Heart of Darkness

Overview

Joseph Conrad's eternal magnum opus set in the depths of the African jungle.

The silence of the jungle is broken only by the ominous sound of drumming. Life on the river is brutal and unknown threats lurk in the darkness. Marlow’s mission to captain a steamer upriver into the dense interior leads him into conflict with those who inhabit the forest. But his decision to hunt down the mysterious Mr. Kurtz—an ivory trader who is the subject of sinister rumors—leads him into more than just physical peril. The short story Youth, in which Marlow tells of his unlucky experience onboard a ship where the cargo caught fire, is also included.

Reviews

'‘One of the most compelling and influential works of English literature in the last century.’'  —Independent

"Conrad's narrative arsenal is awesome . . . Conrad deals in profundities if he deals in anything, but it is just his ability to clip his own wings in midflight, to puncture his ponderously magnificent dirigibles, that make him such an impressive literary performer."  —Sunday Times

"Demands to be read."  —Guardian

"Conrad broadened the descriptive range of the English language (his glowing and luxuriant delight in words, the haunting decor of the tropics, all that maritime terminology) more than any of his contemporaries."  —Independent

Author Biography

A prolific author of novels and short stories, Joseph Conrad is best known for his masterpiece Heart of Darkness, inspired by his visit to the Congo three years earlier. Tim Butcher is the author of Blood River.