Bend in the River

A young Indian trader named Salim moves to an unnamed country in the African interior, where he becomes obsessed with Raymond's wife, Yvette, and begins an affair with her. Personal and political tragedy follow, civil war returns, and Salim speaks for the powerlessness of ordinary people in the face of historical upheaval.

Format: Hardback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 12 September 2019
Publisher: Everyman

Post-colonial Africa is dissected with pitiless lucidity in this disturbing novel about an outsider, the young Indian trader, Salim, who has moved from the coastal settlement where he grew up to an unnamed country in the African interior (largely based on the Democratic Republic of Congo), settling on that very bend in the river where Conrad had set his Heart of Darkness some seventy years before. Salim enters a ghost town, once a flourishing European outpost, which is fast returning to the bush. A new dictator, the Big Man, is about to impose his regime with the assistance of Raymond, The Big Man's White Man, whose humanitarian concerns have won him international acclaim, but whose plans for the country's future are arrogant and delusional. Salim becomes obsessed by Raymond's wife, Yvette, and begins an affair with her. Personal and political tragedy follow, civil war returns, and Salim, contemplating the disastrous course of his life since leaving home, speaks for the powerlessness of ordinary people everywhere in the face of historical upheaval:

I couldn't protect anyone, and no one could protect me. We could only in various ways hide from the truth. One tide of history has brought us here. Another tide of history was coming to wash us away.

Salim's journey takes him through the heart of darkness, both physical and psychological, as he struggles to navigate the complex web of relationships and power dynamics in the African interior. He encounters a range of characters, from the corrupt European colonizers to the native Africans who have been exploited and marginalized by the colonial system. Through his experiences, Salim becomes increasingly aware of the devastating effects of colonialism and the ongoing struggles of the people of Africa to reclaim their land and their dignity.

The novel also explores the themes of race, identity, and colonialism, raising questions about the nature of power and the responsibilities of individuals in the face of historical oppression. Salim's Indian heritage and his outsider status make him an interesting and complex character, as he struggles to find his place in a world that is often hostile and unfamiliar to him.

Ultimately, Heart of Darkness is a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of the complexities of post-colonial Africa, offering a haunting and unforgettable portrait of a continent in transition.

Weight: 452g
Dimension: 135 x 211 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781841593913