A Bend In The River

A BEND IN THE RIVER

by V.S. Naipaul

 

Award: Nobel Prize 1979

 

Nominations: Booker Finalist 1979, NY Times Finalist 1979

 

Date Read: November 21, 2023

 

Salim accepts a job as a trader in a remote part of Africa, bringing Metty, the son of a slave he had grown up with. The store he in charge of is at a bend in the river, the river being a prevalent symbol in throughout this novel. Salim engages with the local intellectuals at a precarious time in the village’s development.

 

Moving from colonialism to a newly independent state, the future of this part of Africa is in flux and everyone has ideas about the direction the state should take. Of course, none of the paths forward are straight and what could be a bright future eventually descends into chaos. Corruption and greed abound while the basic tenets of society come crashing down. The only future is one of killing and death.

 

Salim manages to escape with barely his life and relegates Metty to a very uncertain fate. He has no idea where he’s going or what future he is embarking on. All Salim knows is that he’s still alive. For now.

 

This troubled country, unnamed but unmistakably in Africa, is almost a character unto itself in this novel. Beginning with bright prospects and riding the boom of post-independence, Salim serves as the vehicle for Naipaul to explore the hoax of a promising Africa that hides behind radicalization that particularly terrorizes foreigners.

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