“But the narrative is not gloomy”: Imperialist Narrative, Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, and the Suitability of Heart of Darkness in 1899

This article investigates the relationship between Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, which published the novella as a three-part serial in 1899. Placing Conrad’s text in dialogue with surrounding articles, advertisements, and opinion pieces helps reveal its complex position within the narrative of British imperial prowess that Blackwood’s supported at the fin de siècle. Understanding the ways in which Conrad’s text both supports and challenges this narrative offers a better picture of Heart of Darkness’s political significance in its original cultural moment.