A review by iamother
Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

While there are parts of this book that I enjoyed, the framing of the plot within the context of a white man visiting a rural African village is what makes it problematic. The way that the author describes the Africans. Particularly making it clear to describe their features in a way that is starkly different from their white counterparts. As well as offering compliments to their culture and intellect but being quick to interject descriptions of savagery and primitive religions. It takes away from the philosophical and existential conversations between the African king and the main character. Which makes it hard to rationalize it (maybe just as a sign of the times in which this text was published). I enjoyed the idea of going out to seek what you truly “want” in life and how finding someone that shares your interests can make the suffering we went through to find them somehow worth it. That in pursuit of that companionship we can overlook mistakes and compromise ourselves. All in the pursuit of not being alone. In the end, I feel it’s a story about being content with what you have. But the endless comparisons between white and black culture with obvious class undertones, how flippant the main character was with wealth he didn’t earn yet took full advantage of, and how the author chose to characterize black characters (especially his main companion as primarily his glorified servant) took away from the experience.