Heart of Darkness (Wordsworth Classics)

Introduction and Notes by Gene M. Moore, Universiteit van Amsterdam

Generally regarded as the pre-eminent work of Conrad's shorter fiction, Heart of Darkness is a chilling tale of horror which, as the author intended, is capable of many interpretations.

• Setting: The story unfolds in the Congo during the period of rapid colonial expansion in the 19th century.
• Themes: It explores the highly disturbing effects of economic, social, and political exploitation on both European and African societies, as well as the cataclysmic behaviour this exploitation induced in some individuals.

Additional Stories in this Collection

This book also includes two other remarkable stories:

• Youth
• The End of the Tether

Both stories concern the sea and those who sail upon it, a genre in which Conrad reigns supreme.