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Joseph ConradHeart of Darkness

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Librivox recording of Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad.

Read by Kristin Luoma

Set in a time of oppressive colonisation, when large areas of the world were still unknown to Europe, and Africa was literally on maps and minds as a mysterious shadow, Heart of Darkness famously explores the rituals of civilisation and barbarism, and the frighteningly fine line between them.

We get the tale through a classic unreliable narrator, relating as Marlow, a ship's captain, tells how he was sent by the Company to retrieve the wayward Kurtz, and was shaken to discover the true depths of darkness in that creature's, and in his own, soul. Conrad based the work closely on his own terrible experience in the Congo.

This work has been reinterpreted and adapted into many modern forms, the most well known being the film Apocalypse Now.
(Summary written by Marlo Dianne)

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M4B audiobook of complete book


This audio is part of the collection: The LibriVox Free Audiobook Collection
It also belongs to collections: Audio Books & Poetry; Community Audio

Artist/Composer: Joseph Conrad
Source: Librivox recording of a public-domain text
Keywords: librivox; literature; audiobook; classic

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: PCSmith - - February 15, 2012
Subject: The Heart Of Darkness
A great story poorly read.
I read this book many years ago and loved it. I was quite disappointed in this reading. The young lady did her best but sadly her best was not good enough.

Reviewer: Sorker - - April 18, 2010
Subject: Great Talent Mismatched Here
As do other thoughtful (not to say all)reviewers, I applaud Ms. Luoma's reading as well-paced and expressive, with fine enunciation and a young woman's spirit. However, her evident talent is misapplied in this piece, in which she is cast as the voice of a soul-tormented ship's captain and other desperate male characters. I do not assume the mismatch was of her choice, that is for Librivox to determine. Librivox readings are not mere communication of audio text; they are an art form, as much as are live theatre, cinema, and radio plays. Were this effort in one of those media, one would never expect a young woman, however talented, to be cast as the voice of the characters in this novel.

Thank you, Ms. Luoma; please, as would any actress, do not take my comments as sexist in any way. I hope to have the opportunity to hear you in future, matched efforts.

I was distracted by this mismatch to the point of being unable to fully appreciate the piece.

Antwon's puerile ad hominem vitriol is beneath civility or interest and is here dismissed as the benthic prattle it is.

Reviewer: antwon - - April 12, 2010
Subject: fnh review
a review like yours is amazing don't quit your day job as a critic you would be a good bricklayer. The book and the reader were superb, fnh review not so much

Reviewer: aimzzz - - April 8, 2010
Subject: How are we different?
Conrad skillfully exposes the effects of 'advancing civilization' by raising the question of what the colonials are doing vs what they tell themselves they are doing. The question is addressed throughout, beginning in Belgium and is carried into the voyage (ship bombarding unseen enemy on the African coast). Again it is raised in the presence of the miners at the mouth of the river, and then on upstream. The book ends with a restatement of the delusion at home. What is civilization? What is barbarism? Compare the ghostly miners with the heads on the pikes. Are we different at heart? There is much more in the book, but it is hardly as trivial as reviewed below.

Kristin Luoma is one great reader

Reviewer: FNH - - May 10, 2008
Subject: Free Audio, Review
This story has become a classic and everyone must have heard the phrase "the horror" which appears to have started in this story.

We have a story that is not quite an adventure and not quite a travelogue. It falls somewhere in between. Oddly we have savages attacking the "white men" on a river boat but yet it never quite reaches the level of excitement that constitutes adventure.

What we have a story that starts as a journey through the jungle and then becomes some odd kind of relationship story between the main protagonist and the mystery character "Kurts".

I have to say that I picked up this story because of its "classic" branding, yet I dont really feel it lived up to that title. The story was fairly bland, the "relationship" was never really developed and appeared to rest on assumptions I could not fathom.

Sadly disapointed.

Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3

Read more of my reviews at http://freeaudioreview.blogspot.com/

Reviewer: steadyjohn - - September 8, 2007
Subject: Wonderful Reading!
I very much enjoyed Kristin Luoma's reading of this classic Conrad novella. Her palpable enjoyment of the narration was evident in many passages.

Reviewer: WolfgangTheBald - - January 8, 2007
Subject: Worthwhile
A very worthwhile audio interpretation of a work that is itself beyond praise. Ms. Luoma's reading is well paced, expressive, and true to the text. Listening to the work reveals nuances that may have escaped you when you read this one for Freshman Lit. Highly recommended.