Harper Collins is proud to present its range of best-loved essential classics ‘ The reaches opened before us & closed behind as if the forest had stepped leisurely across the water to bar the way for our return We penetrated deeper & deeper into the heart of darkness’ At the peak of European Imperialism steamboat captain Charles Marlow travels deep into the African Congo on his way to relieve the elusive Mr Kurtz an ivory trader renowned for his fearsome reputation On his journey into the unknown Marlow takes a terrifying trip into his own subconscious overwhelmed by his menacing perilous & horrifying surroundings The landscape & the people he meets force him to reflect on human nature & society & in turn Conrad writes revealingly about the dangers of imperialism ...

HEART OF DARKNESS AN OUTPOST OF PROGRESS KARAIN YOUTH The finest of all Conrad's tales ' Heart of Darkness' is set in an atmosphere of mystery & menace & tells of Marlow's perilous journey up the Congo River to relieve his employer's agent the renowned & formidable Mr Kurtz What he sees on his journey & his eventual encounter with Kurtz horrify & perplex him & call into question the very bases of civilization & human nature Endlessly reinterpreted by critics & adapted for film radio & television the story shows Conrad at his most intense & sophisticated The other three tales in this volume depict corruption & obsession & question racial assumptions Set in the exotic surroundings of Africa Malaysia & the east they variously appraise the glamour folly & rapacity of imperial adventure This revised edition uses the English first edition texts & has a new chronology & bibliography ABOUT THE SERIES For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities helpful notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study & much more ...

In a novella which remains highly controversial to this day Conrad explores the relations between Africa & Europe On the surface this is a horrifying tale of colonial exploitation The narrator Marlowe journeys on business deep into the heart of Africa But there he encounters Kurtz an idealist apparently crazed & depraved by his power over the natives & the meeting prompts Marlowe to reflect on the darkness at the heart of all men This short but complex & often ambiguous story which has been the basis of several films & plays continues to provoke interpretation & discussion ...

Introduction & 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 Set in the Congo during the period of rapid colonial expansion in the 19th century the story deals with the highly disturbing effects of economic social & political exploitation of European & African societies & the cataclysmic behaviour this induced in some individuals The other two stories in this book – Youth & The End of the Tether – concern the sea & those who sail upon it a genre in which Conrad reigns supreme ...

A haunting & hugely influential Modernist masterpiece the Penguin Classics edition of Joseph Conrad&s Heart of Darkness is edited with an introduction by Owen Knowles Conrad&s narrator Marlow a seaman & wanderer recounts his physical & psychological journey in search of the infamous ivory trader Kurtz dying insane & guilty of unspeakable atrocities Travelling upriver to the heart of the African continent he gradually becomes obsessed by this enigmatic wraith-like figure Marlow&s discovery of how Kurtz has gained his position of power over the local people involves him in a radical questioning not only of his own nature & values but also those of western civilisation The inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola&s Oscar-winning film Apocalypse Now Heart of Darkness is a quintessentially modernist work exploring the limits of human experience & the nightmarish realities of imperialism Part of a major series of new editions of Conrad&s most famous works in Penguin Classics this volume contains Conrad&s Congo Diary a chronology further reading notes a map of the Congo a glossary & an introduction discussing the author&s experiences in Africa the narrative & symbolic complexities of Heart of Darkness & critical responses to the novel Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) was born in the Ukraine & grew up under Tsarist autocracy After spending years in the French & later the British Merchant Navy Conrad left the sea to devote himself to writing In 1896 he settled in Kent where he produced within fifteen years such modern classics as Youth Heart of Darkness Lord Jim Typhoon Nostromo The Secret Agent & Under Western Eyes If you enjoyed Heart of Darkness you might like EM Forster&s A Passage to India also available in Penguin Classics & Seems to reach into the heart of Conrad himself& Peter Ackroyd ...

The most supportive easy-to-use & focussed literature guides to help your students understand the texts they are studying at GCSE & A Level ...

The image of Poland has once again been impressed on European consciousness Norman Davies provides a key to understanding the modern Polish crisis in this lucid & authoritative description of the nation's history Beginning with the period since 1945 he travels back in time to highlight the long-term themes & traditions which have influenced present attitudes His evocative account reveals Poland as the heart of Europe in more than the geographical sense It is a country where Europe's ideological conflicts are played out in their most acute form as recent events have emphasized Poland's fate is of vital concern to European civilization as a whole This revised & updated edition tackles & analyses the issues arising from the fall of the Eastern Block & looks at Poland's future within a political climate of democracy & free market ...

Willow Tree is an intimate line of figurative sculptures representing sentiments of love closeness healing courage hopeall the emotions we encounter in life Heart of Gold was inspired by a young cancer patient at Children&s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City MO USA who was the son of close friends of Willow Tree artist Susan Lordi A young cancer patient with courageous spirit & kind smile bringing so much love joy & comfort to others Susan Lordi & Enesco will donate 65p to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children&s Charity for every Heart of Gold figure sold The item is made in resin & h&-painted with lead-free paint Supplied in a branded gift box & a gift tag with sentiment & You will always have my heart& Not a toy or children&s product Intended for adults only ...

This Jackie Chan martial arts actioner is a bit different than most of his films (although it does have the requisite spectacular stunts & kung fu fights) In it he plays a police officer who is a member of a SWAT team but leaves it to join the CID division His reason for leaving isn&t to get more action though; it&s to keep a closer eye on his feebly-minded brother Danny (director Hung) ...

The stem of the goblet has the appearance of twisted tree roots green jewels set in a band midway up The body is dominated by the large calm face of the Green Man staring out from a mess of leaves & stems The face is repeated around the goblet o the same tree-like background as the stem With a removable stainless steel insert for ease of cleaning this goblet is perfect for drinking mead during a druidic ritual on the summer solstice ...