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Cover of Heart of Darkness from Open Library

Public-domain book

Heart of Darkness

by Joseph Conrad

Novel

Open Library OL38663W

Heart of Darkness is widely regarded as a critique of European colonialism in Africa, whilst also examining the themes of power dynamics and morality. Although Conrad does not name the river on which most of the narrative takes place, at the time of writing, the Congo Free State—the location of the large and economically important Congo River—was a private colony of Belgium's King Leopold II.

About the author

Conrad, who came to English as an adult, wrote Heart of Darkness as a framed tale about empire and the stories men tell when they come home. The narration is as much the subject as the journey. More of this shelf for Joseph Conrad.

Where to read it

Open Library hosts the reading view. Some editions open in the browser; others ask you to borrow. Project Gutenberg links in this catalog open the book’s page, not a file kept here.

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