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librarymouse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It's a slow paced book, but time moves quickly for the characters.
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Cannibalism
cinderellalovesbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism
saraaaa's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I liked that the reader is constantly reminded that the story is being told by a specific character with specific views on life, and therefore is only one of many different perspectives on the narrated events.
Conrad paints the colonial environment and the Congolese forest as engulfed in a haunting, menacing spell that gives an air of magic realism to the novella – when it did not have the tones of exoticism, it painted a beautiful picture.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Grief, and Colonisation
Moderate: Gun violence and Blood
Minor: Animal cruelty, Genocide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Cannibalism, and Alcohol
jade_smith's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Genocide, Misogyny, and Cannibalism
oliviatheron's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, and Colonisation
gmariecosta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, Murder, and Colonisation
amorphousbl0b's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
librarymouse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, and Classism
morrisimo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Marlow is a sexist, and while he improves, He's also a racist and a white supremacist. Marlow's arc is eventually an anti-colonialist one, expressing a deep and genuine disgust over what has transpired on the continent of Africa, however one cannot deny the racist overtures. On my part, I feel that Marlow is simply a great unreliable narrator. His perspective is our only insight into the events of the story, and that insight is flawed and certainly inaccurate at points and laden with narcissistic interest. And I love that. Unreliable narrators as so interesting to me, I just enjoy trying to unpack and examine a character's flawed portrayal of events.
The events themselves are somewhat inconsequential. The whole plot is boating up a river, stopping at a place and possibly talking to an interesting character, and continuing boating. It is much more about trying to put you in Marlow's shoes, how he felt, what his headspace was. In that regard I think it succeeds.
Overall a great little novella. Very atmospheric and dark, an intriguing and enjoyable read.
Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, and Colonisation
Moderate: Genocide, Slavery, War, and Injury/Injury detail
rory_john14's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Animal death, Genocide, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Classism