giomarg's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
autumnlutherking's review against another edition
2.0
I read this book as a high school junior about 6 years ago and it wasn't for me. I understand what Conrad was getting at and I respect him for trying to tackle massive, taboo themes, but that's about it. Yes, it critiques imperialism and yes, it has a lot to say about race, idealism, and individualism. However, it's told through an unique writing style and a racist lens.
There are a lot of stans below, saying this book is life changing and one of the greatest pieces of literature, but I'd argue that those sentiments come from where you are in life and who you are. As a black girl from the South who knows this wasn't fiction for her ancestors, Heart of Darkness hits really close to home. I probably found the book's sharp, poignant edge to be jarring in a bad way because I wasn't Conrad's target audience.
There are a lot of stans below, saying this book is life changing and one of the greatest pieces of literature, but I'd argue that those sentiments come from where you are in life and who you are. As a black girl from the South who knows this wasn't fiction for her ancestors, Heart of Darkness hits really close to home. I probably found the book's sharp, poignant edge to be jarring in a bad way because I wasn't Conrad's target audience.
emdawg'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
sottola99's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-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
2.75
strawberryvenus's review against another edition
1.0
so disgustingly racist and viscerally uncomfortable to read at a lot of points. the writing style made every page feel like a fucking eternity and only prolonged my suffering. the last few pages were like, okay i guess
hannchilada's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, it hurts to give it five stars and it hurts to give it anything less.
ichirofakename's review against another edition
5.0
The touchy will find cause to complain; others may relish the unmatched prose and imagery and atmosphere.
During my re-reading project, many, if not most, books I have read so far have been disappointments. This is the first to be better than I recalled.
This is the best novella; it should be read by anybody who reads fiction and has a weekend available. If you must complain about its socio-political attitudes, well then, complain, after actually reading it.
During my re-reading project, many, if not most, books I have read so far have been disappointments. This is the first to be better than I recalled.
This is the best novella; it should be read by anybody who reads fiction and has a weekend available. If you must complain about its socio-political attitudes, well then, complain, after actually reading it.
enbyglitch's review against another edition
3.0
(3rd Read)
Wasn't a tremendous fan of this when I had to read it in high school, but gave the audiobook a go in 2017/8 and found I really enjoyed the atmosphere it presented in spite of how obviously problematic it is.
Returning again now... it didn't quite hit the highs I was looking for, and I found even more problems. The language remains quite evocative and there are a few fascinating themes explored, the book ultimately has a misogynist, colonialist message that can't be ignored.
Wasn't a tremendous fan of this when I had to read it in high school, but gave the audiobook a go in 2017/8 and found I really enjoyed the atmosphere it presented in spite of how obviously problematic it is.
Returning again now... it didn't quite hit the highs I was looking for, and I found even more problems. The language remains quite evocative and there are a few fascinating themes explored, the book ultimately has a misogynist, colonialist message that can't be ignored.
b3qtr1s's review against another edition
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- 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? Yes
1.5
kaiserreads's review against another edition
3.0
Kinda boring. I only liked the quotes about humanity, darkness, etc. from time to time.