Passing the time while he and his shipmates wait for the tide to turn, Marlow, a seaman, tells of his journey up the Congo; a journey in search of ivory, wealth and power.

His tale is dominated by the distant but fascinating figure of Kurtz; worshipped and feared by invaders and natives alike, he is a paradox - beloved, messianic, yet bizarre and dangerous.

Marlow comes to be obsessed by Kurtz, and is drawn inexorably toward him and his terrible fate ...Conrad's story takes us not just into the heart of colonial Africa, but into the darkness of the human soul.