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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Violence, Colonisation
I wasn't gripped by this postcolonial African tale, although I do think it probably sums up a certain mood and time in Africa. This novel was written in 1979 and attitudes and times have changed considerably since then, but perhaps not as much as we would like to think.
What is interesting is that the book is written from the viewpoint of Salim, himself considered to be an outsider, with his Arabic heritage, who has moved from the coast to the interior. We follow events through his eyes as outsiders ourselves but this is frustrating because Salim is often overcome by listlessness and inertia and is often unable to make decisions about his future in the boom and bust African town at the bend in the river. The fortunes of the town and indeed the country depend on the new President, who has forced himself into power following a brief coup. The President, with his unsettling mixture of grandiose but flawed European ideas and African heritage, has brought stability and there is money to be made, but at the end we find the President is losing control and the boom time is disolving, eventually forcing Salim to make a decision about his future.
What is interesting is that the book is written from the viewpoint of Salim, himself considered to be an outsider, with his Arabic heritage, who has moved from the coast to the interior. We follow events through his eyes as outsiders ourselves but this is frustrating because Salim is often overcome by listlessness and inertia and is often unable to make decisions about his future in the boom and bust African town at the bend in the river. The fortunes of the town and indeed the country depend on the new President, who has forced himself into power following a brief coup. The President, with his unsettling mixture of grandiose but flawed European ideas and African heritage, has brought stability and there is money to be made, but at the end we find the President is losing control and the boom time is disolving, eventually forcing Salim to make a decision about his future.
Featuring an insufferable, hypocritical, & lazy main character, A Bend in the River is sludge to get through and often feels redundant in its ideas. Naipaul introduces some interesting themes early in the novel and then just hammers you over the head with them for the rest of the book which renders the story as boring as Salim's life. There were certainly glimmers of quality and potential here, but it's not enough to compensate for all of the flaws. Also, the treatment of women in this story was highly frustrating, which I guess isn't surprising considering Naipaul's own concerning views on females.
This book is really slow-paced, and because of that, I found it really hard to read. Yet, at the same time, it's really well-written and needed to be written in this heavy, slow way. There's a kind of tension and boredom and the same time throughout a lot of the book, which I think was done on purpose to really emphasize the tension and slow - moving pace of Central African life at that time. Overall, glad I read it.
A whole lot of intellectual thought packed into one tiny book. Some days you can almost understand the post-colonial world.
Studied this at A-Level. I loved it! I thought it was a great journey into a post-colonial world that is every changing.
Salim is a Muslim Indian man living in Africa. He narrates the changes and conflicts that occur in Africa resulting from European/western influences.
Still unsure of how I felt about the book. I found it hard to take interest in some of Salim's experiences. Though there are parts that I really appreciated, like when he spoke about letting go of the past.
Still unsure of how I felt about the book. I found it hard to take interest in some of Salim's experiences. Though there are parts that I really appreciated, like when he spoke about letting go of the past.
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No