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This is a cheerfully, depressing, funny, sad, challenging and liberating book.
I first read Naipaul in the 1980s, after reading many books by Graham Greene. I was in art college and seduced by English writers that wrote about far off places. The books I read by Naipaul focused on Africa and India, most notably “A Bend in the River.” I really wanted to see India and Africa after reading these books even though the undercurrent of poverty, violence and anxiety ran through his books. In Canada, this seemed exotic and I was very naive.
Just recently I read Nelson from Portugal’s fine review and decided to read one of his most famous books. Now, with some thirty years later, it reads much different.
Set in his native Trinidad, the book tells the story of the Biswas and Tulsi families. Mr Biswas wants a home for himself, his wife and four children so he can break away from the matriarchal Tulsi family. The everyday challenges follow him throughout his life on his quest to break free. His humour gets him through, his anger brings him down and his creativity keeps him going. The challenges of employment are always overshadowed by the power of the ever increasing Tulsi family, especially Mr Seth and Mrs Tulsi who call the shots.
Growing up in a small family of four, I cannot fully grasp the extended family concept with many people all living under one roof. It seems like chaos and privacy is evasive. Sometimes I am at wit’s ends for Mr Biswas’ sake.
Published in 1961, one year before Trinidad got its independence, the symbolism of a small country wanting freedom from “mother England” only becomes apparent as one reads along.
Reading this book now, that enchantment I had for exotic locations changes to the realization of the effects of colonization. I understand the frustration of Mr Biswas but sometimes I was very frustrated with how he dealt with it. Would I have done any better? I doubt it. The story becomes more pessimistic which leads to the ending. This realism hurts and I am sure that Naipaul was deliberate in this. Like Graham Greene, life tosses a lot at one and endings may not go in the right direction.
Not sure I would have gotten this back in my youth. Very glad that I read this book.
Possibly a 4.5
I first read Naipaul in the 1980s, after reading many books by Graham Greene. I was in art college and seduced by English writers that wrote about far off places. The books I read by Naipaul focused on Africa and India, most notably “A Bend in the River.” I really wanted to see India and Africa after reading these books even though the undercurrent of poverty, violence and anxiety ran through his books. In Canada, this seemed exotic and I was very naive.
Just recently I read Nelson from Portugal’s fine review and decided to read one of his most famous books. Now, with some thirty years later, it reads much different.
Set in his native Trinidad, the book tells the story of the Biswas and Tulsi families. Mr Biswas wants a home for himself, his wife and four children so he can break away from the matriarchal Tulsi family. The everyday challenges follow him throughout his life on his quest to break free. His humour gets him through, his anger brings him down and his creativity keeps him going. The challenges of employment are always overshadowed by the power of the ever increasing Tulsi family, especially Mr Seth and Mrs Tulsi who call the shots.
Growing up in a small family of four, I cannot fully grasp the extended family concept with many people all living under one roof. It seems like chaos and privacy is evasive. Sometimes I am at wit’s ends for Mr Biswas’ sake.
Published in 1961, one year before Trinidad got its independence, the symbolism of a small country wanting freedom from “mother England” only becomes apparent as one reads along.
Reading this book now, that enchantment I had for exotic locations changes to the realization of the effects of colonization. I understand the frustration of Mr Biswas but sometimes I was very frustrated with how he dealt with it. Would I have done any better? I doubt it. The story becomes more pessimistic which leads to the ending. This realism hurts and I am sure that Naipaul was deliberate in this. Like Graham Greene, life tosses a lot at one and endings may not go in the right direction.
Not sure I would have gotten this back in my youth. Very glad that I read this book.
Possibly a 4.5
