Heart of Darkness

The novel «Heart of Darkness» by the distinguished English writer of Polish descent and Ukrainian roots, Joseph Conrad, explores the profound depths of human nature. It is perhaps due to this very depth that the work is considered one of the most outstanding literary works of the 20th century.
As in Conrad's other works, the main theme of the novel is the endless journey of Western man through the world. Marlow, a homeless, uprooted sailor, hires on as a skipper for a river steamer of a Belgian trading company. His only task is to find the company's most successful agent in the Congo hinterland - ivory supplier Kurtz, who, for reasons unknown to Marlow, has become very "inconvenient" for the company.
However, this ordinary journey for colonial times turns into a horrific journey into the heart of darkness. Marlow witnesses the cruelty and horrific crimes committed by the colonizers against the local population. He sees how the lust for profit and power corrupts people, turning them into savages.
The plot of the novel, but now filled with the circumstances of the Vietnam War, formed the basis for Francis Ford Coppola's film «Apocalypse Now» (1979).

«Heart of Darkness» is not just a gripping story. It is a profound philosophical exploration of human nature that forces the reader to reflect on the eternal questions of good and evil, light and darkness, love and hate.