First published in 1902, Conrad's story describes intensely and in stark detail
how greed can so easily drive civilised and enlightened men to revert to
primitive savagery. Set against the background of the European ivory trade in
Africa, Heart Of Darkness is narrator Marlow's account of his journey in search
of the legendary and mystical Kurtz, the most successful trader of them all, who
is now reported to be ill. Marlow's quest becomes both a harrowing journey of
self-discovery and haunting description of the brutality of colonial
exploitation; while Kurtz himself is one of the most memorable creations in
modern fiction.