Heart of Darkness

Written by Joseph Conrad

Narrated by David Rintoul

Joseph Conrad’s searing tale of one of the strangest and most memorable journeys ever taken

Quite simply the scariest book ever written, this is a searing tale of one of the strangest and most memorable journeys ever undertaken – to the heart of a geographical and psychological wilderness from which no-one returns unscarred. For this isn’t simply a journey up an uncharted river into a geographical wilderness; rather, it’s a trip deep into our collective subconscious.

This story – about what happens when so-called “civilized” human beings go off the rails - was the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola’s movie “Apocalypse Now”.

Conrad himself had undertaken such a river journey as a ship’s captain back in 1889 when he was in his early 30’s and before he took to writing full time. Back then, the Congo Free State, as this area of Africa was known, was a Belgian colony under the personal control of King Leopold II.

Atrocities were commonplace, to the point where the international community finally had to sit up and take notice; in a report published in 1904, over 3 million people were said to have died as a direct result of European intervention in the area.

It has long been argued whether “Heart of Darkness”, which first appeared in 1902, was in any way influential in bringing Leopold’s violent regime to the public’s attention; but whether or not, it remains a searing indictment of human rapacity – and depravity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Creative Content
• Release date: Jan 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9781908807113

Joseph Conrad

Joseph Conrad was born to Polish parents in the Ukraine on 3rd December 1857. He grew up surrounded by upheaval. His father was exiled to northern Russia for political activities and although they eventually returned to Poland, Conrad was orphaned by the age of 11. Subsequently he was taught by his uncle, a great influence and mentor. Leaving for Marseilles in 1874, Conrad began his training as a seaman. After an attempt at suicide, Conrad joined the British merchant navy and became a British subject in 1886. After his first novel, Almayer's Folly was published in 1895 he left the sea behind and settled down to a life of writing. Indeed, as his wife wrote in 1927, he would move only "from his table to his bed, for days and days on end". Troubled financially for many years, he faced uncomplimentary critics and an indifferent public. He finally became a popular success with Chance (1913). By the end of his life on 3rd August 1924 his status as one of the great writers of his time was assured.

Reviews for Heart of Darkness

[Queen Stoneage · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful language but the story is not my cup of tea. For audiobook listeners: the narrator is brilliant.