Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

I read “Heart of Darkness” for a university assignment and it was very different to what I expected. I had heard about the novel and how it was set in the Congo during imperialistic times and had expected to read about the conditions that the Congolese people were going through under colonialism. Instead, I discovered that Conrad’s purpose behind the book was to use Africa as a backdrop to examine Europe’s civility and colonizing mission.

Conrad is a writer who is ranked with authors termed “Classic Writers” so his book is well worth the read. It reveals a perspective on the mind of a white man during the late 1800s, early 1900s, as he critically looks at Colonization. I found it an interesting perspective but was surprised at the indifferent language that he used when describing the indigenous African people. I guess it was normal or common for that time but it struck me as being quite cold and callous.

Because of the way Conrad refers to the African people within “Heart of Darkness”, he has been accused of being a racist and the book is in the middle of quite a debate. On one side, people say that Conrad stripped away the humanity and dignity of the African people and therefore, he is racist. On the other side, people say that he was only responding to what he saw in the context and worldview of his time – how can we expect any different from him? I tend to agree with the former argument as I believe he should know better than the common view of the inhumanity of Africans that was present in his day because many other people did. Livingstone, Wilberforce... it wasn’t unheard of.

In conclusion, this is an eye-opening novel and actually was the basis for books such as Barbara Kingsolver’s “Poisonwood Bible” and movies like Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 film, “Apocalypse Now”. It’s very interesting, is a quick read, and provides a mindset behind the colonialism of Africa.

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

This novel is such a brilliant story. 

The premise of this novel was so intriguing and readers will not be disappointed.  The novel is written from the point of view of different women within a small Southern town in the United States during the 1960s.  It portrays the different points of view of the novel’s characters during a very tumultuous time in America’s history.  What I loved about the novel was that the characters really became friends of mine – the mark of a really good book.  I couldn’t put it down and finished it within 3 days – also not an easy task with work and school but, with this book, once you start reading, you’ll understand.

The novel discusses the lives of black maids working for white families and the relationships that evolve between the two groups.  The book causes the reader to think and analyse their own perspective on the issue of race gently, as they grow to love the characters. 

What I love about this novel is, the author doesn’t just portray the injustices that happened during that time in history, before the Civil Rights movement, but she portrays each character, white or black, as humans with a story, with pain in their lives, and with love.  She describes their backgrounds, lives, thoughts, little secrets...  and she literally makes you fall in love with her characters. 

What an incredible book. 

I particularly identified with the character, Skeeter.  She also studied writing in university and lives to write.  What strikes me about Skeeter is that she has an incredible ability to see beyond the perspective she was raised with.  She sees people as people and is open to having her world view challenged and expanded, even when it means that those whom she grew up with no longer understand her.  She is quite inspiring. 

There are many characters in this book who will make you laugh out loud.  They’ll make you read aloud parts of the novel to anyone in the room who will listen.  They will make you cry.  There’s one character in particular who will make you rage!  This is an incredible book. The kind that will make you wish you hadn’t read it yet so you can enjoy it for the first time again and again.