Heart of Darkness (Unabridged)

By: Joseph Conrad

Narrated by: Charles Constant

Length: 4 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

This is an audio-enhanced version of the novel with musical introductions presented by SoundCraft Audiobooks and Fort Raphael Publishing.

Long hailed as one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, Joseph Conrad's tale of one man's descent into the mysterious and deadly Congo jungle to find a messianic ivory trader is a journey into the depths of man's own greed and quest for power.

Marlow, our narrator, relates his story of his slow upriver quest to meet the strange and enigmatic Kurtz, who lives isolated in the jungle and is revered by the natives he exploits.

An unflinching look at the contrast (and similarities) between the so-called "civilized" and "primitive" worlds, Conrad's novel has become a classic novella, regularly included on any list of the finest books of the past century.

Public Domain (P)2020 Ft. Raphael Publishing Company

Perfect Narration: Wouldn't Be Published Today

Very listenable. Fast paced novella of a bygone era, though not as bygone as one might imagine. Settings and characters change, but the darkness remains.

Experts advise to show and not tell, but Conrad tells and tells and tells with incidental showing. He's a master storyteller.

Brilliant rendition

Charles Constant does a brilliant job narrating this text. As far as I can tell, the text has not been censured in this rendition as it purportedly has in the narration by Kenneth Branagh (which I have not listened to). In any case, I don't believe you can go wrong by opting for this renditon by Charles Constant. This is the second book by Conrad that I have listend to, in addition to "Victory", and I found both enthralling.

Just watch Apocalypse now.

the book is narrated well, but maybe the wrong narrator was picked he seems a bit cheerful for the subject matter. the book takes too long to actually get to the meat of the story. I thought it was a bit ridiculous how many of the characters were so obsessed with the person they went up River to look for. I just feel that Apocalypse now is a much more entertaining story with less dithering about. the main character spends what feels like 30 minutes talking about how he can't get rivets. don't want to give nothing else away but most of the book feels as if too much time is spent talking about stuff that doesn't pertain to the story.

Great Narrator!

I selected this particular audible book based on the narrator’s ability. There were several other offerings for less money, but I think this narrator does a wonderful job. That’s why I selected this one. Highly recommend!

Brilliant performance, but play at 0.9× speed!

Essential reading/listening for anyone who loves the expression of beautiful speech, but especially recommended to fans of cosmic horror. I was struck by how Lovecraftian this work is, tho it predates Lovecraft by some 25 years. True, there aren't any eldritch gods or magic, but a man's understanding of the civilized , rational world he inhabits is shattered after he travels to a remote location and learns unfathomable truths. In Conrad's work nature itself is the great monster and we're it's helpless thralls. There's so much more to this book, if course. An attack on capitalism, the terrifying nature of greatness, questions of civilization, etc. Academics, English teachers, and American filmmakers have made careers off of Conrad's opus. But I focus on the horror elements to appeal to genre fans who might think this is just a book you read in college or high school. It's as much a dread inducing cosmic nightmare as it is a foundational work of modern literature.

Excellent story, excellent Narrator

The story is wonderful, but this is a case where the Narrator is superior to the book. Mr Constant knows how to voice-act using subtlety of inflection and great understanding of the characters. His wonderful voice draws you in and you want to just keep listening to the story he is relating.

I've read this book in print, and now I've listened to it on Audible. The Audible is far better than the print.

Riding the fine edge

Chinua Achebe's criticism of this novel is on point. But it shouldn't not be interpreted in too facile a manner. Although this cannot be tested or at least not easily, Conrad's view of the dark continent through Marlow's eyes is that of an outsider, a first-timer, distinctly European and white. The lack of African voices that Achebe condemns couldn't have been overcome without some reduction in the other-ness of Marlow's experience. That other-ness is ultimately what makes the novel humanist.

Lacking a bit

This story promised to be dark. It is. The narrator was perfect. My problem is that I didn't get to know Kurtz. I never grasped why he was so great. So loved. The images of Africa were intense and the most terrible. The Ivory. The horror!

What a strange reader!!! Do not buy

This audio book is made almost impossible to listen to due to the reader. He reads very fast and does not give it the necessary pauses for understanding the content. Worst audiobook. The original might be great, I will never know. I gave up after an hour.

word salad

I've listened to almost 100 titles, many about naval exploration, but this book absolutely did not grab me.
I listened for about an hour in the car and then I realized I had no idea what was going on, at all.
so I skipped forward to the next chapter, about an hour in and im thinking to myself, I'm totally lost.
so I rejected the book and moved on to another naval exploration book which turned out to be great.
this is only the 2nd book I stayed and didn't finish. the other being to kill a mocking bird and that was because of Sissy spacek voice was like nails on a chalk board.