Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness

by Harold Bloom

-- Presents the most important 20th-century criticism on major works from The Odyssey through modern literature
-- The critical essays reflect a variety of schools of criticism
-- Contains critical biographies, notes on the contributing critics, a chronology of the author's life, and an index

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1987

About the author

Harold Bloom was an American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University. In 2017, Bloom was called "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world." After publishing his first book in 1959, Bloom wrote more than 50 books, including over 40 books of literary criticism, several books discussing religion, and one novel. He edited hundreds of anthologies concerning numerous literary and philosophical figures for the Chelsea House publishing firm. Bloom's books have been translated into more than 40 languages. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1995.
Bloom was a defender of the traditional Western canon at a time when literature departments were focusing on what he derided as the "school of resentment" (multiculturalists, feminists, Marxists, and others). He was educated at Yale University, the University of Cambridge, and Cornell University.

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not always understand completely the intention or belief of an author of a masterpiece, sometimes not even the main point. I've lived in the heart of Africa, the heart of the Middle East and Greece and Texas along with a dozen other states. In all of them I had what "The Heart of Darkness" and similar great works of art infused me with. What it was, I don't know. Why it was great, I don’t know. I just knew that instinctively not to lose my “center" and let my “center” renew itself slowly, organically. If that happened, it was pure luck.

There are books and stories that you just cannot hang a label on. Especially if you make no claims for yourself; you're just you and that's all you know. I have for the most part viewed the characters I've had to deal with here and overseas in an unassuming light. The same with the ones in fiction or history or poetry for example. “The Heart of Darkness” for me is one of those stories, even though professors and critics have gone to great lengths to label it to their way of thinking. Their attempts at doing so reveal facets that I missed, but I cannot say that I am satisfied with any one view; only the one I have after each new reading. And this is true with other authors like Hemingway, Faulkner, and Camus for example.

I do not feel that I have to have a 'philosophy', a point of view, or a spiritual perspective to venture into a new experience, such as a novel or short story or play . Common sense helps, whenever I’m lucky enough to have it. I take as an article of faith the realization that at least half the people I come across are smarter than I am, more charming and more appealing (maybe by two-thirds) and will be more successful in life (90%). Maybe Shakespeare or Conrad taught me this or Camus or Kazantzakis, or Steinbeck or King Solomon or Jesus. Who knows?

All I do know right now is that like an earthworm, with about as much awareness, I enjoy digesting a good book or idea or new finding (eureka!) or meeting a character I’ve never known, or an amazing situation. If there is wisdom accrued to myself it is mostly in the consumption, and not so much in the analysis or comparison. Like an earthworm.

[Gem]

Not my type of literature tbh...I only got in like 28 minutes of this almost 5 hour long audiobook, but it didn't grab my attention like some other audiobooks have done.

[Boumy Sandberg · Rating 1 out of 5]

could not get thru the story...