This is my favorite book of all time. Many people think I'm crazy for saying that, but the artistic integrity in this book is legendary. So legendary you can see references to it made everywhere. Seen Apcalypse Now? The Beach? Well, if you haven't read this book yet you're missing half the movie. I don't know what that says about the movie maker, but it says a great deal about Conrad.




Conrad wrote this as a novella. The plot is not at all hard to follow. He pretty much goes to Africa and comes back. I think that this is one reason the story is retold over and over. While the plot is pretty simple, the details are extremely complex. Conrad creates a web of symbolism you can't escape from. The theme is, of course, the darkness within us that occasionally has an opportunity to come out. It is up to us to stop ourselves.




Many critics believe Conrad wrote the first modern novel. You can practically see <i>Heart of Darkness</i> bridging the gap between Thomas Hardy and James Joyce in its use of complex symbolism and framed narrations.




This might be over the top for those who usually stick to Danielle Steele, but for serious readers and serious writers it is a must simply because the artistic integrity of Conrad has been one of those rare, highly influential contributions to the universal conversation.

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Created Feb 09, 2002 at 6:30pm • Submit your own review...