Heart Of Darkness (1 Viewer)

[Serpentia]

Sorry if this book already has been discussed

I studied this book in my prelim course and absolutely loved it, it's a brilliant book and was so far ahead of its time. The issues discussed in it, and the way they are represented and explored is absolutely mind blowing, especially when you consider that the author (Joseph Conrad) was writing in a language that was not his native language (he's Polish).

It's a very difficult book to read, quite short but takes AAAAAAAGESSSS to read

Who else has read it and what do you think??

It's interesting to see how elements of the novel have been integrated into society. The expression "heart of darkness" is used quite often, as is "the horror the horror"

 

[~ForAGoodCause~]

umm name sounds familiar.. can remember exactly though... could u explain a lil about what happens?

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Originally posted by ~ForAGoodCause~
umm name sounds familiar.. can remember exactly though... could u explain a lil about what happens?

To briefly encapsulate the plot..The narrative (of a narrative) concerns the voyage of Marlowe, a seaman down the Congo River, attempting to find Kurtz, a trader who has 'gone native'. In the process, the nature of imperialism and humanity are questioned, an increasingly surreal and traumatic experience that leads to the defining statement, the horror, the horror/.

Of course, there is much more to it than that, with the text functioning as a subtle critique of imperialism. However, this is conducted on a level so that Heart Of Darkness remains just as relevant today, if not more so.

Does anyone else have the Penguin edition with 'The Congo Diary' as an appendix? The contrast between this and HoD is amazing, between terse entries, and vivid, eloquent language.

Highly recommended.

 

[Dash]

I found the book incredibly boring when I was reading it in yr 11 for a prescribed text.
But now the language and content appeals to me quite a bit

 

[Rahul]

*shudders* the worst book to read in yr 11. i wouldnt mind it now since i know how to appreciate it i spose.

i read about 60 pages of it back then. thank god for teh internet!

 

[Huy]

@Rahul,

I never read it completely either! Even though it was a slim text, I read the first few chapters and never bothered with the rest. Thank God for the Internet, where I took most of the quotes and read up on Apocalypse Now (which we also watched) and Heart of Darkness (symbolism, important quotes, etc).

I passed Extension 1 English too! Ranked 3rd (out of 20?)

 

[Rahul]

haha yep, i remember having heaps of print outs for apocalypse now and HOD. i actually have got it with my books.....dont think i want to read it but, too much effort.

 

[pigs_can_fly]

hmmm...i didn't really like the novel, nor the movie based on it, acopalypse now...lol, our teacher got us to gett signed notes from our parents, cos the movie is 'r' rated - i still can't see why

 

[Rahul]

violence and language probably...
we didnt need a signed note from our parents tho.

 

[Huy]

Originally posted by Rahul
we didnt need a signed note from our parents tho.

Neither did we.

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning..."

*kills Vietnamese people*
*looks in the mirror*

Oops! It was the Vagner's influence I tell you!

 

[Rahul]

"charlie dont surf!"
i liked the opening scene where the the fan spinning in charlie sheen's room superimposes onto helicopter propellors.

it wasnt a bad interpretation of HOD tho, followed the same story and theme.

 

[Huy]

Originally posted by Rahul
i liked the opening scene where the the fan spinning in charlie sheen's room superimposes onto helicopter propellors.

Now I know you didn't pick that out for yourself. You had to be told online (via Internet notes/pages).

I made the same comment in class, boy, I sure fooled them! Me? smart?

btw, it wasn't Charlie Sheen, it was Martin (as Willard).

 

[Rahul]

ah martin..charlie...same thing

actually that was one of few things that i picked up myself.
i always use the superimposing techniques for movies....i used it for 5th element for my aos essay aswell.

 

[s2ophie]

I read it in year 11 too and didn't really like it. Maybe that was because i read it in one straight reading (not by choice) but should read it again and i might get it. however its amazing how many allusions you pick up to 'the horror, the horror'

 

[Serpentia]

Gregor - I had the congo diary in the copy the school lended me, but I don't think I ever read the entire thing. Nice brief summing up by the way.

We were going to watch Apocalypse Now in class but it was too hard to organise, instead we said the "Hearts of Darkness", a documentary on the making of Apoc Now, was an appropriation of HoD.

It is a VERY difficult book to get into, however the issues and concepts discussed and the way that they are represented, especially given the authors context, is amazing.

The study of this text has been useful also because I'm doing 4 U english on a theme of exploring the light and dark side of human nature so your prelim course can come in handy apparently

 

[mic]

I did it in yr 11 too. I only managed to read the entire book the night before our assessment, but when I did, I grew to love it. It's so powerful and at the same time horrifying.

We had to watch the last 25 mins of the film (it was shit) and write a director's commentary. Very stupid assessment, but i got 18/20, so I'm not complaining.

 

[Barbie_Bitch]

AHHHH!!!! i hated that book....extention english ruined my reading life!!! lol...i loved Apocalypse Now though and I'm buying the DVD coz it was cool!!! but hello??? how am i supposed to read that book when i was bored on the first line???

 

[Ashleet]

i realised its the type of book that as you learn you have to rediscover. When i *read* it for prelim in 11, what i did actually read of it i found deadly boring and refused to finish it. But after reading some Shakespeare ( i think it was Richard III) i realised how they relate in literary aspect and really enjoyed it the second time through