Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow
1. How would you describe Eugene Henderson's character and life when the novel opens?
How does Henderson describe himself?
2. What do we know about Henderson’s upbringing and family relations and how do they
influence him?
3. Why are Henderson's books so important to him?
4. Describe Lily and Henderson's marriage. In what way is Henderson caught between Lily
and Frances, his first wife? How do the two women differ? While Henderson is not with
Lily for most of the novel, his remembrances of her fill the pages. What are your thoughts
on her character?
5. Is Henderson a good father, husband, son, employer? Why or why not?
6. The novel is set mostly in Africa. Why does Henderson go to Africa? What meaning does
Africa bring to the novel? What do you presume about a story set in Africa?
7. Keeping in mind that Bellow had a degree in anthropology, how believable is the Africa
in the novel? How different do you think today's Africa is to the Africa in the novel?
8. Henderson is haunted by a voice that says “I want.” He is unable to identify what it is that
he wanted or how to get it. What do you think this voice is, and how is this demand
resolved by the end of the story (or is it)?
9. What are the ongoing philosophical discussions and ramblings between Henderson and
the African tribes and inside Henderson's own head? What are the recurring themes?
10. What did Prince Itelo, the queen of the Arnewi and Dahfu, the Wariri king, see in
Henderson that they liked? Why can the Africans sages read him when he feels so
misunderstood by family and friends in the U.S.?
11. There are many animals in the novel. Henderson raises pigs, he tries to rid the Arnewi
drinking water of frogs and he encounters several lions while staying with the Wariri.
How do these animals influence his spirit? Do they carry deeper meaning?
12. What is the significance of Henderson’s title of Rain King?
13. Do you sympathize with the main character? Is the author skillful in helping you relate to
the pain of his unhappy, unlucky hero? How?
14. What do you think of Henderson as a narrator? Is he reliable? Does his self-involvement
preclude him from observing others accurately, or is he able to analyze the behavior and
motivations of others?
15. Has Henderson changed by the end of the novel? If so, what events and characters led
him to change? How is he different now?
16. How does knowing this character affect your thinking about your own circumstances?
About the author
Saul Bellow was born in Lachine, Quebec, near Montreal, in 1915, and was raised in Chicago.
He attended the University of Chicago, received his Bachelor's degree from Northwestern
University in 1937, with honors in sociology and anthropology, did graduate work at the
University of Wisconsin, and served in the Merchant Marine during World War II. His many
honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship, three National Book Awards for The Adventures of
Augie March, Herzog and Mr. Sammler's Planet; the Pulitzer Prize for Humboldt's Gift, the
International Literary Prize, the Nobel Prize and the National Medal of the Arts. He died in 2005.
Great quote from Saul Bellow:
"People can lose their lives in libraries. They ought to be warned."