A Bend in the RiverA Bend in the River
Score Classic
What it's about
Salim, a young man from an Indian Muslim family on the east coast of Africa, buys a shop in a town at the bend of a great river in the interior of a newly independent African country. As a dictator called the Big Man consolidates power, the town booms and decays, and Salim watches, trying to survive, while foreigners and Africans alike chase their illusions.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and was a Booker finalist. Naipaul later won the Nobel Prize. It's a dark, brilliant portrait of postcolonial chaos.
You'll love it if you liked
A House for Mr. Biswas
The Poisonwood Bible
Things Fall ApartGood to know
Its view of Africa is bleak and has been criticized. There's a violent scene of domestic abuse.
By the numbers
- Readers7 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics80 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller8 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
More by V.S. Naipaul
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Quick answers
Is A Bend in the River worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and was a Booker finalist. It ranks #2,023 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 63.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Bend in the River about?
Salim, a young man from an Indian Muslim family on the east coast of Africa, buys a shop in a town at the bend of a great river in the interior of a newly independent African country. As a dictator called the Big Man consolidates power, the town booms and decays, and Salim watches, trying to survive, while foreigners and Africans alike chase their illusions.
How long does it take to read A Bend in the River?
About 8 hours (326 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A Bend in the River?
If you liked it, try A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S. Naipaul, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver or Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.