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Thursday 27 October 2011

Heart of Darkness

Generally regarded as the pre-eminent work of Conrad's shorter fiction, Heart of Darkness is a chilling tale of horror which, as the author intended, is capable of many interpretations. Set in the Congo during the period of rapid colonial expansion in the nineteenth century, the story deals with the highly disturbing effects of economic, social and political exploitation on European and African societies and the cataclysmic behaviour this induced in some individuals.



I read Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad as part of my English Literature degree.
I have to admit, it's the least favourite book I think i've ever read but not entirely because of the actual text. I struggled a lot to get through this book and honestly, I just don't think that I understand it. The context behind the novella is important in relation to reading it and I haven't had the time to research in depth and i'm no expert on the subject matters.

I also disliked the layers of narrating within the novella. The story is told by an unnamed narrator, who is then relaying a story told by a man named Marlow. Marlow's story is mostly about a man named Kurtz. It was very confusing to read and like I said before, I struggled quite a bit.

I feel a little bad that my first review in a LONG time has been negative but I guess it just shows that not every book is a winner but you should at least give it a try :)

Currently reading: A HUGE list that i'm working through as fast as possible!
Books read in 2011: 43


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