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Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer
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Two of Joseph Conrad's most compelling and haunting works, in which the deepest perceptions and desires of the human heart and mind are explored.
The finest of all Conrad's tales, Heart of Darkness is set in an atmosphere of mystery and menace, and tells of Marlow's perilous journey up the Congo River to relieve his employer's agent, the renowned and formidable Mr. Kurtz. What he sees on his journey, and his eventual encounter with Kurtz, horrify and perplex him. Ultimately, Conrad calls into question the very bases of civilization, human nature, and imperialism. The Secret Sharer is the saga of a young, inexperienced skipper forced to decide the fate of a fugitive sailor who killed a man in self-defense. As he faces his first moral test the skipper discovers a terrifying truth—and comes face to face with the secret itself.
Heart Of Darkness and The Secret Sharer draw on actual events and people that Conrad met or heard about during his many far-flung travels. In portraying men whose incredible journeys on land and at sea are also symbolic voyages into their own mysterious depths, these two masterful works give credence to Conrad's acclaim as a major psychological writer.
This edition
-A concise introduction that gives readers important background information
-A chronology of the author's life and work
-A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context
-An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations
-Detailed explanatory notes
-Critical analysis, including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work
-Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction
-A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience
Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.
The finest of all Conrad's tales, Heart of Darkness is set in an atmosphere of mystery and menace, and tells of Marlow's perilous journey up the Congo River to relieve his employer's agent, the renowned and formidable Mr. Kurtz. What he sees on his journey, and his eventual encounter with Kurtz, horrify and perplex him. Ultimately, Conrad calls into question the very bases of civilization, human nature, and imperialism. The Secret Sharer is the saga of a young, inexperienced skipper forced to decide the fate of a fugitive sailor who killed a man in self-defense. As he faces his first moral test the skipper discovers a terrifying truth—and comes face to face with the secret itself.
Heart Of Darkness and The Secret Sharer draw on actual events and people that Conrad met or heard about during his many far-flung travels. In portraying men whose incredible journeys on land and at sea are also symbolic voyages into their own mysterious depths, these two masterful works give credence to Conrad's acclaim as a major psychological writer.
This edition
-A concise introduction that gives readers important background information
-A chronology of the author's life and work
-A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context
-An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations
-Detailed explanatory notes
-Critical analysis, including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work
-Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction
-A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience
Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.
216 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1,1910
This edition
- Format
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216 pages, Mass Market Paperback
- Published
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May 1, 2004 by Simon \u0026 Schuster
- ISBN
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9780743487658
- ASIN
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0743487656
- Language
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English
Characters More characters
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Charles Marlow
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Kurtz
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About the author
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Joseph Conrad was a Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language and, although he did not speak English fluently until his twenties, he became a master prose stylist who brought a non-English sensibility into English literature. He wrote novels and stories, many in nautical settings, that depict crises of human individuality in the midst of what he saw as an indifferent, inscrutable, and amoral world.
Conrad is considered a literary impressionist by some and an early modernist by others, though his works also contain elements of 19th-century realism. His narrative style and anti-heroic characters, as in Lord Jim, for example, have influenced numerous authors. Many dramatic films have been adapted from and inspired by his works. Numerous writers and critics have commented that his fictional works, written largely in the first two decades of the 20th century, seem to have anticipated later world events.
Writing near the peak of the British Empire, Conrad drew on the national experiences of his native Poland—during nearly all his life, parceled out among three occupying empires—and on his own experiences in the French and British merchant navies, to create short stories and novels that reflect aspects of a European-dominated world—including imperialism and colonialism—and that profoundly explore the human psyche.
Conrad is considered a literary impressionist by some and an early modernist by others, though his works also contain elements of 19th-century realism. His narrative style and anti-heroic characters, as in Lord Jim, for example, have influenced numerous authors. Many dramatic films have been adapted from and inspired by his works. Numerous writers and critics have commented that his fictional works, written largely in the first two decades of the 20th century, seem to have anticipated later world events.
Writing near the peak of the British Empire, Conrad drew on the national experiences of his native Poland—during nearly all his life, parceled out among three occupying empires—and on his own experiences in the French and British merchant navies, to create short stories and novels that reflect aspects of a European-dominated world—including imperialism and colonialism—and that profoundly explore the human psyche.
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There are two short stories in this book: Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer. I read Heart of Darkness first. Heart of Darkness was challenging to fully understand because the author kept shifting points of view. Also, the language is really difficult. It kind of feels like Conrad is racist to his own race, white because he makes them a "savage." Then, I read The Secret Sharer. I personally like The Secret Sharer better than Heart of Darkness, because I like the plot better. His theme is men against nature or men against men. The anonymous captain feels like a stranger to the ship and to his society. After finishing this book, I did some research about Joseph Conrad and was shocked that his first language was not English. His nationality was polish and he was not able to speak English fluently until his 20s. It was interesting how he chose to write his novel in English.
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This is a rather short book but it took me a little over a week to read it, I liked it a lot but it was just so much information to digest and so heavy a subject that I could not read more than 10 pages at one sitting.
The subject matter is just so intriguing, even more so by the fact that the book was inspired by an actual journey the writter had to the region in question. In short, How do people feel about the unspeakable acts of depleting the earth of it's natural riches and man of their humanity? How do people view their own role on misery, while happening? Lucky for us authors leave these acounts for some to view and judge after history has made their wrong doing clear for all.
The subject matter is just so intriguing, even more so by the fact that the book was inspired by an actual journey the writter had to the region in question. In short, How do people feel about the unspeakable acts of depleting the earth of it's natural riches and man of their humanity? How do people view their own role on misery, while happening? Lucky for us authors leave these acounts for some to view and judge after history has made their wrong doing clear for all.
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Joseph Conrad did a real wonderful job on this book. This book was a challenging book and it was pretty tough for me to comprehend it so I had to reread it over and over again. However I liked the challenge. But next time, maybe Joseph Conrad can make the text a little bit more simple to comprehend. I think the darkness within us and how Joseph Conrad explained the assimilation was excellent. It helped me explain that a lot of things in life, won't go the way you expect it to go. My favorite part of the book was actually the beginning because I was able to learn about the setting and how the Nellie was resting in the Thames River which is located in England. I never knew that. But I understand that they all start going a little crazier the more deeper they enter the darkness. Overall the book was amazing and I recommend this book to anyone who likes reading challenging stories.
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I enjoyed The Secret Sharer. Heart of Darkness, I'll have to reread. What I loved most about this edition was the Introduction and (new) Afterword though.
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Thinking about this book psychologically this book has an interesting premise: an enlightened Renaissance man of sorts goes out into the heart of Africa in search of ivory, loses his mind, becomes a god-like figure in the minds of local tribes, and is to be brought back to civilization. Wow! A mind fractured to pieces through loneliness and isolation, ego sent to the highest of heights, only to be brought back to civilization? Sign me up!
Unfortunately, that's all the book has going for it. Conrad seems to through up a smokescreen of words as if he doesn't want the reader to know what's going on (This might have been different if I was reading the book in the late 1800s, but I'm not, and neither are you). His depiction of the Africans seems pretty racist, as none of them have any real character besides being cannibals and followers of Kurtz. This might have been more acceptable at the time, but it makes you wonder why this book is such a classic.
Unfortunately, that's all the book has going for it. Conrad seems to through up a smokescreen of words as if he doesn't want the reader to know what's going on (This might have been different if I was reading the book in the late 1800s, but I'm not, and neither are you). His depiction of the Africans seems pretty racist, as none of them have any real character besides being cannibals and followers of Kurtz. This might have been more acceptable at the time, but it makes you wonder why this book is such a classic.
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I view this book as a serious critique of imperialism. I will somehow have to find and read Chinua Achebe's famous lecture, "An Image of Africa: "Racism in Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness'". I do not see this book as racist, rather, (and this may be wishful thinking on my part) I see it as a story with a main character (Marlow) being dragged out of his ignorant stupor and awakened to the horrors of imperialism and the racism it cannot exist without.
As far as the writing goes, Conrad is my man. Intense, unrelenting, and truly dark. One of the darkest books I've ever read. I was thinking of Lord of the Flies and Edgar Allan Poe a lot while reading this.
Ok, I will also admit that it was incredibly difficult to not think Apocalypse Now while reading this, it's such an awesome film, is it not?
The short story that accompanies Heart of Darkness is also incredible. "The Secret Sharer" is a bizarre and eerie story about a sea captain who, one night, encounters a man attempting to climb up the latter of his ship, subsequently discovering that the man is his doppelganger and also a murderer.
Plus they use the word "poop" a lot in the story (another word for the stern deck of a ship.)
Ah.. simple pleasures.
As far as the writing goes, Conrad is my man. Intense, unrelenting, and truly dark. One of the darkest books I've ever read. I was thinking of Lord of the Flies and Edgar Allan Poe a lot while reading this.
Ok, I will also admit that it was incredibly difficult to not think Apocalypse Now while reading this, it's such an awesome film, is it not?
The short story that accompanies Heart of Darkness is also incredible. "The Secret Sharer" is a bizarre and eerie story about a sea captain who, one night, encounters a man attempting to climb up the latter of his ship, subsequently discovering that the man is his doppelganger and also a murderer.
Plus they use the word "poop" a lot in the story (another word for the stern deck of a ship.)
Ah.. simple pleasures.
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I tried very hard with this book, at least twice, before finally committing to getting through it this time.
I don’t know why I wanted to like it, or why I gave it multiple chances after being bored by it every time. Honestly, I think Joseph Conrad wrote one of the most compelling novella titles in English literature.
Heart of Darkness. Oooooh!
But unfortunately the writing has very little in the way of a unique voice or style, and the book is just boring. Even toward the end when we finally get to see Kurtz, the story can’t redeem itself, can’t seem to find any momentum.
I have to say, though, that the opening few pages on the Thames are pretty fantastic in terms of setting the mood and contextualizing the world of British colonialism. Too bad it’s just SO BORING.
I don’t know why I wanted to like it, or why I gave it multiple chances after being bored by it every time. Honestly, I think Joseph Conrad wrote one of the most compelling novella titles in English literature.
Heart of Darkness. Oooooh!
But unfortunately the writing has very little in the way of a unique voice or style, and the book is just boring. Even toward the end when we finally get to see Kurtz, the story can’t redeem itself, can’t seem to find any momentum.
I have to say, though, that the opening few pages on the Thames are pretty fantastic in terms of setting the mood and contextualizing the world of British colonialism. Too bad it’s just SO BORING.
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