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The Nightwatchman's Occurrence Book: And Other Comic Inventions
V. S. Naipaul’s legendary command of broad comedy and acute social observation is on abundant display in these classic works of fiction–two novels and a collection of stories–that capture the rhythms of life in the Caribbean and England with impressive subtlety and humor.
The Suffrage of Elvira is Naipaul’s hilarious take on an electoral campaign in the back country of Trinidad, where the candidates’ tactics include blatant vote-buying and supernatural sabotage. The eponymous protagonist of Mr. Stone and the Knights Companion is an aging Englishman of ponderously regular habits whose life is thrown into upheaval by a sudden marriage and unanticipated professional advancement. And the stories in A Flag on the Island take us from a Chinese bakery in Trinidad–whose black proprietor faces bankruptcy until he takes a Chinese name–to a rooming house in London–where the genteel landlady plays a nasty Darwinian game with her budgerigars. Unfailingly stylish, filled with intelligence and feeling, here is the work of a writer who can do just about anything that can be done with language.
The Suffrage of Elvira is Naipaul’s hilarious take on an electoral campaign in the back country of Trinidad, where the candidates’ tactics include blatant vote-buying and supernatural sabotage. The eponymous protagonist of Mr. Stone and the Knights Companion is an aging Englishman of ponderously regular habits whose life is thrown into upheaval by a sudden marriage and unanticipated professional advancement. And the stories in A Flag on the Island take us from a Chinese bakery in Trinidad–whose black proprietor faces bankruptcy until he takes a Chinese name–to a rooming house in London–where the genteel landlady plays a nasty Darwinian game with her budgerigars. Unfailingly stylish, filled with intelligence and feeling, here is the work of a writer who can do just about anything that can be done with language.
560 pages, Paperback
First published July 9, 2002
19 people are currently reading
310 people want to read
About the author
V.S. Naipaul
190 books1,788 followersV. 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 received numerous accolades throughout his career, including the Nobel Prize in Literature, awarded for his ability to blend deep observation with literary artistry. While praised for his prose, his often unsparing portrayals of postcolonial nations and controversial statements sparked both admiration and criticism.
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 received numerous accolades throughout his career, including the Nobel Prize in Literature, awarded for his ability to blend deep observation with literary artistry. While praised for his prose, his often unsparing portrayals of postcolonial nations and controversial statements sparked both admiration and criticism.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 28, 2020
A tale of misunderstanding between the hard working
Night watchman, Charles Ethelbert Hillyard and the manager, W. A. G. Imkip of a Caribbean hotel
Don't worry about the stains - they are only blood!
November 24. 11 p.m. N.W. Hillyard take over duty with one Torch, 1 Bar Key, 2 Fridge Keys, 32 cartons Beer, all intact. 12 Midnight Bar close and Barman left leaving Mr Wills and others in Bar, and they left at 1 a.m. Mr Wills took 16 Carib Beer, Mr Wilson 8, Mr Percy 8. At 2 a.m. Mr Wills come back in the bar and take 4 Carib and some bread, he cut his hand trying to cut the bread, so please don't worry about the stains on the carpet sir. At 6 am. Mr Wills come back for some soda water. It didn't have any so he take a ginger beer instead. Sir you see it is my intention to do this job good sir, I cant see how Night Watchman Cavander could fall asleep on this job sir. Chas. Ethelbert Hillyard
Please don't blame me, sir. I'm only doing my job and I need more help
More than 2 lbs of veal were removed from the Fridge last night, and a cake that was left in the press was cut. It is your duty, Night Watchman Hillyard, to keep an eye on these things. I ought to warn you that I have also asked the Police to check on all employees leaving the hotel, to prevent such occurrences in the future. W. A. G. Inskip
Mr Manager, I don't know why people so anxious to blame servants sir. About the cake, the press lock at night and I don't have the key sir, everything safe where I am concern sir. Chas. Hillyard
Blame the cat
November 28. 12 Midnight Bar close and Barman left at 12.20 a.m. leaving Mr Wills and others, and they all left at 1.25 a.m. Mr Wills 8 Carib, Mr Wilson 12, Mr Percy 8, and the man they call Paul 12. Mrs Roscoe join the gentlemen at 12.33 a.m., four gins, everybody calling her Minnie from Trinidad, and then they start singing that song, and some others. Nothing unusual. Afterwards there were mild singing and guitar music in Room 12. A man come in and ask to use the phone at 2.17 a.m. and while he was using it about 7 men come in and wanted to beat him up, so he put down the phone and they all ran away. At 3 a.m. I notice the padlock not on the press, I look inside, no cake, but the padlock was not put on in the first place sir. Mr Wills come down again at 6 a.m. to look for his sweet, he look in the Fridge and did not see any. He took a piece of pineapple. A plate was covered in the Fridge, but it didn't have anything in it. Mr Wills put it out, the cat jump on it and it fall down and break. The garage bulb not burning. C.E.H.
You will please sign your name at the bottom of your report. You are in the habit of writing Nothing Unusual. Please take note and think before making such a statement. I want to know what is meant by nothing unusual. I gather, not from you, needless to say, that the police have fallen into the habit of visiting the hotel at night. I would be most grateful to you if you could find the time to note the times of these visits. W. A. G. Inskip
Sir, nothing unusual means everything usual. I don't know, nothing I writing you liking. I don't know what sort of work this night watchman work getting to be, since when people have to start getting Cambridge certificate to get night watchman job, I ain't educated and because of this everybody think they could insult me. Charles Ethelbert Hillyard
This is the best story in this collection
Enjoy!
Night watchman, Charles Ethelbert Hillyard and the manager, W. A. G. Imkip of a Caribbean hotel
Don't worry about the stains - they are only blood!
November 24. 11 p.m. N.W. Hillyard take over duty with one Torch, 1 Bar Key, 2 Fridge Keys, 32 cartons Beer, all intact. 12 Midnight Bar close and Barman left leaving Mr Wills and others in Bar, and they left at 1 a.m. Mr Wills took 16 Carib Beer, Mr Wilson 8, Mr Percy 8. At 2 a.m. Mr Wills come back in the bar and take 4 Carib and some bread, he cut his hand trying to cut the bread, so please don't worry about the stains on the carpet sir. At 6 am. Mr Wills come back for some soda water. It didn't have any so he take a ginger beer instead. Sir you see it is my intention to do this job good sir, I cant see how Night Watchman Cavander could fall asleep on this job sir. Chas. Ethelbert Hillyard
Please don't blame me, sir. I'm only doing my job and I need more help
More than 2 lbs of veal were removed from the Fridge last night, and a cake that was left in the press was cut. It is your duty, Night Watchman Hillyard, to keep an eye on these things. I ought to warn you that I have also asked the Police to check on all employees leaving the hotel, to prevent such occurrences in the future. W. A. G. Inskip
Mr Manager, I don't know why people so anxious to blame servants sir. About the cake, the press lock at night and I don't have the key sir, everything safe where I am concern sir. Chas. Hillyard
Blame the cat
November 28. 12 Midnight Bar close and Barman left at 12.20 a.m. leaving Mr Wills and others, and they all left at 1.25 a.m. Mr Wills 8 Carib, Mr Wilson 12, Mr Percy 8, and the man they call Paul 12. Mrs Roscoe join the gentlemen at 12.33 a.m., four gins, everybody calling her Minnie from Trinidad, and then they start singing that song, and some others. Nothing unusual. Afterwards there were mild singing and guitar music in Room 12. A man come in and ask to use the phone at 2.17 a.m. and while he was using it about 7 men come in and wanted to beat him up, so he put down the phone and they all ran away. At 3 a.m. I notice the padlock not on the press, I look inside, no cake, but the padlock was not put on in the first place sir. Mr Wills come down again at 6 a.m. to look for his sweet, he look in the Fridge and did not see any. He took a piece of pineapple. A plate was covered in the Fridge, but it didn't have anything in it. Mr Wills put it out, the cat jump on it and it fall down and break. The garage bulb not burning. C.E.H.
You will please sign your name at the bottom of your report. You are in the habit of writing Nothing Unusual. Please take note and think before making such a statement. I want to know what is meant by nothing unusual. I gather, not from you, needless to say, that the police have fallen into the habit of visiting the hotel at night. I would be most grateful to you if you could find the time to note the times of these visits. W. A. G. Inskip
Sir, nothing unusual means everything usual. I don't know, nothing I writing you liking. I don't know what sort of work this night watchman work getting to be, since when people have to start getting Cambridge certificate to get night watchman job, I ain't educated and because of this everybody think they could insult me. Charles Ethelbert Hillyard
This is the best story in this collection
Enjoy!
September 27, 2022
This took me basically a month to read, because it's three books in one. This collects most of the lesser-known work from just before the publication of Miguel Street to just before the publication of The Mimic Men (so approximately from 1958-67). In the midst of all this, Naipaul wrote and published A House for Mr. Biswas. I continue to go through his bibliography in chronological order, but I did not reread A House for Mr. Biswas. I probably should at some point in the future. The context of the rest of his work from this earlier, generally comic period distinctly differs from my memory of the tone and content of that novel in a way that makes it seem possibly better than I remember it being.
Anyway, you can see Naipaul develop as this goes along as he experiments between Twain-like satire and a style more reminiscent of his observantly depressive later work (like A Bend in the River). He's playful, and yet, like with Miguel Street, there is so much darkness in his various characters. His work describes: education inequity, internalized racism, misogyny, homophobia, the power of colonial culture to shift local ideals, the erasure of culture, traditional vs. "modern" medicine, ethnicity as affect, the inability to actually connect or understand others in our immediate community (let alone people beyond said community), the plight of the postcolonial writer, English in both its "higher" and regional forms, and democracy as a farce that is bound to fail. Very optimistic stuff. I did laugh a few times though.
Here are some of my scant notes about the individual works collected in this edition:
September 2, 2022 – Finished The Suffrage of Elvira. Much more than The Mystic Masseur, it feels like Naipaul is tapping into his mixture of the absurd and the hyperreal and the humanist that seems to characterize his early career. The first line is one of the best first lines I've read in a while. It becomes integral yet vain, superficially racist yet actually subversive to white/colonial readership.
September 18, 2022 – Mr. Stone and the Knights Companion: 2.5/5 This feels like the beginnings of Naipaul's later novels, those that are bleak, complex, plotless, internal, and unrelentingly committed to bringing fresh eyes to notions of class, work, life's value, etc. It's just dull here though. Interesting to see Naipaul write a white narrator/protagonist, particularly one who is British.
September 27, 2022 – A Flag on the Island: This is a collection of short stories that seems to bring together some of Naipaul's throwaway material (including work that he wrote to be in Miguel Street, which was cool to see) and some unrelated short stories that he published in various litmags. The titular final story/novella, according to Wikipedia, was written after Naipaul received a request to write a work that could be made into a film. It was immediately rejected, which makes sense, because it seems rather uncinematic. It's all about memory and challenges white hegemony both in the realm of the military and the arts. Iconically, there is a key character who is a postcolonial writer known for writing Austenian romances but decides that he should actually write work that involves a black man who *gasp* experiences a literary romance with a black woman. Naipaul gives him the name "Mr. Blackwhite," which is so on the nose that I live. The collection as a whole has a solid amount of memorable stories, including one about a man who debates burning down a school for insurance money during Christmastime, and a boy, probably the protagonist of Miguel Street, goes to school and is given a goat by his teacher who gives him preferential treatment which leads to much conflict with others on Miguel Street. Not ground-breaking, but Naipaul's wit is there, and he gives so much insight into all the racial and class dynamics at play in Trinidad at the time.
Anyway, you can see Naipaul develop as this goes along as he experiments between Twain-like satire and a style more reminiscent of his observantly depressive later work (like A Bend in the River). He's playful, and yet, like with Miguel Street, there is so much darkness in his various characters. His work describes: education inequity, internalized racism, misogyny, homophobia, the power of colonial culture to shift local ideals, the erasure of culture, traditional vs. "modern" medicine, ethnicity as affect, the inability to actually connect or understand others in our immediate community (let alone people beyond said community), the plight of the postcolonial writer, English in both its "higher" and regional forms, and democracy as a farce that is bound to fail. Very optimistic stuff. I did laugh a few times though.
Here are some of my scant notes about the individual works collected in this edition:
September 2, 2022 – Finished The Suffrage of Elvira. Much more than The Mystic Masseur, it feels like Naipaul is tapping into his mixture of the absurd and the hyperreal and the humanist that seems to characterize his early career. The first line is one of the best first lines I've read in a while. It becomes integral yet vain, superficially racist yet actually subversive to white/colonial readership.
September 18, 2022 – Mr. Stone and the Knights Companion: 2.5/5 This feels like the beginnings of Naipaul's later novels, those that are bleak, complex, plotless, internal, and unrelentingly committed to bringing fresh eyes to notions of class, work, life's value, etc. It's just dull here though. Interesting to see Naipaul write a white narrator/protagonist, particularly one who is British.
September 27, 2022 – A Flag on the Island: This is a collection of short stories that seems to bring together some of Naipaul's throwaway material (including work that he wrote to be in Miguel Street, which was cool to see) and some unrelated short stories that he published in various litmags. The titular final story/novella, according to Wikipedia, was written after Naipaul received a request to write a work that could be made into a film. It was immediately rejected, which makes sense, because it seems rather uncinematic. It's all about memory and challenges white hegemony both in the realm of the military and the arts. Iconically, there is a key character who is a postcolonial writer known for writing Austenian romances but decides that he should actually write work that involves a black man who *gasp* experiences a literary romance with a black woman. Naipaul gives him the name "Mr. Blackwhite," which is so on the nose that I live. The collection as a whole has a solid amount of memorable stories, including one about a man who debates burning down a school for insurance money during Christmastime, and a boy, probably the protagonist of Miguel Street, goes to school and is given a goat by his teacher who gives him preferential treatment which leads to much conflict with others on Miguel Street. Not ground-breaking, but Naipaul's wit is there, and he gives so much insight into all the racial and class dynamics at play in Trinidad at the time.
August 11, 2015
Reading this early Naipaul I find it has engraved itself on the part of my reading memory that includes works such as "Our Town" or "Huckleberry Finn." --timeless, haunting elaborations of our less-than-meaningful aspirations, and our basic and base natures.
Try as we writers might, the characters we painstakingly attempt to develop into whole, yet flawed and we hope fundamentally likable people may be completely abominable to some readers. V.S. Naipaul somehow manages to escape that seeming inevitability. He has created archetypal oily, corrupt, and not-at-all-attractive characters, yet I am right in there with them because of their spirited, funny, dogged survival instincts (not to mention the fantastically hysterical moments they provide).
Naipaul's characters are miles more memorable than many moms and pops and Aunt Sophies I've encountered in other books, and with whom I might have felt more comfortable and more familiar. And their character flaws are so poignant at times, I want to cry.
Try as we writers might, the characters we painstakingly attempt to develop into whole, yet flawed and we hope fundamentally likable people may be completely abominable to some readers. V.S. Naipaul somehow manages to escape that seeming inevitability. He has created archetypal oily, corrupt, and not-at-all-attractive characters, yet I am right in there with them because of their spirited, funny, dogged survival instincts (not to mention the fantastically hysterical moments they provide).
Naipaul's characters are miles more memorable than many moms and pops and Aunt Sophies I've encountered in other books, and with whom I might have felt more comfortable and more familiar. And their character flaws are so poignant at times, I want to cry.
September 27, 2011
I only read The Nightwatchman's Occurrence Book.
June 9, 2024
It is only this year (2016) that I have really started to read his books in earnest, but V.S. Naipaul has already become one of my favourite writers. I read Miguel Street, his first book, in the spring, and followed it with his second, The Mystic Masseur; then I knew I would have to seek out his third, and so on... So I bought the third, The Suffrage of Elvira online, but it seemed sensible to buy it as part of this omnibus and thus secure two extra books in one volume...
I am glad that I did. The Suffrage of Elvira is one of Naipaul's 'early' books. Set in Trinidad it is full of comical characters who move in a setting in which many different races mix and interact. It seems almost one of a piece with his two earlier books. There is considerable charm here, but it is far from being merely 'charming' or 'colourful'. There is also darkness, sadness and frustration amid the tropical props and island scenery. This style of writing was one Naipaul was to abandon shortly afterwards, moving on to a much more precise and profound voice and manner of approaching his material. This early phase of his career is strongly appealing to me, but after devouring hits first three books, there is little left for me to now read.
The second part of this omnibus features Mr Stone and the Knights Companion, an oddity that Naipaul wrote while he was travelling through India, although it is set entirely in England and was Naipaul's attempt to write a wholly 'English' novel. It works very well. It is a social satire along the lines of some of H.G. Wells' novels (The History of Mr Polly for instance) and the writing is sublime, subdued, muted but deeply thoughtful too, quite different from the prose style of the early Trinidad novels, but equally impressive and affecting in an entirely different way.
The third part of the omnibus contains a story collection, A Flag on the Island. To my delight, this collection features stories that are in the style of Miguel Street (in fact, one of them, 'The Enemy' was originally intended for that book but left out), and also stories in which the more mature and richer manner prevails. It is the title story of this collection, the brilliant novella 'A Flag on the Island' that actually proved to be an important transition piece for Naipaul, leading him to experiment with, and develop, a new voice that became entirely his. This novella is the masterpiece among the story collection, but all the other stories are excellent too.
The brilliance of Naipaul is absolutely in evidence in this omnibus volume.
I am glad that I did. The Suffrage of Elvira is one of Naipaul's 'early' books. Set in Trinidad it is full of comical characters who move in a setting in which many different races mix and interact. It seems almost one of a piece with his two earlier books. There is considerable charm here, but it is far from being merely 'charming' or 'colourful'. There is also darkness, sadness and frustration amid the tropical props and island scenery. This style of writing was one Naipaul was to abandon shortly afterwards, moving on to a much more precise and profound voice and manner of approaching his material. This early phase of his career is strongly appealing to me, but after devouring hits first three books, there is little left for me to now read.
The second part of this omnibus features Mr Stone and the Knights Companion, an oddity that Naipaul wrote while he was travelling through India, although it is set entirely in England and was Naipaul's attempt to write a wholly 'English' novel. It works very well. It is a social satire along the lines of some of H.G. Wells' novels (The History of Mr Polly for instance) and the writing is sublime, subdued, muted but deeply thoughtful too, quite different from the prose style of the early Trinidad novels, but equally impressive and affecting in an entirely different way.
The third part of the omnibus contains a story collection, A Flag on the Island. To my delight, this collection features stories that are in the style of Miguel Street (in fact, one of them, 'The Enemy' was originally intended for that book but left out), and also stories in which the more mature and richer manner prevails. It is the title story of this collection, the brilliant novella 'A Flag on the Island' that actually proved to be an important transition piece for Naipaul, leading him to experiment with, and develop, a new voice that became entirely his. This novella is the masterpiece among the story collection, but all the other stories are excellent too.
The brilliance of Naipaul is absolutely in evidence in this omnibus volume.
April 28, 2012
This is a collection of Mr. Naipaul's comic novels and short stories. My review will centre on the title story - a little gem of a nightwatchman in colonial trinidad writing his nightly log. as the guests cavort and the nightwatchman flounders, you have no choice but to laugh till you cry. And people of the English speaking Caribbean will recognise the nightwatchman, he is definitely still alive and well and walking around and making his comments on life in the 21st century. Most memorable is one of his complaints that he thought "nightwatchman work was quiet"...
November 15, 2015
So bloody good. Naipaul at his best. Even though I think I took too much time reading it and missed some of the comic tension, it was still utterly enjoyable.
The Suffrage of Elvira is going to remain a firm favorite. Had to let go of A Flag on the Island, though. That wasn't for me.
I will certainly return to this one. A master at work.
The Suffrage of Elvira is going to remain a firm favorite. Had to let go of A Flag on the Island, though. That wasn't for me.
I will certainly return to this one. A master at work.
July 3, 2021
More humor than usual
December 27, 2021
Great selection.
November 17, 2013
Another great book by V.S. Naipaul
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/the-ni... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/the-ni... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
February 15, 2022
Mr. Naipaul often writes of his birthplace, the island nation of Trinidad. The first novella follows the anticipation of an election in a backwater neighborhood that imagines itself joining the democratic modern world. Not quite. There are bitter feuds among neighbors, rampant vote buying, fear of obscure omens. Elvira's citizens are rich in diversity of race, religion, national heritage and level, or lack of, education. All, however, seem transfixed by witchcraft.
The second novella concerns an Englishman growing old in an abode shared only with his housekeeper. His life is uneventful. His routine never varies. One day he meets a dazzling woman and makes a fateful decision. We are privy to the arc of his thoughts which reveal abrupt changes, muted panic, small triumphs, bitter resentment, and finally harsh disappointment.
Naipaul's comic vein is droll and often subtle enough to whizz right past my grasp.
The second novella concerns an Englishman growing old in an abode shared only with his housekeeper. His life is uneventful. His routine never varies. One day he meets a dazzling woman and makes a fateful decision. We are privy to the arc of his thoughts which reveal abrupt changes, muted panic, small triumphs, bitter resentment, and finally harsh disappointment.
Naipaul's comic vein is droll and often subtle enough to whizz right past my grasp.
August 12, 2017
Naipaul’s text is divided into three separate stories, all of which chronicle colorful characters as they experience change. The first story, “The Suffrage of Elvira,” shows how democracy fails to “modernize” a town in Trinidad. The election in Elvira either entrenched characters in their traditional, feudal roles or prompted more non-traditionalist characters to leave. It’s the most politically meaningful and emotionally resonant narrative contained within the book. Another intriguing storyline is the 11 page “Greenie and Yellow,” in which the interaction among three birds are chronicled.
Apart from the two narratives specifically mentioned, the rest of the almost 600 page book is forgettable. Of course the work isn’t altogether bad -- V.S. Naipaul’s work never is. It just isn’t altogether spectacular.
Apart from the two narratives specifically mentioned, the rest of the almost 600 page book is forgettable. Of course the work isn’t altogether bad -- V.S. Naipaul’s work never is. It just isn’t altogether spectacular.
April 14, 2024
This collection of novellas and short stories is rather uneven. The books included are The Suffrage of Elvira, Mr. Stone and the Knights Companion and A Flag on the Island. The last novella A Flag on the Island, from the book A Flag on the Island which includes short stories too, felt very very very different from all the other stories. It was so American and much less humorous. It almost ruined the book for me. It felt like it was from a different world. I wanted to go back and start from the beginning again to wash away the taste of it. I wish I had known so I could have read it first and then enjoy the rest of the book.
The other novellas and short stories were mostly funny and entertaining except for the ones that take place in the UK. I seem to enjoy Naipaul only when he writes about Caribbean islands. When writing about the UK he's a bore and writing about India he's insufferable whiner. It's so odd. All the fuss about Mr. Stone almost put me to sleep.
The Suffrage of Elvira started slowly, but was very funny as was the kind of epistolary short story The Nightwatchman's Occurrence Book. It felt rather unique. The Enemy and The Raffle took me back to Miguel Street which I loved so much. I don't condone violence or abuse, but I just enjoy the tragicomic style so much. I can't explain it.
Ron Butler is my favorite narrator. He's phenomenal.
The other novellas and short stories were mostly funny and entertaining except for the ones that take place in the UK. I seem to enjoy Naipaul only when he writes about Caribbean islands. When writing about the UK he's a bore and writing about India he's insufferable whiner. It's so odd. All the fuss about Mr. Stone almost put me to sleep.
The Suffrage of Elvira started slowly, but was very funny as was the kind of epistolary short story The Nightwatchman's Occurrence Book. It felt rather unique. The Enemy and The Raffle took me back to Miguel Street which I loved so much. I don't condone violence or abuse, but I just enjoy the tragicomic style so much. I can't explain it.
Ron Butler is my favorite narrator. He's phenomenal.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
August 31, 2025
I haven't read a lot in this style but I liked this and enjoyed it. I liked how silly it was.
January 31, 2016
It's a boring book, i skipped lot's of parts especially the second story and a few short stories.
August 18, 2019
Two stories and several short stories. Good read but last story terrible.
February 16, 2008
Funny short stories showcase the wit of VS Naipaul
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews