Classics
Heart of Darkness
Sailor Marlow tells his shipmates about a steamboat trip up the Congo to find Kurtz, a trader who has become a legend. What he sees on the way shows him what the ivory trade has made of the people involved.
- First published
- 1899
- Pace
- slow
- Length
- short
- Format
- Standalone
Read this if you want a short, dense, atmospheric classic about colonialism and moral collapse.
Skip this if you would struggle with its racist language and attitudes, which are the subject of ongoing criticism.
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| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
| Bookshop.org | Check price | Buy new from Bookshop.org |
| Amazon | Check price | Buy new from Amazon |
| Barnes & Noble | Check price | Buy new from Barnes & Noble |
| Print, used | ||
| AbeBooks | Check price | Buy used from AbeBooks |
| ThriftBooks | Check price | Buy used from ThriftBooks |
| Ebook | ||
| Kobo | Check price | Buy ebook from Kobo |
| Google Play Books | Check price | Buy ebook from Google Play Books |
| Audiobook | ||
| Libro.fm | Check price | Buy audiobook from Libro.fm |
| Audible | Check price | Buy audiobook from Audible |
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If you loved Heart of Darkness
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Lord of the Flies
Another short classic about how thin the line is between order and savagery.
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The Poisonwood Bible
A modern novel about a family in colonial-era Congo, told from several women's points of view.
-
Things Fall Apart
The African novel written partly in response, showing the same period from the inside.
Classics
