?A large part of the materials accompanying the text is devoted to the Congo's colonial past, a history of violence that quickly overshadows the story. At the same time, new critical approaches ranging from terrorism to ecocriticism demand we think Conrad's text anew. . . . Paul Armstrong's erudition in Conrad and modernism studies is everywhere apparent in the new edition?from the presentation of the resources in his introduction to the choice of new materials to supplement the impressive corpus of resources previously available.?
?YAEL LEVIN, Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History, on the Fifth Edition
This Norton Critical Edition includes:
- The text of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness using the 1902 book publication, meticulously edited and annotated by Paul B. Armstrong.
- A revised introduction by Armstrong examining the ambiguity of Conrad's most famous work.
- Historical photographs and illustrations, a map of the Congo Free State, and excerpts from three graphic novel adaptations.
- A historical timeline of the Congo compiled by Armstrong, contextual selections on imperialism and nineteenth-century attitudes toward race, and works by Conrad related to the novel.
- A wide-ranging collection of scholarship including early twentieth-century responses to the novel, postcolonial critiques, essays showcasing varied critical and theoretical perspectives, and writings on adaptations.
- A chronology of Conrad's life and a selected bibliography.
