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V.S. Naipaul

V.S. Naipaul’s Followers (1,780)

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V.S. Naipaul


Born
in Chaguanas, Trinidad and Tobago
August 17, 1932

Died
August 11, 2018

Genre

Influences


V. S. Naipaul was a British writer of Indo-Trinidadian descent known for his sharp, often controversial explorations of postcolonial societies, identity, and displacement. His works, which include both fiction and nonfiction, often depict themes of exile, cultural alienation, and the lingering effects of colonialism.
He gained early recognition with A House for Mr Biswas, a novel inspired by his father’s struggles in Trinidad. His later works, such as The Mimic Men, In a Free State, and A Bend in the River, cemented his reputation as a masterful and incisive writer. Beyond fiction, his travelogues and essays, including Among the Believers and India: A Million Mutinies Now, reflected his critical perspective on societies in transition.
Naipaul
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Average rating: 3.7 · 82,498 ratings · 7,232 reviews · 197 distinct worksSimilar authors
A House for Mr Biswas

3.81 avg rating — 22,186 ratings — published 1961 — 66 editions
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A Bend in the River

3.77 avg rating — 18,659 ratings — published 1979 — 118 editions
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Miguel Street

3.95 avg rating — 5,234 ratings — published 1959 — 87 editions
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In a Free State

3.50 avg rating — 5,378 ratings — published 1971 — 11 editions
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Half a Life

3.24 avg rating — 4,620 ratings — published 2001 — 87 editions
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Among the Believers : An Is...

3.86 avg rating — 2,477 ratings — published 1981 — 84 editions
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An Area of Darkness: A Disc...

3.68 avg rating — 2,436 ratings — published 1964 — 61 editions
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India: A Million Mutinies Now

3.95 avg rating — 2,149 ratings — published 1990 — 62 editions
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The Enigma of Arrival

3.69 avg rating — 2,042 ratings — published 1987 — 16 editions
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India: A Wounded Civilization

3.72 avg rating — 1,852 ratings — published 1976 — 63 editions
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More books by V.S. Naipaul…
An Area of Darkness: A Disc... India: A Wounded Civilization India: A Million Mutinies Now
(3 books)
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3.78 avg rating — 6,464 ratings

Half a Life Magic Seeds
(2 books)
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3.22 avg rating — 5,648 ratings

Quotes by V.S. Naipaul  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“The only lies for which we are truly punished are those we tell ourselves.”
V. S. Naipaul, In a Free State

“The world is what it is; men who are nothing, who allow themselves to become nothing, have no place in it.”
V. S. Naipaul, A Bend in the River

“Most people are not really free. They are confined by the niche in the world that they carve out for themselves. They limit themselves to fewer possibilities by the narrowness of their vision.”
V.S. Naipaul

Polls

January 2020 New School Classic Poll

Stoner by John Williams, 1965, 278 pages
 
  79 votes, 28.0%

Blindness by José Saramago, 1995, 326 pages
 
  74 votes, 26.2%

Quicksand by Nella Larsen, 1928, 192 pages
 
  41 votes, 14.5%

A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul, 1979, 326 pages
 
  36 votes, 12.8%

In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes, 1947, 256 pages
 
  33 votes, 11.7%

The Fixer by Bernard Malamud, 1966, 335 pages
 
  19 votes, 6.7%

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