From nothing else that I have ever read have I gotten what every book of Conrad has given me. -Ernest Hemingway, Transatlantic Review, 1924
What does it mean to give oneself to a tempting darkness? To a tempting character? What happens when that power that once tempted the mind and then was received by the mind, finally betrays that mind? Dark thoughts indeed. -From Schwager’s Introduction
The steaming jungles of Africa contain enough bloody ivory to bankroll an empire, but it takes a strong Company agent to manage the climate and the unhappy native laborers, many of whom are still cannibals. The most successful agent of them all is the disconcerting man known as Kurtz. But Kurtz has been sick, and his efficient (or brutal, depending on who is asked) methods can’t be ignored any longer. So Charles Marlow leaves the tidy offices of London with a new steamboat command, and sets out to find this Mr. Kurtz and bring him back to civilization-out of the disease, neglect, and enveloping presence of an immense heart of darkness.
This disruptive Canon Classic is a veiled look at imperialistic atrocities and the dark desires at the heart of every human venture. The Canon Classics series presents the most definitive works of Western literature in a colorful, well-crafted, and affordable way. Unlike many other thrift editions, our classics are printed on thicker text stock and feature individualized designs that prioritize readability by means of proper margins, leading, characters per line, font, trim size, etc. Each book’s materials and layout combine to make the classics a simple and striking addition to classrooms and homes, ideal for introducing the best of literary culture and human experience to the next generation.
This Worldview Edition features an introduction divided into sections on The World Around, About the Author, What Other Notables Said, Setting, Characters, & Plot Summary, Worldview Analysis, and 21 Discussion Questions & Answers.
