Description "Heart of Darkness" remains one of the most provocative English novels of the twentieth century, exploring timeless themes such as: human depravity, racism, and madness. This edition is based on the one published in Conrad's collection of novellas in 1902 called "Youth." The darkness of the human heart is on full display as Marlow and Mr. Kurtz react to the jungles in the heart of Africa. The river that takes them into Africa's interior reveals to them all that the 'civilized' are hardly that.