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Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
More green than Greene An impressive book, in many ways similar to the typical Graham Greene novel : cynical ex-pats living in a third world setting and having affairs. It's more three dimensional and rounded than Greene though, with more empathy and understanding of the 'locals', and more sense of place, Naipaul taking more time to set the scene, and leaving more room for poetical descriptions of the settings. One thing that puzzled me was the almost seemless transition of Salim from an adolescent wet behind the ears... more info
Breath Taking Honesty I must say that I regret that it took me a long time to discover the significance of A Bend in the River. Its significance was brought to my attention by the recent publicity surrounding a biography of V S Naipaul. As I began reading the novel, it immediately stuck a cord with me. Naipaul's opening sentence must be one of the most stunning first sentences of the literary novel. Its assertion creates a sense that one has embarked upon the reading of a great philosophical treatise. I was immediately... more info
The World is What It Is - unfortunately bad books have a place in it I was rather disappointed with this tale of Indians in Africa. Naipul seems not to have captured the mind of his subject and the book lacks direction or plot. There is no humour and despite a wonderful opening line the book isn't well written either. I would have expected better from a writer who is so lauded.
A Masterpiece What a great novel this is! It tells the story of Salim who left his family home on the coast to start a business in central Africa at a town on the bend in the great Congo River. The inhabitants of the town, natives and expatriates, are described with empathy and an eye for detail.
Naipaul also narrates the history of the town as it is connected to the ups and downs of history, with great detail. His writing style is compelling and elegant, while the plot and characterization are superb. In many ways,... more info
