Public reader discussion about Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.
By oceanlost
I’m mostly a casual reader and I just finally finished The Color Purple. Now I really want something exciting that’ll hopefully be a fast read, since I’m trying to get more into classics and branch out a bit. A friend suggested Heart of Darkness, but she warned it’s kind of tough. For someone like me who reads on and off, any tips on how to get through it? I’d really appreciate it—thanks <3
By Lake_Frog
No spoilers from me. About three months ago I read *Heart of Darkness* by Joseph Conrad. The book I had wasn’t super long, and it also included a couple of his other short stories. More on that in a second. The story opens on the Thames in London. Marlow (the main guy) starts a voyage, and it doesn’t take long to realize it’s headed to the African sub-continent. It feels more like a slow, thoughtful journey than anything action-packed—sort of sober and heavy as it describes the rough, feverish wilderness of Africa, the untamed landscape, and Marlow slowly realizing what it all really looks like. It doesn’t exactly feel like there’s any mercy there. It’s like Africa just swallows people, kind of the same way the crocodile goes after the impala. There’s also a lot going on about exploiting African land, like hopes and dreams get crushed there, and it’s hard to tame any of it. And it leaves you thinking about the moral side of slavery, too. The other stories in the collection are kind of similar in vibe—more meditative thoughts about people traveling to different places, and lives that end up going wrong. Overall, I’d definitely recommend *Heart of Darkness*.
By happy-laurel61
I don’t really think there’s a “best” starting point. Secret Agent and Heart of Darkness feel pretty different, so I was glad I read a bunch of his other work first—Secret Agent was a nice change of pace and setting. But I guess Heart of Darkness works as a starting spot too, since it’s the one he’s most known for, even if it’s not like Secret Agent at all.
By LuckyBowl1985
Sorry if I’m posting this in the wrong place. I’ve heard a ton about *Heart of Darkness* and I’m kind of interested in reading it, but I keep seeing that it’s really hard to get through. Is that true? I don’t mind slower or boring books, I just want to actually understand what I’m reading. Should I wait and read something else first, or is it still worth jumping into right now?
By Garden
I’m on my third read of Heart of Darkness and, honestly, it’s still not easy to get through if you’re a non-native English speaker (which is kind of ironic since Conrad apparently wasn’t a native speaker either). I can’t really tell what Conrad’s doing—like, is he actually criticizing colonialism, or is he secretly on the pro-colonial side just based on how he talks about the people in the Congo? Maybe it’s meant to be irony, but I don’t know how that would work in a clear way. Also, why is it even called Heart of Darkness—what’s the “darkness” supposed to mean exactly? I feel super lost. I’ve read both Said and Achebe’s takes, and then I saw David Denby’s piece that basically dismisses both of them, but even then their arguments still feel like they hold up to me. What do you all think?
By focus_arch1978
Not sure if it’s just me, but I can’t seem to get into *Heart of Darkness* no matter how much I try. I know the full, unabridged version is only like 72 pages, but I’m getting really bored and I can’t even get past page 9. Curious if anyone else has felt the same? I really do want to read it since it’s supposed to be a classic, but I honestly don’t think it’ll happen for me.