Heart of Darkness
Heart of Darkness (1899) is a novella by Polish-English novelist Joseph Conrad about a narrated voyage up the Congo River into the Congo Free State in the so-called "heart of Africa". Charles Marlow, the narrator, tells his story to friends aboard a boat anchored on the River Thames. This setting provides the frame for Marlow's story of his obsession with the ivory trader Kurtz, which enables Conrad to create a parallel between what Conrad calls "the greatest town on earth", London, and Africa as places of darkness.
The Dark Heart of Italy
The Dark Heart of Italy: Travels Through Time and Space Across Italy is a 2003 non-fiction book by British journalist Tobias Jones detailing his four years spent in Italy, along with discussions on the history and politics of the country. "The Dark Heart of Italy" was a bestseller in Britain, Italy and United States. (""The Dark Heart" will ensure Italy remains an object of our fascination". Sebastian Skeaping, "The Observer" 2003.) Following its publication, he was short-listed for the "Sunday Times" Young Writer of the Year award.