A Bend in the River by V. S. Naipaul

Title: A Bend in the River

Author: V. S. Naipaul

First Published: 1979

No. of Pages: 278

Synopsis (from B&N): "In the 'brilliant novel' (The New York Times), 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."

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Comments and Critique: I found this to be a wonderful book, but I'm having a difficult time putting into words just why. One thing is the author's minimal style -- many times I had the same reaction I have when reading a short story, where every word is carefully thought over and what isn't stated is as important as what is. The interaction between the characters and their emotional reactions felt spot-on accurate, and the physical descriptions of the main location brought the town to life. But the main reason that I liked this book, and the thing that's the hardest to explain, is that I just felt good reading it. Not because it's a feel-good story, because it's not (although it's not a downer, either); and not because it contains an important message. I guess it's just because the whole book feels so real and is in the hands of a master storyteller.

Challenges: 999 ("Booker/National Book Award"); Complete Booker; Fill in the Gaps 100 Books Project; Guardian 1000 Novels ("State of the Nation"); Modern Library 100 Best Novels (Board #83); Orbis Terrarum 2; Support Your Local Library