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What Members Thought
I have read this novel multiple times throughout school and college and every time it is a powerful read about greed and imperialism
Hypocrisy of imperialism. A good companion read to Things Fall Apart and The Poisonwood Bible. Tells the the story of Marlow, a sailor who describes his journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz. Inspired by a trip Conrad took up the Congo in 1890. Major conflict; their images of themselves as civilized and the temptation to abandon morality when out of European society. Kurtz has completely abandoned European morals and norms.
Incredible and deserving of its reputation
I knew this book by reputation for many years and thought that I knew the ending having studied A Handful of Dust for ‘A’ Level. It lived up to its reputation and I can imagine spending many hours thinking about it. It is beautiful and bleak. Full of existential horror and vivid detail. It conveys what I imagine it must have been like for the first Western European men to explore the heart of Africa. It uses language and expresses attitudes consistent wi ...more
I knew this book by reputation for many years and thought that I knew the ending having studied A Handful of Dust for ‘A’ Level. It lived up to its reputation and I can imagine spending many hours thinking about it. It is beautiful and bleak. Full of existential horror and vivid detail. It conveys what I imagine it must have been like for the first Western European men to explore the heart of Africa. It uses language and expresses attitudes consistent wi ...more
Conrad's life experiences create the frame for this graphic look at imperialism, cruelty, corruption, and moral dilema. That it was written in English, not his native language, makes this small gem more impressive. I think this must have been a scathing expose in 1899 and account for it's popularity and literary longevity.
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Jan 09, 2010
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Lexy Harper
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Nanosynergy
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