Reading 1001 discussion

I struggled with this one! Somehow, I made it through high school and college without having to read it for class. Started out reading on Serial Reader, and even broken in to little pieces it was not enticing. I switched to an audio version read by Kenneth Branagh and flew through the book in one day. The writing is really very good, but the book is racist and uncomfortable to read/listen to at times. It was confusing as well - I’m not sure where Conrad stood on the issues discussed in the book. I realize it’s a product of it’s time, but it was still hard to read because of the treatment of the Native Africans. I gave the book 3 stars on GR, but would give it 2 1/2 if I could.

hmm, I made it through high school and college without reading it too. I've heard that it is a very challenging read so I haven't been dying to read it either. Can't say your review makes me want to read it now :)

Same here. Congo is one of the regions I want to learn more about this year and I kind of thought to start here...

Read: February 6, 2008 – Finished Reading
Rating: 4 stars
Review: Hypocrisy of imperialism. A good companion read to Things Fall Apart and The Poisonwood Bible. Tells the the story of Marlow, a sailor who describes his journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz. Mans journey to discover the darkness in his own hearts. (Foster) Inspired by a trip Conrad took up the Congo in 1890. Major conflict; their images of themselves as civilized and the temptation to abandon morality when out of European society. Kurtz has completely abandoned European morals and norms. Also recommend King Leopold's Ghost.

3 stars

This is another book that floated right over my head. I really didn't get it. I didn't connect with the protagonist. And despite its obvious anti-colonialism and the time period about which it is written, it is still horribly racist. I found some of the descriptions of the river and land surrounding it absolutely breathtaking and those moments warranted a higher score than my lack of emotional connection would have given.

Hypocrisy of imperialism. A good companion read to Things Fall Apart and The Poisonwood Bible. Tells the the story of Marlow, a sailor who describes his journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz. Inspired by a trip Conrad took up the Congo in 1890. Major conflict; their images of themselves as civilized and the temptation to abandon morality when out of European society. Kurtz has completely abandoned European morals and norms. I gave it four stars when I read it. (Many years ago)

2.5 stars

"The Horror, the horror" this most notable quote from the book pretty much sums up my experience in reading it :)

This book wasn't for me, I didn't really get it, there were a lot of metaphors within metaphors that just went straight over my head. I did enjoy reading discussions about the book after I'd read it, which shed light on what Conrad was trying to achieve with this book, which weren't evident to me as I was reading it.

There were some great passages within the novella, wonderful descriptive scences, interesting insights and I agree with Zeejane some humorous interactions. But for me, these were only slim glimpses of light in an otherwise bloated narrative that I couldn't wait to be done with.

I felt totally immersed in this story. It seemed to be anti-colonialist while still being racist. However, I loved the beginning with its reminder that "the darkness" was once in Britain; that Roman "colonists" were under threat of attack from hostile "natives" in a land now viewed by the characters as civilised. These former "natives" are now conquering Africa. And it can take a very short time for a colonist to be eaten up by greed and become almost a demon.

Timeless and relevant.

3 stars.

I had attempted to read this book previously and had been turned away by the racism inherent in the theme of colonialism. However, this time, and I can not tell you why, I found it to be everything that I had read it could be. Here is the threat of the political and economic darkness that was once on the Thames and has spread its greed to wherever the European has interacted with other continents. Here is the tenuous hold we, the builders, have on nature and her natural course, or river, that does not care for man. Here is a man stripped of his societal rules and mores who in the name of progress is pulled down into the very depths of his own hollow soul. Here is a woman who believes herself to be all that is good in this world and who can not begin to imagine into what swamps her lover has sunk. Here is a narrator listening to a story and a story teller trembling to capture just enough of the right words to be able to share the feelings that arise from this darkness and this horror.