bestpartofafire's review against another edition
1.0
I originally gave it two stars, but then I realized that a book as painfully boring and hard to get through as this one doesn't even deserve /that/. I'd give it no stars if I could, but Goodreads won't let me, so I'll settle for one.
rachel_mock's review against another edition
1.0
While it has been a number of years since I read this book, this is my absolute LEAST favorite book of all time. I am a movie fanatic and I have not been able to bring myself to watch Apocalypse Now because it is based on this awful book.
I thought that the story was muddled in its telling, that the characters were interesting, but hard to access, and that the writing style was ... well, reading the book felt like wading thru quicksand. I am an incredibly speedy reader, and this book (which is considerably shorter in length than many) took me longer than books 2 or 3 times as long.
I recognize that I have a severe bias, but I maintain that this is the worst book in the English language (that I have been exposed to). Hated it. Hated it a lot.
I thought that the story was muddled in its telling, that the characters were interesting, but hard to access, and that the writing style was ... well, reading the book felt like wading thru quicksand. I am an incredibly speedy reader, and this book (which is considerably shorter in length than many) took me longer than books 2 or 3 times as long.
I recognize that I have a severe bias, but I maintain that this is the worst book in the English language (that I have been exposed to). Hated it. Hated it a lot.
robmillington's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- 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
1.5
zernier's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A powerful earthquake of heavy themes, dark brooding malice, all wrapped up in the quest to understand and come to terms with man’s capacity for evil. To Marlow, it is as deep as a heart full of darkness, and only away from civilisation, do we then understand the cruelties of man and its infinitesimal scope.
namjooning_ami's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books that forces you to look beyond, look within and comes up with questions that neither you nor the book itself can answer.
I went into Heart of Darkness expecting it to be difficult and have a lot of purple prose but really it had a rhythmic quality, even with Marlow's inability to express himself properly, that seemed to take you into the infamous heart of the African forests and impress upon you its impenetrability. I think it was after a long time that I found myself actually immersed in a book.
Like Lord of the Flies, it is an allegory (apparently a three-way allegory according to my professor), which looks deep into the mind of humanity. It shows how easy it is to slip into evil because deep in our hearts, we are capable of it. The book had a lot of similarities to Lord of the Flies, possibly because of similar themes, but this was the one that struck me more deeply (maybe because of the timing and the fact that I wasn't reading one small chapter every night).
Honestly, there's nothing much to be said about the book except it was sort of impressive but also sort of annoying in its open-endedness. It can be a confusing sort of read, as is the case with most allegorical reads, because everything happening at the surface is a mere symbol. And I don't think, even I have been able to dissect all the deeper layers of this book.
Before you decide to read this book though, fair warning, it might have stuff that can be considered offensive because of obvious reasons a.k.a the fact that the narrator is a white man going to Africa to 'take' ivory in exchange of "civilised articles". And on that note, I'll end this review.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
I went into Heart of Darkness expecting it to be difficult and have a lot of purple prose but really it had a rhythmic quality, even with Marlow's inability to express himself properly, that seemed to take you into the infamous heart of the African forests and impress upon you its impenetrability. I think it was after a long time that I found myself actually immersed in a book.
Like Lord of the Flies, it is an allegory (apparently a three-way allegory according to my professor), which looks deep into the mind of humanity. It shows how easy it is to slip into evil because deep in our hearts, we are capable of it. The book had a lot of similarities to Lord of the Flies, possibly because of similar themes, but this was the one that struck me more deeply (maybe because of the timing and the fact that I wasn't reading one small chapter every night).
Honestly, there's nothing much to be said about the book except it was sort of impressive but also sort of annoying in its open-endedness. It can be a confusing sort of read, as is the case with most allegorical reads, because everything happening at the surface is a mere symbol. And I don't think, even I have been able to dissect all the deeper layers of this book.
Before you decide to read this book though, fair warning, it might have stuff that can be considered offensive because of obvious reasons a.k.a the fact that the narrator is a white man going to Africa to 'take' ivory in exchange of "civilised articles". And on that note, I'll end this review.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
atippmann's review against another edition
4.0
One of my “been meaning to read this forever” books. I was impressed by Conrad’s writing style, really talented! And I loved the feel of the story, the jungle, the river, exotic lands. Reminded me of how I loved the movie “Mosquito Coast” as a kid. And I love a good travel adventure story. Anyways, it was a joy to read but I was expecting something a little more dramatic to happen with Kurtz and it never did. Nevertheless, I’m glad to know what the hype is all about with this one.
readingnymph's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
I found this a difficult and challenging read.
One that highlights what history tries to sweep under the rug, focusing on colonialism and the atrocities that were committed.
I found this a difficult and challenging read.
One that highlights what history tries to sweep under the rug, focusing on colonialism and the atrocities that were committed.