Reviews tagging 'Death'

El Corazón de las Tinieblas by Joseph Conrad

48 reviews

roya's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

• 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? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Racial slurs, and Slavery

Moderate: Classism

Minor: Cannibalism

mjscooke's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

I struggled with this book having had such high hopes for my first reading of Campbell’s fiction given his infamy as a storyteller and notoriety regarding the hero’s journey. The first thing I did was Google “Joseph Campbell Racist” & will definitely fall down the rabbit hole of various essays and articles on the topic of just how problematic this novel is. I understand the modern backlash and wrestled with my resistance throughout. All that being said… there is some beautiful writing in this novela and I think it’s important to read things that challenge you on occasion. In addition this was written in a very different time and I am grateful to live now instead. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

Minor: Death, Slavery, Xenophobia, and Colonisation

maricasement's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25

I picked this audiobook up because it was one of the shortest one in my Mother's library. Kenneth Branagh is amazing, as is to be expected, but the contents weren't as enjoyable as his performance. Conrad's descriptions are captivating and definitely set the scene for the story, which was something I really enjoyed. But this book is still a product of it's time and uses a lot of racist language and is very colonialist in its messages. It might be an interesting study, but I wouldn't read it again or particularly recommend it to people.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Grief

Minor: Animal cruelty and Cannibalism

librarymouse's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• 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

I don't know if I want to rate this. I'm reading it for a class. There's some interesting parts to it, and a lot to write about, but it would be a stretch to say that this is an enjoyable book. I'm glad I'm reading it in grad school, rather than in highschool like a lot of my peers were required to.

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Content Warnings

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

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• 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

An interesting read. This was assigned reading for a history class but I was quite impressed. Conrad is a great writer in two ways. First, the way he writes is very well crafted, the words apt and intentional, and, despite the time jumps, the flow is masterfully handled. Second, he manages to cultivate a brilliant atmosphere, differing based on his intention but they connected all the way through.
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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, and Colonisation

Moderate: Genocide, Slavery, War, and Injury/Injury detail

gxsobes's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing and Cannibalism

jessthanthree's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Moderate: Death, Racism, Torture, Violence, and War

luis0n7i's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Cannibalism

glittery_witch's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, and Misogyny

edesia_guest's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Important to read to understand ideas perpetuated at the time but it’s still a horrible book which holds bias and prejudice. you need to be aware of the author and context but if sensitive just avoid. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, and Colonisation

Minor: Cannibalism