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Heart of Darkness
Cover art by Arnold Böcklin, Isle of the Dead (1880)
Joseph Conrad
Written by Joseph Conrad 2 audiobooks with Academy Voices
Joseph Conrad was born in Poland, went to sea at sixteen and learned English as an adult. More about Joseph Conrad →
Luke Oldham
Read by a real person Luke Oldham 15 audiobooks with Academy Voices
Stories have the power to inspire, instruct and entertain. Hear more from Luke →
Literary

Heart of Darkness

by Joseph Conrad · read by Luke Oldham · 4 hr 50 min

On a grim river winding through the Congo, seaman Charlie Marlow is sent to command a battered steamer and retrieve the company’s legendary ivory agent, Mr. Kurtz.

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About this audiobook

On a grim river winding through the Congo, seaman Charlie Marlow is sent to command a battered steamer and retrieve the company’s legendary ivory agent, Mr. Kurtz. With each bend upriver, the jungle presses in, the veneer of civilization thins, and Marlow is pulled toward a figure whose brilliance and charisma conceal a terrifying surrender to the darkness within. Heart of Darkness is Joseph Conrad’s searing portrait of empire, conscience, and the fragile line between order and savagery—a taut, propulsive classic whose questions about power and morality remain unsettlingly urgent. Narrated with measured intensity by Luke Oldham, this performance immerses you in the clang of the boiler room, the eerie stillness of the river, and the hypnotic voice that lures Marlow onward. Oldham’s nuanced delivery heightens the novella’s unnerving atmosphere and psychological depth, delivering a listening experience that is as gripping as it is thought-provoking. Perfect for fans of literary classics, dark adventure, and character-driven storytelling, this definitive recording invites you to step aboard—and face what waits at the end of the river, and in the human soul.

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Details
Length
4 hr 50 min
Format
Unabridged audiobook
Released
July 2025
Publisher
Academy Voices
Language
English
ISBN
9798347384563
Cover art
By Arnold Böcklin, Isle of the Dead (1880)
Questions
Who narrates the Heart of Darkness audiobook?

This edition of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is narrated by Luke Oldham.

How long is the Heart of Darkness audiobook?

It runs 4 hr 50 min, unabridged, so you hear the complete text.

Is this audiobook narrated by a real person?

Yes. Every Academy Voices audiobook is Certified Human Voice: performed start to finish by a real narrator.

Where can I listen to Heart of Darkness?

Right here: buy it on Academy Voices and listen in your browser or our app. Hear a free sample on this page first.

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