by V.S. Naipaul, Simon Vance
I have not read any Naipaul prior to reading this work. The back of this book says that Naipaul is Conrad's heir and I couldn't agree with that more. This book is set in a thinly disguised Congo and it documents the years following independence. The book looks at the boom bust cycle tribal jealou...
This is going to be a hard review to write, because it's hard for me to find a standard by which to judge this book by. Told from the point of view of Salim, who has moved from the coast inland to a nameless African country with remarkable similarities to the Congo, A Bend In The River is an observ...
This is a book that I really wanted to enjoy. Listed on the 1001 list, Nobel prize winning author, a book that takes place in another country, audiobook read by Simon Vance and an ebook version to read along with. But this story never drew me in and I think I attribute it to Naipaul's style. The ...
A slow moving novel about the Congo after the Belgians stranded the populace without education or the expertise to govern themselves. If you want to know why the Congo is in the desperate condition it is today, then reading this book will help. The people struggle with determining who they are. D...
I don't think that amazon.co.uk holds the same reviews as amazon.com. On the former site the first review there(from Birmingham UK, if I remember rightly) states Africa is a country, and that particular misconception is usually voiced by Alaskan politicians. ------ ETA - Have spotted what may be the...
Salim, an ethnic Indian living in Africa, buys a business from a friend and tries to make a go of it in a spot on an African river, a prime spot for commerce, during a bad time in Africa’s history. He struggles to keep going with his business while things in Africa deteriorate from bad to worse. Sal...
I thought this book would never end. Sometimes it gave me false hope with an interesting passage but then it lapsed back into dreariness. The main character was so unappealing and none of the other characters did much for me either. I gave the book away as soon as I had finished because I couldn't b...
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