The finest of all Conrad's tales Heart of Darkness is set in an atmosphere of mystery and
menace and tells of Marlow's perilous journey up the Congo River to relieve his employer's
agent the renowned and formidable Mr. Kurtz. What he sees on his journey and his eventual
encounter with Kurtz horrify and perplex him and call into question the very bases of
civilization and human nature. Endlessly reinterpreted by critics and adapted for film radio
and television the story shows Conrad at his most intense and sophisticated. The other three
tales in this volume depict corruption and obsession and question racial assumptions. Set in
the exotic surroundings of Africa Malaysia and the east they variously appraise the glamour
folly and rapacity of imperial adventure. This revised edition uses the English first edition
texts and has a new chronology and bibliography.
