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Cover of Heart of Darkness

Classic Fiction

Heart of Darkness

by Joseph Conrad

A steamer captain in the heart of Africa witnesses the final days of a brutal ivory trader.

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First published
1899
Length
38,494 words
Reading time
About 2 hr 41 min
Language
English (US)

About the book

Originally published serially as a three-part story, Heart of Darkness is a short but thematically complex novel exploring colonialism, humanity, and what constitutes a savage society. Set in the Congo in Central Africa, the tale is told in the frame of the recollections of one Charles Marlow, a captain of an ivory steamer. Marlow’s search for the mysterious and powerful “first-class agent” Kurtz gives way to a nuanced and powerful commentary on the horrors of colonialism, called by some the most analyzed work at university-level instruction.

the Read4Max reading text contains approximately 38,494 words arranged in 3 navigable sections.

The browser reader follows the source edition’s order across 3 navigable sections.

About the author

Joseph Conrad

Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) is described by Wikidata as Polish-British writer (1857–1924), with citizenship or national association recorded as Russian Empire, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom, and Second Polish Republic.

Recorded occupations include writer, novelist, essayist, screenwriter, science fiction writer, and autobiographer. Languages recorded for Joseph Conrad include English and Polish. The structured record associates Joseph Conrad with modernist literature. Wikidata lists The Lagoon, The Nigger of the 'Narcissus', Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, Amy Foster, and Typhoon among Joseph Conrad's notable works. Open Library identifies Heart of Darkness as a leading work in its author record. Open Library catalogs 5571 works under this author record. The Read4Max catalog currently includes A Personal Record, Almayer’s Folly, An Outcast of the Islands, Chance, Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, and Nostromo under Joseph Conrad's authorship.

1857–1924

Reading options

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  • Book and contributor metadata are checked against the source edition before indexing.

Themes and ideas

  • Europeans--Africa--Fiction
  • Trading posts--Fiction
  • Degeneration--Fiction
  • Imperialism--Fiction
  • Africa--Fiction

Table of contents

Open reader
  1. I
  2. II
  3. III
View the full library
Cover of Chance

Classic Fiction

Chance

Joseph Conrad