Heart of darkness and other stories

Generally regarded as the pre-eminent work of Conard's shorter fiction. '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 nineteenth century, the story deals with the highly disturbing effects of economic, social and political exploitation on European and African societies and the cataclysmic behaviour this induced in some individuals. The other two stories in this book - 'Youth' and 'The End of the Tether' - concerns the sea and those who sail upon it, a genre in which Conrad reigns supreme. -- back cover.