New York: Vintage, May 1980. Paperback. V-314. First paperback printing of V. S. Naipaul's classic novel. Very Good. Prior owner's name penciled on first page. Text unmarked. Tanned. Spine straight, tight and uncreased. Reading and shelf wear. Not from a library. No remainder mark. Not clipped. 278 pages. Naipaul takes us deeply into the life of an Indian who has come to live in an isolated town at the bend of a great river in a newly independent African nation. A most convincing and disturbing vision of what happens in a place caught between the dangerously alluring modern world and its own tenacious past and traditions.

Synopsis

A Bend in the River is set in an unnamed postcolonial Central African country and narrated by Salim, a shopkeeper. Naipaul explores the chaos and violence suffered after independence and how a power vacuum can quickly lead to the tyranny of dictatorship. Perceived by some to be written in defense of European colonialism, Naipaul admitted that he in fact knew very little about the region when he started writing the book. Despite this, the novel immediately won praise from critics for its poignant brilliance and was shortlisted for the Booker prize in 1979. In 1998 the Modern Library ranked A Bend in the River as one of the 100 best English-language books of the twentieth century.

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Details

Bookseller: Books of the World (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: RWARE0000000265
Title: A Bend in the River
Author: V. S. Naipaul
Format/Binding: Paperback
Book Condition: Used - Very Good
Quantity Available: 1
Edition: First Paperback Edition
ISBN 10: 0394743148
ISBN 13: 9780394743141
Publisher: Vintage
Place of Publication: New York
Date Published: May 1980
Pages: 278
Size: 12mo
Keywords: fiction, classics, literature, political fiction, colonialism, East Indians, Africa
Bookseller catalogs: Africa; Fiction;

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Spine: The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
Remainder Mark: Usually an ink marking of some sort which indicates that the book was designated a remainder. In most cases, it can be found on...
Shelf Wear: Shelf wear (shelfwear) describes damage caused over time to a book by placing and removing a book from a shelf. This damage is...
Tight: Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.