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V.S. Naipaul

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V.S. Naipaul


Born
in Chaguanas, Trinidad and Tobago
August 17, 1932

Died
August 11, 2018

Genre
Fiction, Nonfiction, Travel

Influences
Joseph Conrad, Somerset Maugham, Evelyn Waugh ...more


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 ...more

Combine Editions

Average rating: 3.7 · 80,651 ratings · 6,954 reviews · 136 distinct works • Similar authors
A House for Mr Biswas
3.81 avg rating — 21,795 ratings — published 1961 — 126 editions
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A Bend in the River
3.77 avg rating — 18,246 ratings — published 1979 — 113 editions
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Miguel Street
3.95 avg rating — 5,100 ratings — published 1959 — 78 editions
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In a Free State
3.50 avg rating — 5,208 ratings — published 1971 — 83 editions
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Half a Life
3.24 avg rating — 4,501 ratings — published 2001 — 11 editions
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Among the Believers : An Is...
3.86 avg rating — 2,428 ratings — published 1981 — 74 editions
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An Area of Darkness: A Disc...
3.68 avg rating — 2,373 ratings — published 1964 — 60 editions
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India: A Million Mutinies Now
3.94 avg rating — 2,107 ratings — published 1990 — 59 editions
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The Enigma of Arrival
3.69 avg rating — 1,983 ratings — published 1987 — 78 editions
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India: A Wounded Civilization
3.72 avg rating — 1,784 ratings — published 1976 — 55 editions
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More books by V.S. Naipaul…

Series by V.S. Naipaul

An Area of Darkness: A Disc... India: A Wounded Civilization India: A Million Mutinies Now
(3 books)
by
3.78 avg rating — 6,286 ratings

Half a Life Magic Seeds
(2 books)
by
3.22 avg rating — 5,518 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
2751 likes
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“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
tags: exile, naipaul, racism
190 likes
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“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
tags: expectations, free-will, freedom, lack-of-vision, limitations, peer-pressure
146 likes
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Polls

¿Qué autor leemos en el Miniclub Premios Nobel este trimestre de primavera 2025 (mar-abr-may)?

 
  12 votes, 16.9%

 
  10 votes, 14.1%

 
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  1 vote, 1.4%

 
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71 total votes
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Topics Mentioning This Author

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The Seasonal Read...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Spring Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks 2721 2505 May 31, 2010 09:00PM  
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Reading with Style: This topic has been closed to new comments. WI 10-11 RwS Completed Tasks - Winter 704 508 Mar 01, 2011 09:19AM  
Terminalcoffee: This topic has been closed to new comments. VS Naipul: Women Writers Suck 6 50 Jun 02, 2011 10:16AM