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Summary: "Africa has no future"
Review: Naipaul in one of his typically politically-incorrect interviews said these very words about the continent. A BEND IN THE RIVER is therefore a gloomy book and offers a pessimistic view of Africa. If Conrad had not already taken the title, then this book could easily have been called HEART OF DARKNESS. That's not a coincidence either as Naipaul is frequently compared to Conrad in terms of literary style and theme. The setting is the same also. Although A BEND.. takes place in a fictitious African country it can be read as either Congo or Uganda as it is based on his visits to those countries in the 1960's.The principal character and narrator of the story is Salim, an Indian and Muslim. Indian merchant families like his have been living in the coastal area of the country for generations. The blacks live inland. Salim decides to move to a small, formerly-quaint colonial town in the interior to set up shop and sell cloth. He is immediately at a loss, in conflict, confused - a man in search of an identity in a country in search of itself. Salim must contend with the rapidly changing social, economic and political environment of the newly independent country while at the same time sort out his own world view in the face of the contending opinions of the other characters. There is the influence of the Big Man - and simply because he is president for life - his interests must be served. There are others: a Belgian priest; Raymond, the white speech writer for the Big Man; Yvette, Raymond's wife; Mahesh, a disillusioned Indian, and finally, the most unlikey important character - Ferdinand. He is a simple boy from the "bush", who, in this upside-down country, becomes Governor of the town after the nation is "radicalized" by the Big Man. The newly-independent former-colony and the various cultural and political influences of the inhabitants are the foils for two of Naipaul's favorite themes. First is his affinity for, and identity with, dispossessed persons. Dispossessed in the personal sense of the word - no home, no country, no identity - a nobody. Following from this personal sense of rootlessness and anomie is Naipaul's un-romantic and oftentimes very critical assessment of the ability of developing countries to sustain the hopes and dreams of their people. This is ably summed up by Ferdinand. "We are all going to hell, and everyman knows this in his bones...everyone want's to make his money and run away. But where?" Naipaul's prose is direct, not symbolic, so many students of Post Colonial literature have had a field-day dissecting Naipaul's various literary allusions and castigate him as a conservative and supporter of neo-colonialism. If that's your area of interest and particular world-view then you will definitely not enjoy A BEND.. If on the other hand you simply like well written, slightly satirical novels with finely-detailed characters and are inclined to not take writers or your reading material too seriously then this is a book you'll definitely enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: A Fine Work, More Relevant Than Ever
Review: This novel is a poignant and psychologically penetrating study of the complex relationship between the personal and the political. At a time when Americans are feeling less insulated from the violence and disruptions of world politics than they have been in decades, "A Bend in the River" is perhaps more topical and relevant than it was when first published. Naipaul tells the story of an Indian in Africa, one of many Asian immigrants who constituted much of the commercial class in the former colonies. With social upheaval comes xenophobia and a man who was pointedly apolitical finds his world unravelling, and ultimately destroyed, by forces that he had failed to acknowledge before it was too late. Unlike the majority of novels that attempt to engage with political themes, "A Bend in the River" is complex and never descends to either travelogue or position paper. Naipaul's characters are believable, and their relationship to the larger world is always personal and individual. Naipaul demonstrates how the concrete facts of individual lives can illuminate the abstractions of politics and power in compelling ways. For those who are only now becoming aware of Naipaul, this book is an excellent place to begin.
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Summary: provocative if flawed
Review: Naipaul's writing strikes me as journalistic Marquez, save with a more psychological approach to magical realism: people who think anything will change in Africa, where big men dominate and foreign sycophants fawn over them, might as well be hunting for golden treasure with magnets. But where Marquez's literary eye reveals a love for even his most absurd creations, Naipaul strikes me as mostly tired and bored by them: Africa will remain Africa. The intriguing perspective of a middle class Indian in Africa is the element easily overlooked; Indian merchants in the region, like Lebanese merchants in West Africa and Chinese in much of Asia outside China, played a disproportionate role in many economies until, as in Uganda, they were expelled or fled the local conflict. The choice of subject as an objective outsider need not be taken as a literary device. Earlier reviewers compared Naipaul to Conrad; facial similarities of geography and image selection aside, the comparison is misplaced. Conrad's use of ugly images in Africa is intended to explore human inclinations and to challenge colonialism. Naipaul's use of ugly images in Africa is intended to challenge post-colonialism and to imply that people are essentially the same power-grabbing, egomaniacs there that they've always been, modern slogans notwithstanding. Read if you want your grim perspectives on 'dem poor ignurant black folks fightin' der wars Africa to be reaffirmed. Reaffirming such views, of course, played into the hands of those who stood back and watched Rwandans die, simply accepting that tribal peoples were 'just like that,' so why bother exercising responsibility. If, like me, you don't accept such a simplistic view, best to skip this book and head towards Wole Soyinka.
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Summary: A slice of life in post-colonial Congo
Review: Naipaul gives us a story that could as easily be narrative history as fiction. A factual description of post-colonial Congo is provided from the unique perspective of a naturalized Indian resident of several generations. The narrator, having grown up in Africa, is closer to the events, people and soul of the continent that the colonial straglers, but yet is constantly reminded in every aspect of day to day life that he is not OF Africa. The rise and fall of order adn prosperity in the town at the bend in the river is instructive to anyone with an interest in the inner workings and psychology at work in the centre of the dark continent. Four stars only because, like an earlier reader, I aggree that my interest fell off somewhat during the second half of the book. Regardless, the narrative style is sweet and makes for an easy and enjoyable read, highly recommended.
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Summary: Engaging story
Review: Engaging story about an Indian merchant in Africa. Provides important insights into the effects of colonialization and modernization, daily life for Africans, and the mind of a unique individual.
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Summary: EXCELLENT!
Review: Masterful! This book was perfectly crafted. I recommend it for anyone who wants to get to know Naipaul.
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Summary: The River is the Only Continuity in the Story
Review: I must admit to start that I was most enamored with the first half of the book, and then it tailed off towards the end. This dissatisfaction keeps me from acclaiming it as a masterpiece. Still the language, the imagery, and the mood the author invokes were a rare treat - and in many ways do remind me of the book its often compared to Conrad's Heart of Darkness.
Naipaul's book does not put forth a blinding new truth, but rather it works on the familiar story of modern man living in a fallen world, but it manages to bring to the subject a new and compelling angle. It's worth reading just for the feel of being transported to an oppressive, hot, and constantly hostile and alien environment. Given the current events in Mozambique, it seems that there is nothing new under the sun - and Naipaul's book sadly has current relevance.
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Summary: An amazing panorama
Review: I started this book at a fairly busy time in my life. I found myself only able to devote short periods of time to read it. It was amazing how much I was able to get out of even two or three pages read at a time. The author, through his main character covers so much about so many things in such a short number of pages (278). There is a plot and there is an overall message but there are so many things that weave themselves in and out of the story that I am sure that this book will mean different things to different people. The main character is an individual of Asian background whose family has lived elsewhere in the African continent. He moves to a remoter part of Central Africa after purchasing a store in a community of modest size. The country is in a time of political strife. The political perspective of the book is certainly an interesting one. There is a relationship with a woman that becomes the focus for awhile until it ends in a most deplorable way. Ultimately our narrator must leave. I came away from this book with an appreciation for the perspective of an outsider living in a different culture. It was, perhaps, that perspective that give the narrator such a detached view of the world. He interacts with all but seems to truly care about no one. Others may disagree, but I felt the detachment more than any other aspect of the book. Based on this introduction to V S Naipaul, I am anxious to read more by this recent Nobel winner.
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Summary: Timeless writing, universal commentary on the nature of man
Review: Explores the humanity behind the failure of so many post colonial societies to transcend their legacies. A wonderful allegory for Bastiat's arguments of 100 years prior. Naipaul's writing has opened the eyes and hearts of many a recovering romantic. Many of his books are great, but this might be the best of the lot.
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Summary: Historical fiction....
Review: Naipaul sets the mood well, capturing both the tensions of a dynamic African environment and the history of a spiritually shattered people. More specifically, many tribesman are able to maintain their strong ancestral beliefs in an environment that rarely has the chance to heal, yet the need to find right for centuries of injustice seems to cripple the temperament of many. Taken from a historical vantage point, my heart opened up to the plight of the people of Africa, so much diluted hope, faith lost in yet another political uprising. The words captured me, spotlighting my own value system and how it's weaved into modern day America, looking for justice through the eyes of a morally narrow minded government. On the other hand, the book is filled with long narratives and very little conversation between the characters. It may be more appropriate to say that the conversations between the characters tended to be long pontificated narratives filled with rich insight but perhaps not for those who are looking to read a standard book of fiction. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I found it to be a hearty historical account of issues that I am normally blind to seeing or hearing. I recommend this to everyone who's interested in learning more about the political and human evolution of the African people. On that note, it's a wonderful book.
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