Heart of Darkness

The revision of this popular Norton Critical Edition has made it possible to expand and bring up to date the source materials and critical essays which for a decade have helped readers to understand better Conrad's enigmatic masterpiece. The text reprinted here, which is based on a full study of all extant materials, is the most reliable in print. It is also the first in which the footnotes reproduce important early materials, including extensive portions of Conrad's manuscript, so that the reader has the unique opportunity to watch the story being revised before his eyes. The collection of source materials is perhaps the richest offered anywhere. Different groups of documents provide historical background for the novel, contemporary accounts of Belgian activity in the Congo, descriptions of Conrad's trip up the Congo River, and selections from Conrad's views on life and art. A newly drawn map of the Congo (1890) and four pages from Conrad's handwritten manuscript are included. The Criticism section has retained its essential variety of "readings" of the story, ranging from specific to general, from parody of style to analysis of meaning. New critical voices are represented. The annotated bibliography has been updated and enlarged.