This volume contains two sea-related novellas by Joseph Conrad. In Heart of Darkness, the narrator Marlow tells of his trip up the Congo River as a steamboat captain for a Belgian trading company, where he comes upon the ivory trader Kurtz, who has taken power over the local people and is dying. The novella shows the cruelty of colonialism and the thin line between civilization and savagery. In The Secret Sharer, a young captain on his first command hides a fugitive from another ship, who becomes a sort of double.
It suits readers who like short classics that raise questions about morality and identity. Both stories are widely taught and reward rereading. It offers plenty to talk over with a friend or a reading group once you reach the last page.
Deep, inward-looking, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1910
- Language
- EN
