The reaches opened before us and closed behind, as if the forest had stepped leisurely across the water to bar the way for our return. We penetrateThe reaches opened before us and closed behind, as if the forest had stepped leisurely across the water to bar the way for our return. We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness. It was very quiet there.
Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is one of those books that everyone has been told to read. Whether by a teacher, a relative or even a friend, chances are you’ve had this book shoved down your throat in one way or another.
I started reading it expecting a classic that would land somewhere in the range between tediously boring and somewhat enjoyable. I ended up with the discovery of a gorgeous masterpiece and one of the best books I've read in a long, long time.
Conrad’s methods of storytelling are rather unique in many ways. This is hardly the most suspenseful nor the most complex book out there. It is merely a monologue by the protagonist Marlow where he describes the events of his journeys up the streams of the Congo to find the mysterious Mr. Kurtz, a man whose shadow is steeped in legend, but who leaves innumerable horrors in his wake.
What is by far the most enjoyable aspect of Heart of Darkness is the writing. Judging from the example of this one book, I would have no hesitation in considering Joseph Conrad one of the most talented writers of all time. In fact, the stunning eloquence filling the pages quite possibly made this classic the most beautifully written book I have read in my life.
Take as an example this description of the Thames from the very beginning of the book:
The old river in its broad reach rested unruffled at the decline of day, after ages of good service done to the race that peopled its banks, spread out in the tranquil dignity of a waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth. We looked at the venerable stream not in the vivid flush of a short day that comes and departs for ever, but in the august light of abiding memories.
This is one of those classics that I can very happily confirm holds that title for a reason. The combination of the beautiful and the horrible makes Heart of Darkness a true masterpiece of literature....more
An indisputable masterpiece, and an exceptional analysis into human lives in the midst of conflict.
Everything about War and Peace is splendidly crafteAn indisputable masterpiece, and an exceptional analysis into human lives in the midst of conflict.
Everything about War and Peace is splendidly crafted by a master artisan, but it does seem like dear old Lev got a bit carried away and never stopped writing. The book is exceedingly, shockingly, almost absurdly long. That being said, the sheer quality almost justifies this one massive weakness.
That's all I have to say for now. That might be all there is to say....more
Modern so-called classics become fragile things when I read them.
A few select examples live up to their magnanimously hyped potential and overwhelm meModern so-called classics become fragile things when I read them.
A few select examples live up to their magnanimously hyped potential and overwhelm me (read: 1984 and Heart of Darkness).
The rest sink into the depths of oblivion. I read them because someone decided to give them the status of 'classic'. Which according to those people apparently means "did something first" (in this case wrote a book from the point of view of a disillusioned, whiny teenager), and certainly not "did something good enough for its quality and influence to last through the ages." I read them in order to check them off some mental list. And I forget them. And then I go on to read some real literature that's actually both entertaining and thought-provoking.
For do not for one moment think that a book is on a higher level than what you want to read, simply because someone put a 'classic' stamp on it. No, go ahead. Don't be as stupid and easily deceived as I am. Read what you want.
That being said, The Catcher in the Rye is not a downright bad book. Read it, too, if you want....more
A groundbreaking critique of the horrors of war, Kurt Vonnegut’s most famous book follows the life of Billy Pilgrim and his supposed time travels; froA groundbreaking critique of the horrors of war, Kurt Vonnegut’s most famous book follows the life of Billy Pilgrim and his supposed time travels; from the frontlines and prisoner camps of World War Two to a life in captivity among mysterious alien beings.
I would not label Slaughterhouse Five as science fiction. But as many reviewers have pointed out, it could be, depending on the interpretations of each individual reader. Every scene occurring in the book, time travelling and aliens included, could be perceived as events actually happening to Billy Pilgrim. I choose, however, to view all of it as a mind, confused and distressed by the traumatic experiences of war, pain and death, voluntarily escaping into the realms of the fantastical.
Vonnegut’s writing is nearly impeccable. The book contains a good balance of seriousness and humour. The off-hand sarcasm is pervasive throughout, but mostly I would view it as a rather grim but beautiful tale showcasing the atrocities of war to an audience in need of a lesson.
"Robert Kennedy, whose summer home is eight miles from the home I live in all year round, was shot two nights ago. He died last night. So it goes. Martin Luther King was shot a month ago. He died, too. So it goes. And every day my Government gives me a count of corpses created by military science in Vietnam. So it goes. My father died many years ago now-of natural causes. So it goes. He was a sweet man. He was a gun nut, too. He left me his guns. They rust." ...more