig står. Det kan til tider være utrolig interessant læsning, men andre gange formår det bare at gøre historien en smule tung.
Der er en masse snak om, hvorvidt denne tekst er racistisk eller ej og jeg tror helt klart, at det kommer an på læseren. Personligt synes jeg ikke, at den var synderligt racistisk i forhold til den tid, som den er skrevet i. Men jeg kan også sagtens se, hvorfor man kunne tale for at den er det. Jeg var især vild med den måde Joseph Conrad får indviet sin læser i mentaliteten på vores hovedperson 'Charles Marlow', som fortæller selve historien for et sømandskab på et skib. Der er en masse tanker om selve livet der går igennem hovedet på ham, som helt klart er det der har gjort, at bogen har fået tre stjerner og ikke to.
Det er en udmærket klassiker og jo længere man dykker ned i den, jo mere får man ud af den. Jeg synes den er særlig interessant fordi den ikke har nogen endelig konklusion. Læseren må selv tænkte sig frem til, hvad selve meningen med hele historien er. Man får det ikke bare serveret på et sølvfad. Men en lille smule mere handling havde måske gjort, at den kunne have fået en højere rating af mig.
Der er en masse snak om, hvorvidt denne tekst er racistisk eller ej og jeg tror helt klart, at det kommer an på læseren. Personligt synes jeg ikke, at den var synderligt racistisk i forhold til den tid, som den er skrevet i. Men jeg kan også sagtens se, hvorfor man kunne tale for at den er det. Jeg var især vild med den måde Joseph Conrad får indviet sin læser i mentaliteten på vores hovedperson 'Charles Marlow', som fortæller selve historien for et sømandskab på et skib. Der er en masse tanker om selve livet der går igennem hovedet på ham, som helt klart er det der har gjort, at bogen har fået tre stjerner og ikke to.
Det er en udmærket klassiker og jo længere man dykker ned i den, jo mere får man ud af den. Jeg synes den er særlig interessant fordi den ikke har nogen endelig konklusion. Læseren må selv tænkte sig frem til, hvad selve meningen med hele historien er. Man får det ikke bare serveret på et sølvfad. Men en lille smule mere handling havde måske gjort, at den kunne have fået en højere rating af mig.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This was my 39th book finished in 2023.
Read as part of a duo with The Secret Sharer.
Hands down the most boring fiction book I've ever had the misfortune to read. Its only redeeming feature was its short length.
The writing style is horrendous. There was absolutely no need for a narrator. I don't know whether it was just my edition, but the pages were just a wall of text. The paragraphs were completely random, and it was so hard to follow who was saying what.
This book is trash, it doesn't deserve a longer review.
Read as part of a duo with The Secret Sharer.
Hands down the most boring fiction book I've ever had the misfortune to read. Its only redeeming feature was its short length.
The writing style is horrendous. There was absolutely no need for a narrator. I don't know whether it was just my edition, but the pages were just a wall of text. The paragraphs were completely random, and it was so hard to follow who was saying what.
This book is trash, it doesn't deserve a longer review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation
reflections from first read:
heart of darkness is one of those books you would have to read for a lifetime to fully understand. when i read that it was ambiguous, i didn't anticipate this ambiguity to permeate Conrad's style of writing so deeply. Marlow's spiral into madness is shocking, sudden, and a disturbing exposition of what was really going on behind the minds of imperialists of the late 19th century. i have to revisit this novel before i have anything else conclusive to say.
heart of darkness is one of those books you would have to read for a lifetime to fully understand. when i read that it was ambiguous, i didn't anticipate this ambiguity to permeate Conrad's style of writing so deeply. Marlow's spiral into madness is shocking, sudden, and a disturbing exposition of what was really going on behind the minds of imperialists of the late 19th century. i have to revisit this novel before i have anything else conclusive to say.