Published 1898-1899
Heart of Darkness, a three-part short novel that should have taken less than a week to complete, took me too long because I was distracted due to a personal situation which drained the life out of me for a few days. The event itself could have felt like my own heart of darkness if I allowed it; but I was able to rise above it.
Frankly , I did not appreciate Heart of Darkness for one page. In fact, I was quite overjoyed and relieved to finish the last sentence. It was as if a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. At the same time, I put my personal situation to rest, and then I put Heart of Darkness to rest. There was nothing uplifting that I could tell, and I suppose the last thing I needed was this story at this time in my life. I failed to feel invested in the story, and I lacked the right attitude to soak it in; therefore, I have no interest in going through the summaries or inquiry questions. Hence, I will skip it, which actually feels quite liberating to say so.
Maybe at another time I will revisit Heart of Darkness. (Probably not) But for the curiosity factor, I will watch "Apocalypse Now." If you are in the least bit interested in this strange narrative, Sparknotes, which helped me comprehend what I was reading, has a somewhat entertaining video summary. Check it out:
Right now, I am looking forward to my next title on The Well-Educated Mind list: The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. I do hope this one is morally uplifting, inspiring, and stirring. If not, I think I may need to re-read Jane Eyre!
2 comments:
I failed too with Heart of Darkness, it's just that I don't understand most of the story. I don't think I'd read any other Conrad now... :(
Good luck with House of Mirth, I'd like to read your thoughts on it!
I just finished Heart of Darkness as well. Glad it's over - didn't enjoy that one.
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