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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Barely any
Some tribal conflict and physical danger
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Brief adult content
Substance Use
Barely any
Significant alcohol use; Henderson's drinking is a character trait
Emotional Intensity
Some
Existential themes around desire, meaning, and the American hunger that can't be named or satisfied
What this book is about
Eugene Henderson, a massive, inarticulate American millionaire, leaves his Connecticut life for sub-Saharan Africa and falls into a series of adventures among two fictional tribes. Bellow's comic existential novel is picaresque and philosophical — Henderson's quest for self-knowledge is absurd and genuine simultaneously. One of Bellow's most readable works.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Heavy alcohol use
Existential content
Reader Verification
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