A Bend in the River

By: V. S. Naipaul

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

In this incandescent novel, V.S. Naipaul takes us deeply into the life of one man, an Indian who, uprooted by the bloody tides of Third World history, has come to live in an isolated town at the bend of a great river in a newly independent African nation. Naipaul gives us the most convincing and disturbing vision yet of what happens in a place caught between the dangerously alluring modern world and its own tenacious past and traditions.

©1979 V.S. Naipaul (P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"A brilliant novel." (The New York Times)
"Confirms Naipaul's position as one of the best writers now at work." (Newsweek)

confusing

I was disappointed in this novel. After listening to it for over 10 hrs. the book just ended with no conclusion. Additionally, while the reader was good the book was rather boring.

terrifying

terrifying. what we know about the venality of humankind laid bare. a a a a

immersion in postcolonial Africa

It would take volumes of nonfiction to communicate what Naipaul says in this novel about Africa's struggle to shake off colonialism and neocolonialism with their aftershocks and displacements. Although written in 1977-78, the novel also anticpates the growth of economic globalization and its displacements. There is also a sad but comic portrait of the well-meaning Western intellectual class.

The novel helps the reader to understand how events like the Rwandan Genocide could happen and see its roots in the "White Hyacinth" (one of the central symbols) that crept down river from the west. Since the narrator (wise and experienced as he is) can speak only from his limited persepctive, symbol and metaphor supply the nuances. The novel also reminds us that "Africa" is a diverse continent, not one homogenous place. The novel surpasses its setting as a reflection on the nature of human power and domination, as well as resilience.

While it isn't an action novel, as someone else pointed out, the second half IS a gripping listen and accessible. Don't expect a "pat" ending, though.

This is the first Naipaul novel I've read/listened to, but I can see why his Nobel Prize citation praised him for relating the hidden, forgotten histories in literary form.

Racist, but...

the writing is so good. His portrayal of Africans is really awful. Nobody should teach this book without dealing with this ugly perspective.

Amazing insight into an unknowable

Amazing insight into a culture unknown and unknowable to us. My attitude toward African people has been greatly enhanced be listening to this novel. This was the well spent.

A curious journey

The readers english accent was perfect and at times difficult. This book required concentration to discern the subleties of both language and culture that are so different from contemporary USA. While it hints of Out of Africa it tells the story of a sensible man in a complex world in a time when the rules of traditional culture no longer applied.

Fascinating historical document

A fascinating account of Mobutu’s Zaire in the 1970s through the eyes of expatriates: Indian – Tanzanian traders trying to get rich in the booms and busts of post-colonial Kisangani, and a European couple the narrator befriends, the man a some-time advisor to the President, currently in eclipse and semi-exile from the capital.

Naipaul was a good observer. His bitter and pessimistic impressions verge on a racist dismissal of Africa and Africans, as many have observed. But the book is pretty nuanced, and Zairian politics were undeniably horrific.

Nepal‘s writing is beautiful but the book is a bit formless. It has a lot of social/political exposition, which is very interesting, but loses the track of the narrative. The violence of the protagonist’s affair with the European woman is weird and gratuitous. The narrator remains a bit of a mystery.

A crash course in postcolonial Africa.

This is a nice novel, which describes the dynamics that most African countries went through in the years around their independence from the previous colonisers.

Naispul brilliantly describes the delicate relationships between the various African ethnic groups and nationalities, those people's interactions with expatriates and among the expatriates themselves. He describes a country  (likely to be contemporary DR Congo) in moral, institutional and cultural decay and confusion resulting from the sudden changes that the country has to go through.

It is an honest and realistic portrait of postcolonial Africa written in an rich, sometimes poetic, language that leaves one with the feeling of actually being there in person.

Simon Vance delivers a nice performance that catches very well the spirit and the tone of the book.

A tale to think about

A fascinating story of Africa told by someone who understands the ways of Africa. A story told with amazing colour, illustrating a vibrancy experienced by anyone who has lived in Africa. The rich and charming fabric of Africa unfortunately gives way to a life which is so predictable despite the efforts of many to preserve the way of life for all . The outcome will always be the same. A thought provoking read .

OK, is the Narrator from 1926?

I now believe in time travel based on the Narrator's accent. Great story... Almost unbearable listen due to pretentious narration.