Scan barcode
A review by itshaldun
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
It’s a book that takes place in Belgium Congo, so it’s not really a happy book. It is very important for its time, refuting many of the myths of colonialism such as the “white man’s burden”, and shows the horrors of it for everyone to see. It also inspired one of my favorite movies, Apocalypse Now, so it’s an influential book.
However, the book is incredibly dense and boring, not much happens in it, and the character that is talked about the most (Kurtz) is not even in it for all that much. And while very fair for its time, the book is still very racist for modern standards so readers beware.
You should probably just listen to an audiobook of it, or watch Apocalypse Now for a similar oppressive tone.
However, the book is incredibly dense and boring, not much happens in it, and the character that is talked about the most (Kurtz) is not even in it for all that much. And while very fair for its time, the book is still very racist for modern standards so readers beware.
You should probably just listen to an audiobook of it, or watch Apocalypse Now for a similar oppressive tone.