Cover of Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness

by Joseph Conrad

First published
1899
Reading level
Easy
Price
Free

About the book

"Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad is a novella published in 1899. Sailor Charles Marlow recounts his journey as a steamer captain for a Belgian company deep into the African interior. His assignment: to find Kurtz, an ivory trader who has mysteriously "gone native" at a remote station upriver. Conrad's tale explores European colonialism, power, and morality while questioning the boundary between civilization and savagery. The novella provides a dark meditation on imperialism, drawing unsettling parallels between London and Africa as places shrouded in darkness.

  • Africa
  • Europeans
  • Trading posts
  • Degeneration
  • Imperialism
  • Psychological fiction

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #219. Heart of Darkness on Wikipedia.

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