A haunting & hugely influential Modernist masterpiece the Penguin Classics" edition of Joseph Conrads " Heart of Darkness" is edited with an introduction by Owen Knowles. Conrads 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. Marlows 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 Coppolas 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 Conrads most famous works in " Penguin Classics" this volume contains Conrads " Congo Diary" a chronology further reading notes a map of the Congo a glossary & an introduction discussing the authors 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 E.M. Forsters "A Passage to India" also available in " Penguin Classics". " Seems to reach into the heart of Conrad himself". (Peter Ackroyd)." ...

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. A very influential story it provided the plot of the film Apocalpyse Now. ...

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. ...

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY TIM BUTCHER The silence of the jungle is broken only by the ominous sound of drumming. Life on the river is brutal & unknown threats lurk in the darkness. Marlow's mission to captain a steamer upriver into the dense interior leads him into conflict with the others who haunt the forest. But his decision to hunt down the mysterious Mr Kurtz an ivory trader who is the subject of sinister rumours leads him into more than just physical peril. ...

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 nations 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 Europes ideological conflicts are played out in their most acute form: as recent events have emphasized Polands 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 Polands future within a political climate of democracy & free market. ...

Welcome to Chestnut Hill the boarding school where every girl's favourite subject is riding! When a pony is injured at school Honey devotes herself to looking after it. Her friends don't understand why helping the pony is so important to her. Honey hasn't told anyone that she has a twin or that he's really ill. Will she find a way to share her secret? More titles available: THE NEW CLASS (9781407130750) MAKING STRIDES (9781407130767) & PLAYING FOR KEEPS (9781407130781). ...

It is February 1818 & Adam Bolitho longs for marriage & a safe personal harbour. But with so much of Britain's fleet redundant he knows he is fortunate to be offered H.M.S. Onward a new 38-gun frigate whose first mission is not war but diplomacy as consort to the French frigate Nautilus. Under the burning sun of North Africa Bolitho is keenly aware of the envy & ambition among his officers the troubled restless spirits of his midshipmen & the old enemy's proximity. It is only when Nautilus becomes a sacrificial offering on the altar of empire that every man discovers the brotherhood of the sea is more powerful than the bitter memories of an ocean of blood & decades of war. ...

Step into NEW YORK TIMES bestseller Nalini Singh's explosive & shockingly passionate Psy-Changeling world.. .A dangerous volatile rebel hands stained bloodred. A woman whose very existence has been erased. A love story so dark it may shatter the world itself. A deadly price that must be paid. The day of reckoning is here. From 'the alpha author of paranormal romance' (BOOKLIST) comes the most highly anticipated novel of her career
- one that blurs the line between madness & genius between subjugation & liberation between the living & the dead.
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Natalia is to be married to a German sailor much older than herself but two days before the wedding she meets Diego a mysterious young dancer & they fall immediately in love. When he serenades her on the eve of the ceremony Natalias father unwittingly invites him to the festivities. There they dance a tango charged with passion before Diego vanishes knowing she is lost to him. Soon after the marriage Natalias father dies & her husband is lost at sea presumed dead. Penniless & alone Natalia is persuaded to become a dancer in a tango hall. Diego discovers her there & vows to bring her away from this existence but their reunion has devastating consequences. Many years later the spirit of the dance & the lovers longing for each other draws together two strangers in a haunting meeting a fusion of time & identities despair & hope. ...

In The Heart of the Buddhas Teaching Thich Nhat Hanh brings his gift of clear & poetic expression to an explanation of the Four Noble Truths the Noble Eightfold Path & other basic Buddhist teachings. Thich Nhat Hanhs extraordinary contribution to Buddhism & to life is the way he makes these teachings & practices accessible to everyone showing us how the very suffering that is holding us down can be the path to our liberation. ...