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3.03 AVERAGE
3.03 AVERAGE
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
After reading this for the first time, I've now had more than my fair share of Heart of Darkness!!1
“He struggled with himself, too. I saw it -- I heard it. I saw the inconceivable mystery of a soul that knew no restraint, no faith, and no fear, yet struggling blindly with itself.”
REREADING HEART OF DARKNESS FOR THE 3RD TIME - The first time I read this, my problem was that I was not immersed and engaged from the beginning. Second time around, I enjoyed the first half far more, and found myself hooked from beginning to end in this tense and disturbing tale! Who knows what is in store this time...
Heart of Darkness is known as one of the great short stories/novellas, with a powerful message regarding empire and exploration, in a tale with strong horror aspects. That reputation alongside Cormac McCarthy loving the works of Joseph Conrad intrigued me, and I finally picked it up.
Heart of Darkness to me seemed at first to be a fairly similar classic story to many others that I have read. But the further on that I progressed, the more distinctive and unnerving this tale became. Without giving too much away, and to over simplify it, Heart of Darkness is about someone journeying to the heart of the Congo and having their expectations and idolisations destroyed. There are strong horror aspects. There is a great deal of tension. It explores the abuse of power, and also appears to suggest that the British Empire should not expand into lands that are not its own. A fairly progressive idea for the time. It still displays hegemonic values of the time which are morally wrong, but it was interesting to see some of these more progressive opinions being shared at the time when it was written.
I was not immediately hooked, but as the story evolved, Conrad brilliantly crafts tension that builds up to some incredibly powerful and visceral scenes that I remember vividly, a year after closing the final page.
4/5 STARS
“He struggled with himself, too. I saw it -- I heard it. I saw the inconceivable mystery of a soul that knew no restraint, no faith, and no fear, yet struggling blindly with itself.”
REREADING HEART OF DARKNESS FOR THE 3RD TIME - The first time I read this, my problem was that I was not immersed and engaged from the beginning. Second time around, I enjoyed the first half far more, and found myself hooked from beginning to end in this tense and disturbing tale! Who knows what is in store this time...
Heart of Darkness is known as one of the great short stories/novellas, with a powerful message regarding empire and exploration, in a tale with strong horror aspects. That reputation alongside Cormac McCarthy loving the works of Joseph Conrad intrigued me, and I finally picked it up.
Heart of Darkness to me seemed at first to be a fairly similar classic story to many others that I have read. But the further on that I progressed, the more distinctive and unnerving this tale became. Without giving too much away, and to over simplify it, Heart of Darkness is about someone journeying to the heart of the Congo and having their expectations and idolisations destroyed. There are strong horror aspects. There is a great deal of tension. It explores the abuse of power, and also appears to suggest that the British Empire should not expand into lands that are not its own. A fairly progressive idea for the time. It still displays hegemonic values of the time which are morally wrong, but it was interesting to see some of these more progressive opinions being shared at the time when it was written.
I was not immediately hooked, but as the story evolved, Conrad brilliantly crafts tension that builds up to some incredibly powerful and visceral scenes that I remember vividly, a year after closing the final page.
4/5 STARS
Kurtz, un buen tipo...
Este libro originó buena parte de mi obsesión con Apocalypse Now.
Este libro originó buena parte de mi obsesión con Apocalypse Now.
Honestly an intriguing read. Would be 10 times better if my teacher wasn’t a white supremacist and taught it well.
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
For a tiny book, it feels like it packs a fair punch. Enough for me to have wanted there to have been more of the book really as we don't learn much about the narrator really nor enough about the mysyerious, supposedly brilliant yet troubled and enthralled 'Kurtz'.
Thr book is set in collonial Africa and is framed through the lens of a sailor, Marlow, who transports cargo for a Belgian shipping company. Marlow is a fine narrator but as previously mentioned, I feel we'd gain more from him developing more of a relationship with the slaves and the natives on his ship. There is a really poignant moment that I won't spoil where you feel this connection and it was one of my favourite moments in the book.
Features a healthy dose of male narrator admiring/idolising a fellow man to the point where you start questioning their sexuality (not a bad thing). I feel like I wouldhave enjoyed studying this in school.
Thr book is set in collonial Africa and is framed through the lens of a sailor, Marlow, who transports cargo for a Belgian shipping company. Marlow is a fine narrator but as previously mentioned, I feel we'd gain more from him developing more of a relationship with the slaves and the natives on his ship. There is a really poignant moment that I won't spoil where you feel this connection and it was one of my favourite moments in the book.
Features a healthy dose of male narrator admiring/idolising a fellow man to the point where you start questioning their sexuality (not a bad thing). I feel like I wouldhave enjoyed studying this in school.
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated