A House for Mr. Biswas

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Basically a third person journal, very well written, with incredible prose, of the life of a "regular" man in 40's Trinidad. But the book becomes tedious as we hear the everyday, every month, every year progression of a unlikeable man with a family of few redeeming qualities. He is rarely happy with himself, his wife, his family and the list goes on and on. An individual if you had a conversation with would only complain in a self involved way and would disrespect you when your back was turned. When Mohun does get his house, I had no revelation or cared. I would have given it two stars but the writing made it three.

Rating:

I was heading down to the Caribbean recently and I thought "A House for Mr. Biswas" would be just the book to take along. As I worked my way through the book, I found a lot of interesting aspects to the story. However, I also became more and more disappointed in the title character. This guy was a self-centered individual who seemed to ignore his family except on rare ocassions. Things don't go well for him but hard times can often bring people closer together. Not in this case. After I finished the book, I scanned through the author's preface. (I almost never read any pages in a book that are numbered with Roman numerals). I found out a couple of helpful things. One was that this was V.S. Naipaul's most autobiographical book and the other was that this was his most humorous novel. I looked back at what I read and I could see some humor although a lot of it would have to be considered "black humor". More importantly was my understanding (from recent articles that I read) that the author is something of a diappointment as a human being; kind of a lot like Mr. Biswas.

I learned a long time ago not to expect that every great person has to be a great person. Many brilliant individuals (and that certainly describes V.S. Naipaul) are not necessarily likeable. So be it. I liked "A House for Mr. Biswas" but I didn't like Mr. Biswas.

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they accidentally sent me wrong book. Immediatedly gave me correct one when reported to them. Good condition.

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There's hardly a likeable character in A House For Mr Biswas. The Tulsis and their endless chain of extended relatives, the Ajodhas, employees of The Sentinel, Bhandat, the solicitor's clerk who sells Mr Biswas his final house, Mr Biswas himself--they carry more the ugly side of humanity than the lovable. But Naipaul invests these characters with such lively and memorable traits that they rise far above mere caricatures. We feel sorry for them. Mr Biswas, for all his unsavoury eccentricities, come across as somewhat a tragic hero.

A house is not a home. With every failed attempt on Mr Biswa's part to build his own dream house, his cumulative possessions trail him like a tail. His few tattered books, the poorly-constructed dining table, incongruous glass display cabinet, and Sharma's dressing table hang around his neck as heavy as the debt he incurs buying his dream house.

Naipaul's control of his descriptive prose is masterful. Measured with tragicomic overtones, satirical without being unsympathetic.

Rating:

Naipaul's most well-known novel is about Mohun Biswas, a permanently unsatisfied man with marginal writing talent who lives with his wife and children in Trinidad. He has a thankless existence; he constantly fights with his colorful set of in-laws, never really connects with his kids, doesn't seem to love his wife, and bounces from job to job. His main goal in life is to own a home of his own, away from everyone else in the world where he could be free and as miserable as he wants. The ending, bittersweet and just right, subtly explores modern man's futile pursuit of happiness and the encumbrances he faces in attaining it throughout life.

Naipaul expertly balances Biswas' deeper, darker pursuits in life with a comedic, larger-than-life backdrop. The book is never laugh-out-loud funny, but derives its dry humor through the reader's pity of the character. Nuanced scenes follow one after another, each adding depth to the character's motivations and the novel's underlying themes. It may appear slow going at first, but makes more sense once you get attuned to the pace of the book. My only issue with the book is the style in which it is written. The tone throughout is very reserved, with little concern for rhythm or music, and it is difficult to get completely in-sync with it. Because of this I always felt at a distance from the story, just like poor Mr Biswas with everyone else in his life, so who knows if it was intentional. For me personally it is a book to respect more than to care more deeply about, but on its own it is a very distinguished piece of world lit.