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It's a classic; you've gotta read it, and you just might love it, too. I, however, read this in the 1970's as a young woman and loved it. Go rent Apocalypse Now for the general gist of the story. My daughter read this for her senior year language arts class and, of course, there's all sorts of symbolism and stuff in it. Her general feeling about the book is in the title of this review.
I felt like I was trudging through a swamp while I was reading this book. I felt like he thought he was writing to a stupid audience or something. The sea imagery was the greatest snoozer of them all-who needs sleeping pills anymore. He totally got the point across to me though. Let others praise and flatter his efforts. I just don't care what the literary cannon with all it's chauvinism and ivy league name dropping has to say. I have read this book and I've been given all of these reasons why it's a classic and why it should be loved and cherished in the ranks of high literature forever. The effect it had on me was the same I would get if I hadn't slept in 48 hours.
The writing is just so heavy handed. The messages he relays are worthwhile and his ambitions "noble", but the method is just hellish. I get it: we're going into the interior. I mean, seriously, Get Me Out of This Nightmare. I get it: who's civilized and who's the savage. I tried everything, from coffee to Red Bull and I couldn't manage without falling asleep every 5 or so pages. I get it: the bleakness of human existence. Because of all this propaganda, I have learned to appreciate this book but nothing, and I mean NOTHING has helped me to enjoy it.
This guy just keeps stressing the point as if we don't get it already-no subtlety at all. You can't just melt into the story. Never in my life have I found myself snoozing off uncontrollably while reading a book. The fact that Marlowe is telling the story creates this sense of detachment between the reader and his experience that just drags the novel down.
I have read it later in life and now understand. I will not attempt to review it at length, so many here have done such a better job than I could. I had to first read this in college and was told over and over how significant this book was.
Racist, not a racist. Conrad's prose is gutting and uncompromising. I'm not really sure, but it's a powerful read that will leave you reeling, if you give it your full attention. There is enough depth and ambiguity in this short novella to keep you thinking for a lifetime. It's a no-holds-barred search for meaning and universal truth.
Crams a lot of depth and meaning into just a 100+ pages. Very good book, but a slow read.
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