Sonanova's review of Heart of Darkness (original) (raw)

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Sonanova's Reviews > Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

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Heart of Darkness
by

139685

Proving yet again that doing a concept first will get you immortalized, while doing it WELL will make you an unknown and forgotten writer at best, I also learned that in Conrad's time, people could drone on and on with metaphors and it wasn't considered cliched, but "art." I blame this book and others like it for some of the most painful literature created by students and professional writers alike.

It was like raking my fingernails across a chalkboard while breathing in a pail of flaming cat hair and drinking spoiled milk, meanwhile Conrad is screaming DARKNESS DARKNESS OOOH LOOK AT MY METAPHOR ABOUT THE DARKNESSSSSSSSSSS like a fucking goth on a loudspeaker.

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Reading Progress

April 1, 2004 –Finished Reading

Comments Showing 1-50 of 156 (156 new)

Paul Bryant that made me chortle

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Sonanova I spent an afternoon on a beach and in a forest preserve, waxing philosophically about the sweet agony. Sadly, this is the best I could come up with.

Paul Bryant Well, I think I've found a new genre of humour - one star reviews. I'm going hunting for some more (only of books I also dislike - my sense of humour's good but not that good)

pb

Otherjockey I completely disagree with you, but I love your review.

Wayne Oh, dear!!!
What sort of books do you read??
Barbara Cartland? Mills and BooN?? No, I refuse to believe it.
Try some of Conrad's short stories.
The Duellists, An Outpost of Progress, The Informer,
Il Conde, The Secret Sharer.
Be assured Conrad was NOT the sort of man to show-off, but I'm sure beneath your chagrin you realise that.
Anyway, an arresting review which had ME screaming"NO!! NO!! NO!! SOMEONE SAVE THIS POOR GIRL!!!!
Cheers from Wayne , Sydney Australia.

Shriram i agree. This was the wort book i have read to date.

Every metaphor basically screamed at you to pay attention to it!

i was LoLling when i read this!

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i don't entirely agree with you, but this made me laugh.

Laura Love this. I agree.

Friends of late have tried to convince me to re-read the book to see if I'll change my opinion of it....I just don't know if I can go through that pain again :-\

Wayne I must say I am astounded at the viciousness re metaphors.
I can only guess that your teachers got you to underline every metaphor in the book and/or that you have grown up on a diet of the Hemingway School of Total Blandness and have knee jerk reactions to adjectives, similes , metaphors etc.
Shakespeare uses them!!! Try Marcel Proust!!!

I saw Conrad's "Heart Of Darkness" listed in Goodreads among "The Most Difficult Books EVER."
I had to laugh.
I had to consider "WHY?" such categorising.
I had to consider whether it had anything to do with youth, ignorance, lack of exposure to European Lit.
poor teaching...PLEASE ENLIGHTEN ME!!!!
Conrad is NOT the exception as he is being portrayed.

I have seen on another letter chain Conrad being accused of being RACIST.
Excuse me??!!
He is not the narrator;the narrator is Marlowe.

I think you have all had a bellyful of "Heart of Darkness".
Leave it.
Read his short stories...pleeeeaassse!!!
"An Outpost of Progress," "The Secret Sharer", "The Informer".
PLeaSe!!!
Wayne, Sydney Australia.

Christopher The objection that I take to one-star reviews is that, speaking solely of literature (that is, to the exclusion of "pop" novels which are found devoid of really any value), is that they are generally wholly undeserved. Your review entirely overlooks the fact that "Heart of Darkness" is, Chinua Achebe be damned, a scathing condemnment of Western imperialism and subjugation of the African continent inspired by that to which Conrad was witness under the reign of Leopold II, and it is unfair to the content to provide such a cursory dismissal of the novella as a whole based on your own stylistic predilections. Obviously, you should express them: that is quite the point of reviewing a book in the first place; however, it is unwise to shove them to the fore when the work has other quite legitimate redeeming qualities.

Christopher And there is an unfortunate error in my first comment. I do apologize for not paying greater attention to what I was typing.

Saffy Though I disagree, your review was absolutely hilarious! I loved it.

Jesus K.I. wrote: "wow... this is really inciting some passion and defense. why is this book so polarizing?"

It's one of those books that only intelligent people like, and 99% of other people hate.

Joshua D Jesus wrote: "K.I. wrote: "wow... this is really inciting some passion and defense. why is this book so polarizing?"

It's one of those books that only intelligent people like, and 99% of other people hate.

Boo..."

While I hate to appear as a harsh snob,'tis sadly true. I enjoy my fair share unintelligent schlock more than anyone possibly should, but the fact that books like this (and other books that deserve their "classic" status) get average ratings while Twilight and Matthew Reilly books get higher ones supports your observations.

message 15: by Alex (new)

Alex M Funny review. Far from his best work, but definitely amongst his most meaningful when one considers the questions it posed to the 19th century reader regarding African colonialism, race, and British imperialism.

Sunshine Refreshing to know I am not the only one who did not enjoy this at all!

David What a stupid review, probably missed the point of the book entirely.. infact, I wouldn't be surprised if you hadn't even read it in full

Shacoria Does it get better as it goes along, because so far it's terrible.

Margot what the hell do you usually read. ew.

Margot and apparently you have no sense of the history or the evolution of the aesthetics of the novel, so please refrain from humiliating yourself and in the process, irritating those who do know something about it enough to appreciate.

Shacoria Silvia wrote: "what the hell do you usually read. ew."

why do we have to insult one another simply because we have different tastes in reading material?

Mark loved the review though wholeheartedly disagreed with its sentiments...and what images..breathing in a pail of flaming cat hair...wow

Mark I shall try it, I really, really will. incidentally, have now read some of the other comments and though I disagree, as I said, wholeheartedly with Sonanova's opinion surely the whole grace of Goodreads is that she has every right to express that opinion. Others of us can disagree with her too that is the wonder of intelligent debate but surely its best to do it with generosity and not resorting to personal attack.

Mark Lady, don't get me wrong I think you are wholly right in what you say but if you look back at some of the comments made they are very harshly directed against Sonanova. Personally I think ' The Heart of Darkness ' an incredibly brave and powerful book and you're recommending further reading is, on my part, gratefully received so cheers for that

Mark David wrote: "What a stupid review, probably missed the point of the book entirely.. infact, I wouldn't be surprised if you hadn't even read it in full"

looking on the review page I note you haven't put one up yet. Don't you think it might be a little more noble to put yourself on the line before you start criticizing others

William2 You really did misread this one! HOD is a masterpiece of tone, voice, narrative. Reread in ten years.

message 27: by Alex (new)

Alex M William wrote: "You really did misread this one! HOD is a masterpiece of tone, voice, narrative. Reread in ten years."

Nail on the head.

William2 We all misread at some time or other. This is just her misreading. No biggie.

Fayley Some of us read for art, some enlightenment, some entertainment. The negative reviews are just as helpful as the positive ones in deciding what I'll read next. Negative review from a member who liked the same books as me gives me the heads up not to waste my time, and a positive review from someone who didn't like other books I loved tells me to ignore their opinion.

Rudy It's certainly not easy to understand, but I'm honestly disappointed in reviews like these that are so narrow-minded and fail to take note of Konrad's true artistry, and the complex, deeper themes of the human psyche.

توما بن أبيه I think Conrad was not seeking attention while writing the book.

Elisa Silvia Jackmanand apparently you have no sense of the history or the evolution of the aesthetics of the novel, so please refrain from humiliating yourself and in the process, irritating those who do know something about it enough to appreciate.(less) May 03, 2011 05:41pm

There's no need to be so self righteous about it.

Everyone has different tastes.

Tim Well, how many years on now and your 'review' is still getting comments. Objective achieved, no? I did think it terribly funny, by the way.

But I would also recommend Leopold's Ghost, if you can handle it. The events in the DRC at the time of his writing are no laughing matter.

Pesadelo Terrible gunny and made me buy the book and i'am going to read it. Inverted psychology works .

Heath Shriram wrote: "i agree. This was the wort book i have read to date.

Every metaphor basically screamed at you to pay attention to it!

i was LoLling when i read this!"

I find a review that uses "LOLING" and misspells worst half-assed at best and 100% unreliable.

Per Sindre The review of a shallow fool. The Pilgrims are everywhere these days!!

Mario Negrello Reading too many bad metaphors may render one overly sensitive. But that's not the fault of the metaphor as a concept. It's like 3 chord progression in pop music, it does tire, if used to exhaustion. But it is not intrinsically wrong, as the reviewer implies.

Mario Negrello Also, maybe the reviewer hasn't considered that the reason for which students and professionals ape Conrad is because in all likelihood they liked Conrad. Recognizing beauty is not the same as producing it, vide pop.

Suki Bapswent "It was like raking my fingernails across a chalkboard"...
Reading your review was like scraping my face on sandpaper whilst being violated by an orca whale. Yay for asinine reviews! Yay for meaningless hyperboles!

message 40: by Seán (new)

Seán your comment made my day :)

William Ainsworth You try to make yourself look clever by making personal attacks on someone else's review. You sound like a bunch of assholes who've probably never read the book.

Mark I wholeheartedly agree William. There is no need for the people who dislike this review to do anything other than ignore it but if they want to defend the greatness of a story then their job is to explain why and not resort to crass and arrogant dismissal of someone else's opinion and interestingly one or two of the 'critics' have not had the courage to put a single review up themselves.

I do not actually agree with Sonanova's opinion but she has every right to say it and then be respectfully disagreed with. Thanks for saying what you said.

Mark Now i can also agree with what you have said here Jeremy but that is not the way in which many have reacted on this thread. they have not debated or explained or even commented in a sarcastic or shallow way but have responded in a vicious and singularly dismissive one.

Suki Bapswent The reactions to the Sonanova 'review' are a bit facile (mine included), but appropriate. There was nothing in her analysis to merit a measured & well thought-out reply. It's much more fun to respond to sacrilege (sacrilege!) with bile.

Mark Yep fine but bile spat at the review or, taking Jeremy's point, the opinion not at the reviewer.

Suki Bapswent Fair enough.

Taylor I didn't get the same impressions when reading it, at all.

Your review would of served others better if you explained your expectations going in and what you seek from reading a book. I'd like to know who you think does it better.

Heath Mark wrote: "I wholeheartedly agree William. There is no need for the people who dislike this review to do anything other than ignore it but if they want to defend the greatness of a story then their job is to ...

If you don't like other peoples opinions about others opinions then maybe you shouldn't share yours.

Mark Heath wrote: "Mark wrote: "I wholeheartedly agree William. There is no need for the people who dislike this review to do anything other than ignore it but if they want to defend the greatness of a story then the..."

I have no problem with people expressing opinions, it is the vitriolic snidey personal attacks on the reviewer that i find distasteful.

Heath Well it's a very inane bit of caterwauling that was thrown on this site with half an ass. When you do that with your opinion someone is bound to take exception. It's a garbage review receiving just treatment.

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