Book Review
Aug. 27th, 2005 12:41 amHenderson the Rain King
by Saul Bellow
This boisterous, seriocomic novel is about (and narrated by) Eugene Henderson, a wealthy middle-aged man who has become rather disenchanted with life, and feels himself at loose ends. A man more of impulse and action than thought and reflection, Henderson's life his been rather chaotic and aimless. So he ends up going to a remote part of Africa, part as escapism, part as a quest for self-realization. I should note that the Africa to which Henderson travels is highly fictional and not meant to be a representation of any real places or peoples. There Henderson has a series of zany adventures, mixed with some philosophizing.
This is a well-written book, and Bellow clearly has points to make. But it just didn't do anything for me - it never really grabbed a hold of me or engaged me. I just couldn't get into it.
by Saul Bellow
This boisterous, seriocomic novel is about (and narrated by) Eugene Henderson, a wealthy middle-aged man who has become rather disenchanted with life, and feels himself at loose ends. A man more of impulse and action than thought and reflection, Henderson's life his been rather chaotic and aimless. So he ends up going to a remote part of Africa, part as escapism, part as a quest for self-realization. I should note that the Africa to which Henderson travels is highly fictional and not meant to be a representation of any real places or peoples. There Henderson has a series of zany adventures, mixed with some philosophizing.
This is a well-written book, and Bellow clearly has points to make. But it just didn't do anything for me - it never really grabbed a hold of me or engaged me. I just couldn't get into it.