"Heart of Darkness is considered by many Joseph Conrad's "most famous, finest, and most
      enignatic story." The tale concerns the journey of the narrator (Marlow) up the Congo River on
      behalf of a Belgian trading company. Far upriver, he encounters the mysterious Kurtz, an ivory
      trader who exercises an almost godlike sway over the inhabitants of the region. Both repelled
      and fascinated by the man, Marlow is brought face to face with the corruption and despair that
      Conrad saw at the heart of human existence.

      In its combination of nartive and symbolic power, masterly character study and acute
      psychological penetration, Heart of Darkness ranks as a landmark of modern fiction. It is a
      book no serious student of literature can afford to miss."