Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad – and Other Tales – is a short Oxford Classic. There are four stories in the book and it’s just above 200 pages, it is well worth reading. The author’s description is that he was a Polish born in Ukraine, but I think that is wrong and that it would be more clearly to describe him as Ukrainian born to Polish parents. The place of birth and the connection between the Poles and Ukrainians influenced how he saw and interpreted the world around him.
He wrote in English and his life is interesting, but these are fictionalised accounts, tales, obviously inspired by some of his own experiences. All four stories are set in far away places, like Africa and Malaysia. There is unknown and mystery and he is very keen on long descriptions.
His stories are about race and control, civilization, domination, and empires. There are useful introductions and notes for those willing to engage more deeply with the stories. His detractors are mentioned in these further texts. For me, the stories were interesting, a bit too many descriptions, hence the 4 stars, but really interesting to see how someone with a national story of empire (both Poland and his country of choice – England) sees the ones that are subjugated.
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
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My rating: 4/5 Stars
Would I recommend it: yes
Published by: Oxford University Press
Year it was published: 2008 (first published in 1902)
Format: Paperback
Genre(s): Classic
Pages: 225
About the author: Joseph Conrad was born in Ukraine to Polish parents in 1857, his name was Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski. He left Poland to avoid conscription into the Russian Army. He worked aboard British ships, learning English from his shipmates, and served for over sixteen years.
As he went into Africa, this experience entice him to write about Africa and empires. He settled in England in 1894 and wrote the Heart of Darkness, a fictionalized account of Colonial Africa, in 1899.
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This is one I know I read in High School (secondary school), but don’t remember much about other than it was set in Africa. I’m sure I’d get more out of it now than I did as a teen.
Kelly recently posted…This or this? #2
Yes, you would definitely see it in a different manner now. I had no idea that this is school-required reading.