Henderson the Rain King
Bellow's great novel about an eccentric American millionaire on a quest in Africa.
Named one of the 100 greatest novels of the 20th century by the Modern Library.
A very fine copy of the first edition, first printing in publisher's binding with the original dust jacket.
Octavo, 341 pp.
Publisher's half-cloth binding, original illustrated dust jacket.
212 x 140 mm.
Bellow, Saul. Henderson the Rain King.
Viking Press, New York, 1959.
First edition, first printing.
Bellow’s great novel about an eccentric American millionaire on a quest in Africa.
Named one of the 100 greatest novels of the 20th century by the Modern Library.
The story centers on Henderson’s search for meaning. A 55-year-old man who has accumulated money, status, and a large family, he nonetheless feels unfulfilled. He embarks on a spiritual journey in Africa, where he draws emotional sustenance from encounters with a variety of African tribes. Deciding his true destiny is to be a healer, Henderson returns home, intending to enter medical school.
Saul Bellow was a Canadian-American writer widely considered one of the most important novelists of the twentieth century.
Known for his rich prose, intellectual depth, and incisive character studies, Bellow explored themes of identity, alienation, and the complexities of modern life with a distinctive voice that merged philosophical insight and streetwise humor.
His works brought him critical acclaim and a lasting legacy in American literature.
In 1976, Bellow was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his human understanding and subtle analysis of contemporary culture. He remains the only writer to have won the National Book Award for Fiction three times, and he also received the National Medal of Arts and the Library of Congress Lifetime Achievement Award.
Saul Bellow’s influence can be seen in the work of countless writers who followed him. His ability to combine the comic with the profound, the intellectual with the visceral, made his voice uniquely American and universally resonant. He continued to write into his later years, publishing his final novel, Ravelstein, in 2000.
Bellow’s work continues to be read and celebrated for its wisdom, vitality, and fearless examination of what it means to be human in a chaotic world.
“With or without the Nobel Prize, Saul Bellow has carved himself a lion’s share in modern English literature” (Michel Gresset)
Beautiful copy, rare in this condition.
