A master of seafaring literature makes his mark

Although I am reluctant to concede this fact, like many American males in their twenties, the reason I was inspired to read Conrad's Heart of Darkness was because of my own love of Apocalypse Now. It is no secret that the three-hour-long Francis Ford Coppola picture is based on the 19th century novella, so since I found the film's story so memorable, I wanted to see why Coppola chose the book as his template for one of the classic American war films. Although I do not think the film does justice to the feel or time of Conrad's story, I was not disappointed in what I found.

One of the first obstacles I found in reading Heart of Darkness, as most of the book's reviewers have noted, was Conrad's somewhat dated vocabulary and writing structure. Like most authors of his time (see also; Melville, Herman), Conrad has a penchant for using and abusing descriptive writing to an unnecessary level, and this sometimes bogs the story down. Although I was very excited to start the short story last summer, I found the first 20 (of 90) pages so sluggish and overloaded that I decided maybe the possible literary reward wouldn't be worth the effort required to attain it, so I returned it to the library unfinished. However, after my second attempt at conquering the classic sea-faring tale, I managed to swallow the entire thing, and found myself enjoying the slow from stem to stern. Although Conrad deliberately moves the story at a gradual pace, his lucid description of characters, settings, and events in the story makes it a memorable read, once the reader has managed to construct the gusto to make it through.

The tale itself is, like all works of fiction, the quintessential drawing point of the read, and fortunately for his audience, Conrad does not skip out on content. The story is arranged in three distinct parts, of equal length, and although the first two chapters are primarily concerned with narrator Marlowe's trip from Europe to the Africa and up the Congo, do not expect thrill-a-minute action passages along the way. As Marlow tells the story of his descent into the heart of Africa to his ship-mates (the narration is past-tense), it is elucidated with ample detail and accounts that leave no stone of the protagonist's journey unturned. The one-sentence description of the story would probably read as, "A sea traveler hired by a European trading company to travel up the Congo and contact former trade dealer Mr. Kurtz," and although Conrad never wanders far from the ship's (or story's) destination, he takes his time getting there, establishing the relevance of each character and stop along the river with emphasis on sub-levels of meaning and allegory.

Speaking of which, it is impossible to speak of the importance of Heart of Darkness [i]without[/i] alluding to the subterranean meanings contained within. A good story has memorable sights, scenes, characters, and events, but a great story has multiple levels of influence and conflict serving as foundation to the exposed levels of storytelling. If this is the case, than Heart of Darkness is surely a great story. Adopting concepts of sanity, loyalty, civilization, and society under the guise of an initially simple business trip up the Congo, Conrad masterfully weaves in questions of morality and judgment without providing straightforward answers for the reader. This is one of the prime factors that elevates the story from the status of simple 'sea-faring tale' to the revered echelons of 19th century literature.

Like in the cinematic re-telling of the story, one of the highlights of Heart of Darkness is the unveiling and exploration of the story's antagonist, Mr. Kurtz. In chapter three, Marlow arrives at what Conrad has now constructed to be an unmistakable 'heart of darkness' and is eventually introduced to the unforgettable mystique of Kurtz (it is also at this point in the book that its parallels of occurrences and characters between Apocalypse Now become unmistakable). Although he is present for only 25 pages or so, Kurtz is both the climax and one of the most endearing factors in the book, and the destination that Marlow and the reader have been salivating over for the long and winding set-up. The finale of the book does not disappoint, and raises more questions of honor, duty, trust, madness, and (yes, of course!) 'the horror' than did the ending scene in Apocalypse Now. In short, if you are looking to find a short but sincere human morality play, look no further than Mr. Kurtz and his compound hidden away in the middle of the African jungle.

Because of the language and pace that Conrad utilizes, I do not think this book would be best forced on anyone (especially high schoolers, since I think the material is too dense to be absorbed for your average teenager), but I would recommend that anyone who is interested in modern tales of boat travel, classic European novellas, or simply the background story behind the Vietnam-era movie tribute (as I was) seek out this book immediately. Be patient with the reading and allow Conrad's lucidities to seep in, and you will hardly be disappointed with the outcome. The first time I started the book, I viewed Conrad's writing as simply morose and confusing and lost any excitement I had before the story even took off. However, upon my second attempt, I ceased to take his descriptive and voluminous style for granted, and found the story sinking in with more meaning and intrigue than I could have imagined on my initial attempt. I had no trouble picturing the hazy sunsets on the Congo or Kurtz's hidden compound in the bushes, and found much enjoyment in Conrad's wonderfully (and wordy) style. Like many classics in literature, it's best to treat Heart of Darkness as a journey to be taken, not a destination to be completed.

A short story that's worth reading as well as remembering (speed-readers could probably complete the task in less time than it takes to watch Apocalypse Now: Redux), Heart of Darkness starts slow, but by the end of the book, the reader will likely have no regrets about their decision to take on this shrouded and intriguing tale. Conrad constructs a grim fairy tale that explores characters and feelings that rise above the humble setting of the African waterways (just ask one Francis Ford Copolla if you doubt), and has a story-telling style that is memorable and unique. Do not be afraid to sink yourself into this revered allegory of a descent into a real heart of darkness, for the return will reap many unexpected rewards and curiosities.