Henderson the Rain King: Penguin UK - Softcover

Bellow, Saul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0141188804 ISBN 13: 9780141188805

Publisher: Penguin Classics, 2011

Synopsis

"It blazes as fiercly and scintillatingly as a forest fire. There is life here; a great rage to live more fully. In this it is a giant among novels." (San Francisco Examiner)

Saul Bellow evokes all the rich colors and exotic customs of a highly imaginary Africa in this acclaimed comic novel about a middle-aged American millionaire who, seeking a new, more rewarding life, descends upon an African tribe. Henderson’s awesome feats of strength and his unbridled passion for life win him the admiration of the tribe—but it is his gift for making rain that turns him from mere hero into messiah. A hilarious, often ribald story, Henderson the Rain King is also a profound look at the forces that drive a man through life.

This Penguin Classics edition contains an introduction by Adam Kirsch.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

About this title

About the Author:

Saul Bellow (1915–2005) is the author of nearly twenty works of literature, including Seize the Day, The Adventures of Augie March, The Victim, Herzog, and Humboldt’s Gift. He taught at the University of Chicago and Boston University. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1976.

Adam Kirsch is a senior editor at the New Republic and a columnist for the Tablet. He lives in New York City.

From AudioFile:

If this 1959 novel, one of Saul Bellow's most beloved, seems to have exceeded its shelf life, it helps to remember that much of the absurdity is intentional: Many believe the title character is a send-up of Hemingway. Joe Barrett is an excellent choice as the narrator of this tale about a rich American who journeys into remotest Africa. His gruff voice is well suited to Henderson, a physically large and garrulous man with a penchant for bombastic dialogue and philosophical ramblings. The voices Barrett gives to the African characters--notably the western-educated King Dahfu--are hardly authentic, but they're not grating, and some of the discordance can be laid at the feet of Bellow. D.B. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Classics
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0141188804
• ISBN 13: 9780141188805
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352