Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer

I like symbols and metaphors which is probably what I find so intriguing about Heart of Darkness. Every character (even the women who have minor parts but I would argue are major influences and drivers of the plot) as well as the setting can be read as symbolic for the social issues Conrad is trying to address. I agree that it is not easy to read because it is so rich with imagery and internal musings, and yet I would read it again and suspect I would find something new to like about it or that I missed before. The novella has a lot of layers and is an important example of social criticism that is still relevant today.

It's been quite a while since I've read this book. Upon reading it again, I realize my memories of its events were somewhat inaccurate so it was nice to approach it with older eyes. What strikes me most this time around, moreso than when I read it the first time (which was more about contemplating Kurtz's evil) is the stark racism, which isn't necessarily surprising given the time and culture in which it was written, but unnerving all the same. The book went faster this time around, and the evil didn't seem quite so breath-taking as it once did. While I used to find Marlow's long-awaited encounter with Kurtz the best part of the story
(and it still is pretty tense), I now find Marlow's final encounter with the "Intended" the most show more fascinating--that roiling anger of humoring someone when you consider to be sole the possessor of "true" knowledge. Good stuff. (PS--I acutally haven't read The Secret Sharer yet...bad English major!!) show less

These two novellas of Joseph Conrad demonstrate his vivid writing style, rich use of symbolism, and commanding prose which, despite the dark themes, often borders on poetry. “The Secret Sharer,” concerning a conflicted young sea captain torn between the duty to his ship and loyalty to a rescued officer who has murdered a mutinous shipmate, is the easier read of the two. The narrator captain sees the fugitive as his double, another side of himself, and identifies with him from the outset, though the associative elements beyond the physical similarities are difficult to discern. “Heart of Darkness,” based on a frightening episode in Conrad’s life, explores the dark recesses of the human heart and soul, and the depravity which show more results from endless greed. Conrad alludes to this being the universal timelessness of such savagery, stretching from primitive times to today and beyond: “The mind of a man is capable of everything because everything is in it, all the past as well as all the future.” There is a hypnotic quality to Conrad’s writing, which operates on several levels. These stories demand a second reading, and perhaps even a third to fully appreciate. They seem to linger in the mind. show less

I found a copy of this book in a bathroom on the Josh C Stennis while deployed on a westpac in 2004 and I can say that it is a higher grade of reading material then you typically find in places like that - this book absolutely stunned me because of the language. There is no a single word that isn't perfectly placed. In 12 words Conrad says as much as i could in a page. And as I understand it the dude only learned English late in life and produced this masterpiece? I had never read writing like this before - somehow perfect technical efficiency and also an evocative poem simultaneously. The themes of this book are my absolute favorites - madness, desperation, and faith. For a long time I called this my favorite book.

An exploration of darkness, but in truly gorgeous prose. And there are a couple silly bits (I particularly enjoyed Marlow's comments about how his vanity caused him to hope that his cannibal employees found him more appetizing looking than his obese, sticky steamboat passengers.) which, given the general grimness of the story, are particularly welcome.
*I am commenting only on Heart of Darkness, not The Secret Sharer, which I did not read.

To be completely honest, the rating is more like this:

Heart of Darkness: * *
The Secret Sharer: ****

The Secret Sharer was really good. Relateable (if you don't take everything in a completely literal sense) and predictable, but good none the less. The ending wasn't quite what I expected (even after a friend spoiled it for me), but I can see why it is a favorite among high school English teachers. Conrad includes quite a bit of symbolism that teachers can use to attempt to get their students to see themselves in the pages. Whether the kids actually will or not, I can't say, but it's there if they look just beyond what's written on the page.

As for Heart of Darkness, my main complaint was the narrator. He was excessively verbose, making it show more painfully easy for the reader to lose interest every few pages. On top of all that, he took forever to get to the main point of the story. Again, I can see how high school English teachers would like using something like this because it basically spells out the imagery and symbolism for you with very little effort however, if they have to make an abridged version of the Iliad and/or Odyssey for teenagers, there's no way they will have the patience to get through this in the time allotted for class. Heck, the only reason I finished it was that I refuse to let books defeat me by not finishing them once I've started them.

Overall, given the choice, I'd only recommend The Secret Sharer. It is not worth the time or the effort, however minimal it may be, to finish Heart of Darkness. show less

The Secret Sharer is certainly the better of these two stories (but perhaps that is simply because I find the maritime setting generally more appealing than the colonial Africa one), though Heart of Darkness is one of the most compelling tales of human darkness that I've ever come across. HoD reads like a psychological thriller with the intelligence and insight needed to back it up. Intense and trudging, this story from the most brilliant of novelists does not make light or easy reading but is well worth any effort the reader makes to comprehend the primal darkness of the soul.