Heart of Darkness: A Signature Performance by Kenneth Branagh

By: Joseph Conrad

Narrated by: Kenneth Branagh

Length: 3 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Prose that demands to be read aloud requires a special kind of narrator. For the Audible Signature Classics edition of Joseph Conrad’s atmospheric masterpiece, Heart of Darkness, we called upon four-time Academy Award nominee Kenneth Branagh.

Branagh’s performance is riveting because he reads as though he’s telling a ghost story by a campfire, capturing the story’s sense of claustrophobia, while hinting at the storyteller Marlow’s own creeping madness. Heart of Darkness follows Captain Marlow into the colonial Congo where he searches for a mysterious ivory trader, Kurtz, and discovers an evil that will haunt him forever.

With this landmark work, Conrad is credited with bringing the novel into the twentieth century; we think Branagh brings it into the twenty-first.

Stay tuned for more one-of-a-kind performances from actors David Hyde Pierce, Leelee Sobieski, Tim Curry, and more, only from Audible Signature Classics.

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Public Domain (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Acclaimed Irish actor/director Kenneth Branagh impersonates Marlow in this recording. Admirably, while fully playing the drama, he never goes overboard. He plays the tale for the great yarn that it is." ( AudioFile)

Fantastic performance and edit

I’ll need to re-read the story to figure out what was abridged but the flow was excellent. I’m always amazed that English was not Conrad’s first language. It takes a narrator like Brianna to do his words, justice and impressive. How beautiful they are still today in modern language.

Branagh makes this classic riveting

Kenneth Branagh makes this classic piece of English literature into a brilliant storytelling experience. I knew the novel and I knew its importance, but it truly came alive in an emotional way for me from listening to this terrific version of the book. It made me see more clearly than ever the meaning and impact of Kurtz’s famous line and of the title. Heart of Darkness is the great work of anticolonialism, and Branagh is brilliant.

Branagh's reading is orchestral.

This was the third or fourth time I have read or listened to this novel, but my first exposure to Branagh's interpretation. I am grateful to Conrad and Branagh for the experience.

Wonderful performance by Kenneth Branagh

Superb narration of Conrad’s short work really brought it to life for me. Quite a harrowing story with a truly horrific backstory (that is not dwelt on overly here).

The wonderful narration

To this modern reader, Joseph Conrad seems vague and wordy, suffused with the values and style of another time. A period piece in the same way that Apocalypse Now seems distant. I am so glad I happened upon it. Experiencing it through Kenneth Branough’s masterful narration was thrilling.

Dark story, much to ponder

This book is so full of symbolism that I had to listen to it twice to get the most out of it. I checked out sparknotes in between listens so as to get as much as I could out of the second listen, and it was a smart move on my part. If I had been satisfied with one time through, I would have missed the whole point of the story. It is a short book, more of a novella, which might help entice me to read it again in the future. It is a great allegory and commentary on human nature. Conrad is a great writer. I think I will ponder on this story for a long time and try to determine which character I am most like at an given time. I will also use it to analyze (not judge) those around me. It is inevitable, I think. Read this book if you enjoy stories that make you think, dig deep for hidden meanings, and analyze. It will stay with you for a long time. However, keep in mind that it was written for another era and much of the structure should not be considered or evaluated according to modern standards. It is a classic and will stand up to the test of time if the reader remembers that fact. The story itself is timeless.

I can't say enough good about narrator Kenneth Branagh. Fabulous!!

A wonderful listen

Kenneth Branagh's reading of this classic is truly wonderful, perfectly suited for Conrad's most famous story. I've listened to it twice now and found myself smiling at just how nuanced Branagh's reading can be. This is a great listen, both in terms of the narration and Conrad's timeless writing. Find a quiet spot and enjoy!

Great Story and Narrator

The narrator is excellent, of course, and that's why I purchased it. The story is good. Gets slow sometimes but very interesting and well written if a little subtle.

Branagh is brilliant

"Apocalypse Now" was based on this. Yes, that movie put it into a more modern view with Vietnam instead of the Congo, but after reading the V.S. Naipaul's book, "A Bend in the River" plus the Kingsolver book, "Poisonwood Diary", I think the Congo is more horrifying. The confusion, the darkness, "the Horror".

Marlowe's telling of this tale makes it an amazing ghost story. The listener characters melt away as Marlowe tells the horrific story of madness that he seems to still be dealing with. The end, when Marlowe is faced with the profound grief of Kurtz' intended and lies to her about his last word is moving. Was Marlowe true to the memory of Kurtz? I believe so.

Branaugh's narration was just as brilliant as I had expected.

Worth reading, problematic by today's standards

Originally written as a scathing critique of colonialism. Recommended, but be aware of historical context.