Collected Short Fiction of V. S. Naipaul

by V.S. Naipaul

For the first time: the Nobel Prize winner’s stunning short fiction collected in one volume, with an introduction by the author.

Over the course of his distinguished career, V. S. Naipaul has written a remarkable array of short fiction that moves from Trinidad to London to Africa. Here are the stories from his Somerset Maugham Award–winning Miguel Street (1959), in which he takes us into a derelict corner of Trinidad’s capital to meet, among others, Man-Man, who goes from running for public office to staging his own crucifixion. The tales in A Flag on the Island (1967), meanwhile, roam from a Chinese bakery in Trinidad to a rooming house in London. And in the celebrated title story from the Booker Prize– winning In a Free State (1971), an English couple traveling in an unnamed African country discover, under a veneer of civilization, a landscape of squalor and ethnic bloodletting.

No writer has rendered our postcolonial world more acutely or prophetically than V. S. Naipaul, or given its upheavals such a hauntingly human face.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Literature, India

440 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

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 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.

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories in Miguel Street are breathtaking - I could not put the book down. Sort of like a Dubliners for Trinidad and Tobago in that the series of short stories provide a vivid portrait of a point in time, in this case stories of one street on the island during WWII and near the end of Britain's rule. More than worth the price of admission. A Flag on the Island was also great and expanded its focus from the Island to include foreign tenants in an English boarding house and a few other miscellaneous stories (including a comedic one about a hotel security guard); the title story was intended to be a comedic screenplay that misses the authenticity of Naipaul's other stories - the story feels contrived and lacks the effortless flow of the other stories. The short stories from In a Free State address the feeling of displacement of foreigners in a new land. Insightful and enlightening. Overall I enjoyed the book but enjoyed the early stories best. I will definitely read A House for Mr. Biswas.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author's reputation as one of the greatest English language writers of the 20th Century is well deserved. I had previously read two of his novels, and after reading his obituary two weeks ago in the Economist, I figured reading his collected short fiction pieces to be a good way to commemorate his life. His work is often dark & depressing, and happy endings are relatively rare. His genius lies in his ability to catch the human condition of the dispossessed and those who can never fully fit in starkly and clearly. When he turns to humor, it stands out all the more starkly because of the dark background. Growing up as a Sub Continent Indian in Trinidad, one of many minorities in a Caribbean Island British Colony, and often feeling like finding a place in the world was an inscrutable challenge, his characterization of the very well intentioned, absent minded form of colonial oppression is probably as good as it is ever going to get. He was truly a great writer. I'm confident his reputation will not be diminished by the test of time.

[Aviad Eilam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naipaul‘s writing seems to mature and the stories grow more complex, personal and interesting over the course of the collection, the highlight being the later tales of immigration and alienation.

[Daniel Polansky]

Right, well, look, any honest list of the 10 best authors of the 20th century will have Naipaul on it. Top 20 certainly. There probably is not another writer alive who can claim so impressively diverse a body of work. These are good particularly the first part, his Miguel Street stories, about the lives of his neighbors in a Trindad side street. That said, some of the later ones flag a bit, and, to be blunt, this is probably not Naipaul at his best. If you haven't read him yet, and you really should, start with A Bend in the River if you want fiction or basically any of his non-fiction, particularly the ones having to do with India and Trinidad itself. Really this is more for the Naipaul completist, but still it's far from a waste of anyone's time.

[Cordellya Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was surprisingly good. I had never heard of V.S. Naipaul before I read this, but it will not be the last of his writing that I read. I love that it was structured in short stories that provided a glimpse into each of the characters he described and that this specific collection allowed you to see the same character at different points in time.

[Nausheen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"To be the ascetic, to be mild and gentle and soft-spoken, withdrawn and ineffectual; to have created for oneself that little clearing in the jungle of the mind; and constantly to reassure oneself that the clearing still existed."

[Sam Mcevoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good leisure read.


Good for a quick noncommittal read. I would read this before bedtime if I'm looking to not get too caught up in a book.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really amazing - it is clear why Naipaul has received so many accolades. Tonally gradient in a unidirectional way, from the lightness of the “Miguel Street” stories to the quiet, tragic power of “One out of Many.” It took a long time to read, but I’m glad I did. (Only quibble: no major female characters, women always seen in relation to men, often not kindly)

[Kenneth · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's quite a lot here and it's best read over an extended period of time, dipping in and out. Advice I did not follow, unfortunately, resulting in, I believe, some exhaustion towards the end and probably a harsher assessment than it deserves.

[May Tam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The honest truth is I haven’t finished all the stories. But the heaviness left in me from the stories I have read... it’s too much for my heart to take. I am moved. I am transported. I am stunned.

[D.B. Sertaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasure to survey the author's style from early beginnings to late work. Felt the punch of the early work, which staged a kind of dreadful pantomime, to the dark nuance of later years.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slice of life in 1940s through 1960s Trinidad and Tobago. Neat.

[Nessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I really liked the short stories at the start of the book; they were amusing and very West Indian. The others did not strike my fancy at all. one short story I could not understand at all. The rest I didn't care for. He is a wonderful writer, though.

[Alia Makki · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many voices in one book can be confusing. Might be better if each voice was stretched in longer voice.
But, sadness needs no linguistic pretty. Sadness is a universal truth. In every language.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read about half the stories. Enjoyed them but not enough to finish all the collections.