The Sheltering Sky
Expatriate dislocation, a failing marriage, and disaster without moral meaning.
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A Bend in the River
by V. S. Naipaul
An uprooted merchant attempts to build a life in a newly independent African country sliding toward instability.
- 1979
The story, briefly
Spoiler-freeSalim leaves the East African coast to run a shop in a remote town, where political change and violence steadily expose the limits of reinvention.
Why we recommend it
An outsider losing his footing
Naipaul pairs exact, unsentimental prose with displacement, political instability, and gathering dread.
What this book explores
Book editions
- Paperback
- Vintage
- 1989
- 9780679722021
Reader reviews
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References
References
The sources below include the primary text, editions, scholarship, archival materials, and other records that informed this page. They document A Bend in the River, its publication, and its place in literary history.
1A Bend in the River — Open Library ISBN catalogue
Official recordOpen Library, Internet ArchiveUsed forOpen Library ISBN catalogue used to verify the title, ISBN, and publication metadata.
2A Bend in the River — Google Books edition record
Official recordGoogle BooksUsed forGoogle Books catalogue record used to cross-check the title and edition metadata.
3A Bend in the River — Internet Archive ISBN catalogue
Official recordInternet ArchiveUsed forInternet Archive ISBN catalogue used to cross-check the edition and its availability in library holdings.
4A Bend in the River — Library of Congress books catalogue
Official recordLibrary of CongressUsed forLibrary of Congress books catalogue used to cross-check the bibliographic record by ISBN.
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Why these sources are here
The primary text is the baseline reference for every book page. Additional references document publication history, interpretation, and historical context where that evidence is available.
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