Heart of Darkness - by Joseph Conrad

The bottom line is that I did not enjoy reading this book. Even though it is quite short, it seemed to drag on for ever without going anywhere. It reminded me of the description of the play Waiting for Godot: "The play in which nothing much happens. Twice." I had the general impression of Marlow rambling on to his shipmates through the night - long after most had fallen asleep. The style of writing is rather Victorian - very much a case of "why use one word when 12 will do". The character Kurtz is supposed to be "memorable", but I was left with no real impression of him and was mystified by Marlow's string feelings about him. When I [mercifully] got to the end of the book, I felt as if I had read a book, from which a large number of pages had been removed. [But, on a Kindle, that would seem unlikely.]

What I'm reading ...

I have started Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, having put my previous book on hold for a while. This is my next book club book. We have chosen to read two Conrad books because his son used to own my house and we liked the historical connection. Here is the blurb:

First published in 1902, Conrad's story describes intensely and in stark detail how greed can so easily drive civilised and enlightened men to revert to primitive savagery. Set against the background of the European ivory trade in Africa, 'Heart Of Darkness' is narrator Marlow's account of his journey in search of the legendary and mystical Kurtz, the most successful trader of them all, who is now reported to be ill. Marlow's quest becomes both a harrowing journey of self-discovery and haunting description of the brutality of colonial exploitation; while Kurtz himself is one of the most memorable creations in modern fiction.