A Bend in the River Audiobook By V. S. Naipaul cover art

A Bend in the River

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A Bend in the River

By: V. S. Naipaul
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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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 Contemporary Fiction Fiction Genre Fiction Heartfelt Scary

Critic reviews

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

Beautiful Prose • Vivid Storytelling • Outstanding Narration • Varied Cast • Historical Insights • Excellent Performance
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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.

confusing

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

terrifying

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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.

A curious journey

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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.

Fascinating historical document

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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 crash course in postcolonial Africa.

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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 .

A tale to think about

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This story is presumed to be set in early post-colonial Congo (formerly Zaire, formerly the Belgian Congo.) Salim, through whose eyes we experience the story, is a young ethnic Indian from Eastern Africa, where he has few opportunities. He is given an opportunity to take over a small business in a town "at the bend in the river" in Central Africa, where he goes to live. There, he makes a living and forms friendships and liasons with others from the community and with outsiders, like himself, who have settled there. He earns respect as one who can be depended on. He takes in not only a younger member of his old boyhood household in the east, but also the teenage son of a trader. Through the eyes of Salim, we feel an optimism for this developing country and experience the sense of belonging and drive to survive of everyone living there: from the citizens of the region to the European ex-patriates. As the story shows the country beginning to dissolve into chaos and lawlessness, we have the feeling that we are witnessing close-up the human story behind the news reports we sometimes read about strife-torn countries. This is a well-told story, with an interesting plot, a varied cast of characters, and the fascinating backdrop of modern history in Africa. The narration of Simon Vance is superb.

Highly recommended

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From the beginning on my reading of "A Bend of the River" I was sure there must be a connection between Joseph Conrad and VS Naipaul.

These two books are linked on many levels. Both play their action on or close to Kongo river, yet both don't name it. Both deal with human nature more then with anything else....

"A Bend in the river" is the story of Salim, a Muslim of Indian origin, who lived in unnamed city on Africa East. At some moment in time he bought a store in the midland of the continent on "a bend in the river". His story is from now on related to the political turmoil of the country (possibly Congo) caused by its dictator - the Big Man - most likely Mobutu S?s? Seko. What is the most important in the book, is the impact the dictatorship had on the people - how it changed their minds. How it attracted people, and how it betrayed the in the end.
The book shows, how troubled Africa is. How difficult it is for Africa to emerge the democracy, to disavow violence and corruption - how deep these problems are - and how they cast shadow on human souls.

The book has also a beautiful love story plot....

VS Naipaul forms a conclusion and writes his conclusion ... at the very beginning of the book:
"The world is what it is; men who are nothing, who allow themselves to become nothing, have no place in it."

I was first shocked by the and by some interpretation of the book - as totally pessimistic. It seemed to me that there was a lot of hope in the book.

I thought like this, until I read about "Second Kongo War" ... it claimed almost 6 million victims.

What is Africa today? Who can you tell me ?

Naipaul - going in the Conrad's footpsteps...

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Amazing novel. Provides a sensitive and deeply engrossing account of life in Kisangani- the so called “bend in the river” (a colonial trading post that became a failed development project of Mobutu Sese Seko.) Though fictionalized and artistically written, it is far better as an account of that time and place than most nonfiction content you’ll come across. 10/10

The best story about Mobutu’s Zaire

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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.

immersion in postcolonial Africa

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