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Available
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Publication
Penguin Classics (1993), Paperback, 608 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML:The early masterpiece of V. S. Naipaul's brilliant career, A House for Mr. Biswas is an unforgettable story inspired by Naipaul's father that has been hailed as one of the twentieth century's finest novels. In his forty-six short years, Mr. Mohun Biswas has been fighting against destiny to achieve some semblance of independence, only to face a lifetime of calamity. Shuttled from one residence to another after the drowning death of his father, for which he is inadvertently responsible, Mr. Biswas yearns for a place he can call home. But when he marries into the domineering Tulsi family on whom he indignantly becomes dependent, Mr. Biswas embarks on an arduous�??and endless�??struggle to weaken their hold over him and purchase a house of his own. A heartrending, dark comedy of manners, A House for Mr. Biswas masterfully evokes a man's quest for autonomy against an emblematic post-colonial c… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member chrissie3
Only pick this book up if you wish to slog through more than 600 pages filled with the bickering, moans and wailing of a large Indo-Trinidadian family. A Nobel Prize winner that disappoints. The plot is minimal, and the humor not to my taste. It bored me to such an extent that I have no desire to
After 144 pages: On the back cover Newsweek and Anthony Burgess speak of the book's "comic insight and power". What are they talking about?! There is a family where everyone is complaining and picking on each other. I don't see the humor at all. What I have learned about Trinidad and Tobago culture is minimal. Should I persevere?
Is this one of those books you are supposed to like, so no one admits it's bad?
Completed April 16, 2013
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more fully explain. When a book is this boring there is just nothing to say. After 144 pages: On the back cover Newsweek and Anthony Burgess speak of the book's "comic insight and power". What are they talking about?! There is a family where everyone is complaining and picking on each other. I don't see the humor at all. What I have learned about Trinidad and Tobago culture is minimal. Should I persevere?
Is this one of those books you are supposed to like, so no one admits it's bad?
Completed April 16, 2013
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LibraryThing member kishields
The story of Mr. Biswas, from birth to death, is a tale of a man struggling to break free from the confines of his island, his class and his stifling family. Much of Mr. Biswas' unpopularity with those around him is due to his rebellion against slipping quietly into the role he has been assigned by
The book is comic, but also sad, especially at the end. Largely autobiographical, the novel draws upon Naipaul's experiences growing up in Trinidad and watching his father battle for self-respect and some recognition of achievement as a journalist and writer. Long, but elegantly written, the book is well worth the reader's time. Mr. Biswas is an unforgettable and complex character, as are many of the multitude of other characters in the book, especially his wife and mother-in-law. Few of us probably know much about the culture of Trinidad, and this book provides a fine overview of the mix of cultures, beliefs and lifestyles that make up this island.
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his culture, the family he marries into, and even the island of Trinidad itself. His quest for a house he can call his own represents his constant internal battle: to stake his claim in the world and be recognized as a man with intelligence and ambition. He is, in his own words, a man who wants to "paddle his own canoe," a phrase the rest of his family mocks him with for his entire life.The book is comic, but also sad, especially at the end. Largely autobiographical, the novel draws upon Naipaul's experiences growing up in Trinidad and watching his father battle for self-respect and some recognition of achievement as a journalist and writer. Long, but elegantly written, the book is well worth the reader's time. Mr. Biswas is an unforgettable and complex character, as are many of the multitude of other characters in the book, especially his wife and mother-in-law. Few of us probably know much about the culture of Trinidad, and this book provides a fine overview of the mix of cultures, beliefs and lifestyles that make up this island.
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LibraryThing member Poquette
Mr. Biswas is a stupid, thoughtless, feckless, odious man. His wife and her entire family and all their retainers are likewise stupid and odious, and we can add to the list — conniving.
Nothing of real consequence occurs in this novel. Nobody of consequence graces its pages. No person, with the
All of this takes place in a milieu of crushing poverty — material and spiritual. And we are treated to mind-numbing detail which seems to merely pile on the inconsequential sequence of events and stupefying contemptibility of the entire parade of people who populate this over-long novel. Nothing is served. Nobody learns a thing. The intergenerational poverty is not abated nor is the appalling ignorance.
So I ask, simply: WHY SHOULD ANYBODY SLOG THROUGH 566 PAGES OF SUCH INCONSEQUENTIAL DRIVEL ABOUT SO MANY CLUELESS PEOPLE WHO CANNOT GET OUT OF THEIR OWN WAY?
I have no answer. I am sorry I wasted my time.
Nothing of real consequence occurs in this novel. Nobody of consequence graces its pages. No person, with the
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possible exception of Mr. Burnett, the Sentinel editor who gives Mr. Biswas a job, is portrayed by the author as decent in his or her dealings with family or friends. The author has such contempt for his characters that he only reluctantly names them when he absolutely has to. The most contemptible characters get no name at all or a made-up mock name. All of this takes place in a milieu of crushing poverty — material and spiritual. And we are treated to mind-numbing detail which seems to merely pile on the inconsequential sequence of events and stupefying contemptibility of the entire parade of people who populate this over-long novel. Nothing is served. Nobody learns a thing. The intergenerational poverty is not abated nor is the appalling ignorance.
So I ask, simply: WHY SHOULD ANYBODY SLOG THROUGH 566 PAGES OF SUCH INCONSEQUENTIAL DRIVEL ABOUT SO MANY CLUELESS PEOPLE WHO CANNOT GET OUT OF THEIR OWN WAY?
I have no answer. I am sorry I wasted my time.
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LibraryThing member kidzdoc
This novel revolves around Mohun Biswas, who is based on Naipaul's father Seepersad Naipaul. Like the Naipauls, Mr Biswas (who is referred to as "Mr Biswas" throughout the novel, even as an infant) is a Trinidadian of Indian descent. He writes for a local paper, the Trinidad Guardian, and marries
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into a locally powerful and influential family led by a tight-fisted and petty matriarch. Mr Biswas comes from a poor family, and is perpetually tortured by his wife's family. He wants nothing more than to be able to afford to purchase his own house and be his own man, but is thwarted at every step by his own incompetence and his wife's family. He is a terribly flawed and frustrating but sympathetic character, and the novel, which is one of my all time favorites, is tremendously funny and heartbreakingly sad. Show Less
LibraryThing member debnance
Mr. Biswas (and that is his name, even when he is a little boy) is cursed from birth. The fortuneteller when he is born predicts a terrible life for him and every prediction comes true. Mr. Biswas inadvertently causes the death of his father. He has great difficulty finding a way to make a living
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and he struggles, moving from unsuccessful job to unsuccessful job. Mr. Biswas is tricked into an unhappy marriage. He has great problems connecting with his in-laws, his siblings, his mother, his wife, his neighbors, and even his children. Throughout all his life, his one dream is to obtain a house of his own and this dream proves to be the most elusive of all. Show Less
LibraryThing member jwhenderson
A moving account of the life of the title character with all the humor requisite in a Dickensian novel of forthright, if prolix style. Well-constructed with memorable set-pieces, this book is one I will remember in spite of its weaknesses. Reading A House for Mr. Biswas was both encouraging and
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discouraging for me. Naipaul's love for his family and his detail portrayal of the Indian culture in Trinidad was both beautiful and moving; but sometimes the detail seemed to disturb my thought rather than motivate my reading. Too many of the extended family were limned as spiteful and disagreeable to allow the book to be appealing for all of its' many hundreds of pages. That having been said, there was a pleasure to be gained from wading and waiting through the prose. The moments of beauty spoke to this reader of the promise of further good writing from this author. Show Less
LibraryThing member labfs39
Mr. Biswas is "born the wrong way" and in his superstitious village, that makes him unlucky, dangerous, and a person who must avoid natural water (ponds, streams, etc.) at all costs. But as a child, Mr. Biswas gets distracted one day and plays in the pond, bringing calamity on his family and
Mr. Biswas has ambitions, but no plans for achieving them; intelligence, but no common sense; and a decided lack of gumption. His entire life, recorded in detail in the novel, is a long series of misadventures, brow-beatings, and failures. He ends up married to the first girl he sees, and her domineering family railroads him into things for the rest of his life. Whenever he does attempt to break out of their grip, he is either squashed or fails so spectacularly that he must crawl back to them.
The first few pages tell the reader of his fate, so there is no suspense, simply a long explication of how he ended up there. Although there are humorous bits, mainly it's a rather depressing tale of a weak man. I found it a bit of a slog and wanted to shake Mr. Biswas frequently. Given the lack of plot, I was disappointed not to learn more about Trinidad's history or culture at least. Altogether a book I wanted to enjoy, much more than I did.
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himself. The rest of his childhood is spent being shuttled among various extended family members and creates a lifelong yearning for a home of his own.Mr. Biswas has ambitions, but no plans for achieving them; intelligence, but no common sense; and a decided lack of gumption. His entire life, recorded in detail in the novel, is a long series of misadventures, brow-beatings, and failures. He ends up married to the first girl he sees, and her domineering family railroads him into things for the rest of his life. Whenever he does attempt to break out of their grip, he is either squashed or fails so spectacularly that he must crawl back to them.
The first few pages tell the reader of his fate, so there is no suspense, simply a long explication of how he ended up there. Although there are humorous bits, mainly it's a rather depressing tale of a weak man. I found it a bit of a slog and wanted to shake Mr. Biswas frequently. Given the lack of plot, I was disappointed not to learn more about Trinidad's history or culture at least. Altogether a book I wanted to enjoy, much more than I did.
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LibraryThing member Praj05
There it is, a modest roofed structure in Sikkim Street standing tall amid the perfumed beds of anthurium lilies. New memories of wet earth after the rain, freshly painted picket fences, the sweet flowers of laburnum tree, mixed aromas flouncing through the warm rooms and wind whiffing through the
I shy away from the postcolonial contemporary third world fiction. Most of them overwhelm me enlightening the crude aspects of economic claustrophobia which my snobbish approach thoughtlessly overlooks. Keeping in mind this criterion, I cautiously pick out the respected genre books anticipating a satisfying comprehension. Naipaul pens a coherent depiction of impoverished dwelling lost between self-identity and rigid ambitions. It is an exasperating yet rewarding life of a simple man who survives the nightmarish surrealism of being born at the devilish midnight hour. Meet Mohun Biswas, the youngest son of a pitiable sugar-cane labourer whose birth was cursed upon by superstitious omen and was destined to be a ruinous disappointment. Mohun’s life churns out be a metaphoric banner for destitution and misfortune. Blamed for his father’s death and the dissolution of the Biswas family, he struggles through every twisted fate of his life trying to find a speck of self-respect, contentment and independence. His marriage in the celebrated Tulsis family is burdensome and intoxicated with him being a mere accessory in his wife’s home. Dutifully carrying on with the mundane obligations, he berates his sympathetic existence. The only shining beacon of hope is a far-fetched dream of buying a house he can call his own. The notion of acquiring an abode becomes an eternal symbol of Mohun’s own existence as a journalist, a father, a husband and moreover a liberated individual.
Naipaul’s vastly elucidated and slow-paced prose underlines quite a few post- colonization inadequacies prevalent in several third world settings till date. Poverty, illiteracy birthing preposterous superstitious dogma, ethnic categorization of class superiority (restricted only to rural infrastructures) and tribulations of pecuniary discrepancies outwitting social hysteria.
Mohun’s tale is heroic in its own humble way. All the man wants in his life is a cozy dwelling without the fear of acerbic prejudices. Some would ridicule on this psychological aspect of obtaining a house. It’s a house, for crying out loud! Why make a big deal of it? For an individual who not only thrives in poverty but is tossed among bizarre quarters of underprivileged hardships; the belief of owning a house becomes deeply satisfying, somewhat a battle in itself. Hear, Hear! To Mohun for making peace with his maddening ordinary living.
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trees telescoping the painful past. A sense of belonging cherished with merited identity-Mr. Mohun Biswas’s house.I shy away from the postcolonial contemporary third world fiction. Most of them overwhelm me enlightening the crude aspects of economic claustrophobia which my snobbish approach thoughtlessly overlooks. Keeping in mind this criterion, I cautiously pick out the respected genre books anticipating a satisfying comprehension. Naipaul pens a coherent depiction of impoverished dwelling lost between self-identity and rigid ambitions. It is an exasperating yet rewarding life of a simple man who survives the nightmarish surrealism of being born at the devilish midnight hour. Meet Mohun Biswas, the youngest son of a pitiable sugar-cane labourer whose birth was cursed upon by superstitious omen and was destined to be a ruinous disappointment. Mohun’s life churns out be a metaphoric banner for destitution and misfortune. Blamed for his father’s death and the dissolution of the Biswas family, he struggles through every twisted fate of his life trying to find a speck of self-respect, contentment and independence. His marriage in the celebrated Tulsis family is burdensome and intoxicated with him being a mere accessory in his wife’s home. Dutifully carrying on with the mundane obligations, he berates his sympathetic existence. The only shining beacon of hope is a far-fetched dream of buying a house he can call his own. The notion of acquiring an abode becomes an eternal symbol of Mohun’s own existence as a journalist, a father, a husband and moreover a liberated individual.
Naipaul’s vastly elucidated and slow-paced prose underlines quite a few post- colonization inadequacies prevalent in several third world settings till date. Poverty, illiteracy birthing preposterous superstitious dogma, ethnic categorization of class superiority (restricted only to rural infrastructures) and tribulations of pecuniary discrepancies outwitting social hysteria.
Mohun’s tale is heroic in its own humble way. All the man wants in his life is a cozy dwelling without the fear of acerbic prejudices. Some would ridicule on this psychological aspect of obtaining a house. It’s a house, for crying out loud! Why make a big deal of it? For an individual who not only thrives in poverty but is tossed among bizarre quarters of underprivileged hardships; the belief of owning a house becomes deeply satisfying, somewhat a battle in itself. Hear, Hear! To Mohun for making peace with his maddening ordinary living.
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LibraryThing member alison_jayne
I was really looking forward to reading this book, having checked out the reviews and synopsis on Amazon. Unfortunately, I didn't think it really delivered. The storyline seemed quite circular - every new opportunity that Biswas encountered slowly but surely turned sour, with the result that the
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story was depressing. Biswas is the type of character that you want to like, he is the hero after all, but he just keeps letting you down. The other characters that he despises never seem quite as grotesque as his feelings towards them would suggest and if anything he comes across as more dislikeable than them. There are humorous and heart-warming moments, but they are heavily out-weighed by all the tragedy and malcontent. Had the book been one or two hundred pages shorter I might well have enjoyed it more, but I couldn't help feeling relief as I turned the last page. Show Less
LibraryThing member freddlerabbit
My experience with this book is similar to my experience with [[The Great Gatsby]] - I appreciated it, I thought it was excellently written, but I didn't enjoy it.
Mohun Biswas appears in this novel as so human - I felt that I could understand his limitations, his frustrations, feel his sadness, as
And yet, for whatever reason, the book didn't engage me very much - it was work to plough through it. I'm reading [[A Bend In The River]] now, and I'm much more involved in it. I'm not sure if that had to do with my own emotional reactions to the character or something else - and I wouldn't use it as a reason not to recommend it - just as a potential caution.
Mohun Biswas appears in this novel as so human - I felt that I could understand his limitations, his frustrations, feel his sadness, as
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legitmate, human experiences, while as the reader I could also stand at a distance from them. Naipaul has done an extraordinary job at characterization.And yet, for whatever reason, the book didn't engage me very much - it was work to plough through it. I'm reading [[A Bend In The River]] now, and I'm much more involved in it. I'm not sure if that had to do with my own emotional reactions to the character or something else - and I wouldn't use it as a reason not to recommend it - just as a potential caution.
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LibraryThing member Esta1923
V. S. Naipaul was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 2001." A House for Mr. Biswas," written in 1961, is often considered his masterpiece. It tells the tragicomic story of the search for independence and identity of a Brahmin Indian living in Trinidad.
This is a complicated and rich book.
Biswas has been unlucky from his birth, now all he wants is a house of his own. This is the solid basis of his existence.The novel follows his struggle in a variety of jobs: from sign painter to journalist, to his final triumph: dying in the house he had had to leave for some troubled time.
This is a complicated and rich book.
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Biswas was truly a victim of his wife's family. He'd not expected to marry her when, as a young man, he was employed to paint signs in the family store. The Tulsis had a rambling family structure that gathered in adult sons and daughters, and managed to hold them: actually housing them and dominating their lives and those of their children. His wife stays loyal to her clan, his children grow up conflicted. Biswas has been unlucky from his birth, now all he wants is a house of his own. This is the solid basis of his existence.The novel follows his struggle in a variety of jobs: from sign painter to journalist, to his final triumph: dying in the house he had had to leave for some troubled time.
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LibraryThing member whitewavedarling
Mr. Biswas is one of those characters who you nearly despise....even as you grow more and more attached to him. The character study and exploration conducted here, explicitly and faultlessly, is a journey into one man's existence in Trinidad. His search for dignity centers on the pursuit of his own
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space and house for he and his family, a goal that (for the reader) seems nearly impossible due to his own missteps and his wife's neverending family. Naipaul's work here is graceful, humorous, and heartbreaking....and, without a doubt, worth reading when you find the time to sprawl into an unfamiliar world and family. Show Less
LibraryThing member starbox
'Bigger than all of them was the house, his house',, May 31, 2014
By
sally tarbox (aylesbury bucks uk) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A House For Mr Biswas (Kindle Edition)
Wonderful read, highly entertaining with laugh-out-loud moments yet touchingly sad as well.
The novel opens shortly
For much of his life lack of money compels him to share a large communal house with his wife's family, overseen by the stern and unpredictable matriarch Mrs Tulsi. In his descriptions of the 'shifting, tangled, multifarious relationships' of the Tulsis come many of the novel's most vividly comic moments:
'To combat W C Tuttle's gramophone Chinta and Govind had been giving a series of pious singings from the Ramayana....she sang very well. Govind sang less mellifluously: he partly whined and partly grunted, from his habit of singing while lying on his belly, Caught in this crossfire of song, which sometimes lasted a whole evening, Mr Biswas, listening, listening, would on a sudden rush in pants and vest to the inner room and bang on the partition of Govind's room and bang on the partition of W C Tuttle's drawingroom.
The Tuttles never replied. Chinta sang with added zest. Govind sometimes only chuckled between couplets, making it appear to be part of his song.'
or
"One of the sons-in-law was invariably responsible for precipitating Mrs Tulsi's faint. He was now hounded by silence and hostility. If he attempted to make friendly talk many glances instantly reproved him for his frivolity. If he moped in a corner or went up to his room he was condemned for his callousness and ingratitude. He was expected to stay in the hall and show all the signs of contrition and unease.. He waited for the sounds of footsteps coming from the Rose Room; he accosted a busy, offended sister and, ignoring snubs, made whispered enquiries about Mrs Tulsi's condition. Next morning he came down, shy and sheepish. Mrs Tulsi would be better. She would ignore him. But that evening forgiveness would be in the air. The offender would be spoken to as if nothing had happened, and he would respond with eagerness.'
Brilliant observations on human behaviour, an absolute must-read.
By
sally tarbox (aylesbury bucks uk) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A House For Mr Biswas (Kindle Edition)
Wonderful read, highly entertaining with laugh-out-loud moments yet touchingly sad as well.
The novel opens shortly
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before the death of Mr Biswas, with his fear of losing his home. In the narrative that follows, charting Mr Biswas' life, forever vulnerable to the whims of others, and with no place to call his own, we come to see why the house has such significance for him.For much of his life lack of money compels him to share a large communal house with his wife's family, overseen by the stern and unpredictable matriarch Mrs Tulsi. In his descriptions of the 'shifting, tangled, multifarious relationships' of the Tulsis come many of the novel's most vividly comic moments:
'To combat W C Tuttle's gramophone Chinta and Govind had been giving a series of pious singings from the Ramayana....she sang very well. Govind sang less mellifluously: he partly whined and partly grunted, from his habit of singing while lying on his belly, Caught in this crossfire of song, which sometimes lasted a whole evening, Mr Biswas, listening, listening, would on a sudden rush in pants and vest to the inner room and bang on the partition of Govind's room and bang on the partition of W C Tuttle's drawingroom.
The Tuttles never replied. Chinta sang with added zest. Govind sometimes only chuckled between couplets, making it appear to be part of his song.'
or
"One of the sons-in-law was invariably responsible for precipitating Mrs Tulsi's faint. He was now hounded by silence and hostility. If he attempted to make friendly talk many glances instantly reproved him for his frivolity. If he moped in a corner or went up to his room he was condemned for his callousness and ingratitude. He was expected to stay in the hall and show all the signs of contrition and unease.. He waited for the sounds of footsteps coming from the Rose Room; he accosted a busy, offended sister and, ignoring snubs, made whispered enquiries about Mrs Tulsi's condition. Next morning he came down, shy and sheepish. Mrs Tulsi would be better. She would ignore him. But that evening forgiveness would be in the air. The offender would be spoken to as if nothing had happened, and he would respond with eagerness.'
Brilliant observations on human behaviour, an absolute must-read.
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LibraryThing member samatoha
The irony and gentle humor of Naipaul,delivering the story of Biswas as he tries to rise above his poor condition and his society's is terrific.
LibraryThing member piefuchs
"This education is a hellauva thing' Ramshand said. 'Any little child could pick up. And the blasted thing does turn out so damn important later on."
A monumental, brillant epic centred on a man whose lack of education is matched by both his raw intelligence and his tragic ignorance. A House for Mr
A monumental, brillant epic centred on a man whose lack of education is matched by both his raw intelligence and his tragic ignorance. A House for Mr
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Biswas is Naipaul's semiautobiographical yet wholy unromanticized portrait of his father's life. It moves at a snail's pace, from birth to early death - giving equal treatment to each stage of his maturity. While parts could be accused of slogging, and none of the characters are individually appealing, the whole effect of sharing the life lived, is transforming. Show Less
LibraryThing member RebeccaReader
An absolutely amazing piece of work. Lyrical and picturesque. Wonderful.
LibraryThing member roblong
Read for my book group, and wouldn't have been finished otherwise. I found it slow, boring and to have very little point to it (perhaps this was the point). Personally I found the laughs came too rarely and weren't worth the long trudges in between.
Having a look through the other reviews I can see
Having a look through the other reviews I can see
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plenty of people who disagree with me - to potential readers I'd say: try 100 pages. If you're enjoying yourself you'll continue to, if not, put the book down and try something else. Show Less
LibraryThing member ashishg
Very boring, slow and pointless. COULDN'T EVEN FINISH.
LibraryThing member jeffome
St. Barth trip Book #1: This was an OK book that did actually make me laugh out loud. Sometimes. (It is also ironic that i chose it to bring on my Caribbean vacation since i thought it took place in India, and lo and behold, it takes place in the Caribbean on Trinidad.) It did seem a bit long to
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me, and nearer the end, a little pointless, in that the beginning of the book sort of shares the ending, so....?? Anyway, the main character is a bit of a whiny buffoon, and although it tries to clarify that it may be partially due to his upbringing, enough already....How many times must i witness his inability to ever respond appropriately to any situation he encounters.....you know, those ridiculous B movies about drunk fraternity bozos should never be more than a 90-minute movie....3 hours plus would be deemed cruel and unusual punishment. But in my never-ending commitment to appreciating the good in all books, I will say that i did learn an awful lot about Indian immigrants in Trinidad and their trials and tribulations, assuming that Mr. Naipaul was representing them honestly.....all in all, i guess i would have liked it more if it had not seemed like such a long epic to me. I have other Naipaul on the shelf, so i will give it some time and try another eventually. Show Less
LibraryThing member Rocky_Wing
a dark, realistic, yet comic account. dripping with vicious irony as mr. biswas desperately tries to find his identity in a house. the house as a metaphor of freedom, autonomy, space, and his own life separated from his in-laws transforms into his ultimate demise. and then even in his death he
some incredibly moving moments between his son and most notably, his wife. great character development and comic situations.
my one critique in this novel is that it didn't grip me, as i believe good art should. i did not sense an inward urgency hurling me through the pages (with the exception of the last section). perhaps this is just too much to ask?
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cannot find solace from these people. who is to blame for his unbearable circumstances. his wife for never really leaving her family and cleaving to him? his in-laws for their over-bearing controlling nature? his society for creating a climate not suitable to climb the social ladder? the more i think about it, it is in the very nature of who mr. biswas is. he is one who does not consider the outcome of his words or actions and allows life to overtake him in all its tragic force. this happened with his marriage and his house, he is taken in unwilling to look at the situation objectively.some incredibly moving moments between his son and most notably, his wife. great character development and comic situations.
my one critique in this novel is that it didn't grip me, as i believe good art should. i did not sense an inward urgency hurling me through the pages (with the exception of the last section). perhaps this is just too much to ask?
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LibraryThing member santhony
A House For Mr. Biswas is largely a fictionalized biography of the author’s father, an ethnic Indian who was born and lived his life in Trinidad in the early decades of the 20th century. Born into a roughly middle class family and a highly structured and ritualized Hindu lifestyle, Mr. Biswas
The novel is instructive in its depiction of life on the Caribbean island during the period surrounding the two World Wars of the early twentieth century. The interaction between the ethnic Indians, the natives of the island and the mixed race inhabitants is also of some interest. All in all, however, the story fails to capture the reader’s interest and becomes little more than a recitation of chronological events, many of whom seem to repeat themselves ad infinitum.
While the title character’s struggles are sometimes inspiring (but almost universally unsuccessful), it is difficult to become emotionally invested in his endeavors for the simple reason that he is not an exceptionally pleasant or “good” person. In fact, he is a miserable human being; an awful husband, a terrible father, an ungrateful, whining, complaining, lazy, two faced, hypocritical liar and spendthrift. His many failures are almost pre-destined and fail to engender any kind of sympathy (except for his long suffering wife and children, who were it not for Mr. Biswas’s in-laws would have likely starved to death).
The story is not without its interesting vignettes, but they are far fewer than one would hope for in a novel of this repute.
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(and this is how he is referred to, even as a newborn) unwittingly marries into a large, relatively prosperous, multi-generational Indian family (The Tulsis). These in-laws provide insurance against his frequent failures; however never fail to rankle him with their condescension and sarcasm as he attempts “to paddle his own boat.” Virtually the entire book chronicles his struggle to escape the Tulsi orbit, symbolized by his yearning for and pursuit of his own dwelling.The novel is instructive in its depiction of life on the Caribbean island during the period surrounding the two World Wars of the early twentieth century. The interaction between the ethnic Indians, the natives of the island and the mixed race inhabitants is also of some interest. All in all, however, the story fails to capture the reader’s interest and becomes little more than a recitation of chronological events, many of whom seem to repeat themselves ad infinitum.
While the title character’s struggles are sometimes inspiring (but almost universally unsuccessful), it is difficult to become emotionally invested in his endeavors for the simple reason that he is not an exceptionally pleasant or “good” person. In fact, he is a miserable human being; an awful husband, a terrible father, an ungrateful, whining, complaining, lazy, two faced, hypocritical liar and spendthrift. His many failures are almost pre-destined and fail to engender any kind of sympathy (except for his long suffering wife and children, who were it not for Mr. Biswas’s in-laws would have likely starved to death).
The story is not without its interesting vignettes, but they are far fewer than one would hope for in a novel of this repute.
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LibraryThing member AlanWPowers
Simply: a great book, roughly equal to something by early Bellow (Henderson the Rain King?).
We all live in Hanuman House in our own extended families, and we all build our dream houses, even if, as with mine, it's an adapted tract ranch, or a glorified shack as in the novel--with ants crossing the
Of course, a current reader labors under the burden of too much knowledge of the author. Makes me think maybe the New Critics were right. Authors are irrelevant. It's the work we should regard.
Our burden is the fink Theroux's expose of VSN's treatment of women, his whoring, in short. But if we routinely give a "hall pass" to politicians like JFK and Newt, not to mention preachers of every stripe, I should think we can acquit geniuses. But can we respect VSN's dissing women authors? Another matter. We cannot. But how does such authorial interest redound to his achievement?
We all live in Hanuman House in our own extended families, and we all build our dream houses, even if, as with mine, it's an adapted tract ranch, or a glorified shack as in the novel--with ants crossing the
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ceiling in a revealing moment of Biswas' depression. I have not found a better Naipaul, though I am taken with his nonfiction range, from the fine history, The Loss of El Dorado, to the journalistic A Tour in the South--not to mention his books on India.Of course, a current reader labors under the burden of too much knowledge of the author. Makes me think maybe the New Critics were right. Authors are irrelevant. It's the work we should regard.
Our burden is the fink Theroux's expose of VSN's treatment of women, his whoring, in short. But if we routinely give a "hall pass" to politicians like JFK and Newt, not to mention preachers of every stripe, I should think we can acquit geniuses. But can we respect VSN's dissing women authors? Another matter. We cannot. But how does such authorial interest redound to his achievement?
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LibraryThing member vplprl
This multi-generational novel set among the Hindi community of Trinidad is a modern classic. The inter-family squabbling and intrigue takes on a mock heroic quality with humour and pathos offered in equal measure. The book can also be read as a fictional portrait of his own family and, in
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particular, his father. Naipaul also offers telling details about his development as a writer. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheWasp
I enjoyed the writing, but the book left me feeling quite sad. Mr Biswas was born in to poverty in Trinidad and struggled all his life to rise above it. He was married young and engulfed into his wife's Sharma's family. He was not a lucky man. and I did not like him very much. Still, he tried.
LibraryThing member William345
Fun fact: "The origins of the James Bond theme are disputed. Mr. Norman [Barry's biographer] said that Barry brushed off a musical passage from “Bad Sign, Good Sign,” a song he had written for a musical version of the V. S. Naipaul novel A House for Mr. Biswas. With a few adjustments, it became
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the theme to Dr. No." John Barry's obit, NYT, 2-2-11 Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Nobel Prize in Literature (2001)
The Big Jubilee Read (1961 — 1952-1961)
Language
Original publication date
1961
Physical description
608 p.; 7.64 inches
ISBN
0140186042 / 9780140186048