A House for Mr Biswas
Written by V. S. Naipaul
Narrated by Sam Dastor
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
A House for Mr Biswas, by Nobel and Booker-Prize winning author V.S. Naipaul, is a powerful novel about one man’s struggle for identity and belonging. Born into poverty, then trapped in the shackles of charity and gratitude, Mr Biswas longs for a house he can call his own. He loathes his wife and her wealthy family, upon whom he is dependent. Finding himself a mere accessory on their estate, his constant rebellion is motivated by the one thing that can symbolize his independence. The book is striking in its lush and sensual descriptions of Trinidad and was listed as one of Time magazine’s 100 Best English-Language Novels from 1923-2005.
V. S. Naipaul
V.S. Naipaul was born in Trinidad in 1932. He came to England on a scholarship in 1950. He spent four years at University College, Oxford, and began to write, in London, in 1954. He pursued no other profession. His novels include A House for Mr Biswas, The Mimic Men, Guerrillas, A Bend in the River, and The Enigma of Arrival. In 1971 he was awarded the Booker Prize for In a Free State. His works of nonfiction, equally acclaimed, include Among the Believers, Beyond Belief, The Masque of Africa, and a trio of books about India: An Area of Darkness, India: A Wounded Civilization and India: A Million Mutinies Now. In 1990, V.S. Naipaul received a knighthood for services to literature; in 1993, he was the first recipient of the David Cohen British Literature Prize. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. He lived with his wife Nadira and cat Augustus in Wiltshire, and died in 2018.
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Reviews for A House for Mr Biswas
92 ratings12 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Exquisite narration, impersonations and accent. Loved it! Thank you.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Brilliantly narrated tragicomedy about author's father. Apt and witty portrayal of the early post-colonial experience. It's taken me over a decade in 3 countries to sit down and read this book. Other than the stark portrayals of black people, I'm glad I finally read and finished it. Without the audiobook, I'm not sure I'd have done so. Thanks, Scribd!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Honestly it's a good story sbout the life of a man as he struggles with confusion, self doubt, and to do his best.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beautifully written, thoughtful and proud. A ten out of ten read.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5One of the great literary works of all time. A treasure.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fabulously written and read! whoa! Wonderful and most exquisite book.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A beautifully written book that takes misery in stride. Worthwhile.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Absolutely fantastic. A 20th Century Dickens. Loved it. Loved it
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Classic - read because it was on our school reading list from the late 70s , but I'd never gotten to it. Though I'm not a Trinni, I think it captures the kind of social scenes that I understand to have been typical of indians in Trinidad back mid 20thC
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Great book, horrible narration. Had to buy the actual book in order to read it. The narrator is downright annoying especially when he tries to do accents. The rating is for the audio book specifically. The book it self is perfectly written.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tha narration could have been better. Tulsi is not pronounced Talsi. Any Indian should have know that.
The book is well written. The vignettes of Trinidad rural Hindu life and the subtleties of life itself are presented very well. I have lived in Jamaica for five years and can attest to the accuracy of what is presented; including the wide gulf between Indian Hindus and Trinidad Hindus/ Hindu origin people.
The story is a bit sad and frustrating. Biswas is such a loser! - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This was a long book. Mohan was a tortured man. It was very funny at points. I learned many new words. The view of black people was interesting with “ms. Blackie” and the negative views of people of color. It’s interesting that this perception is a global image. Also very sad. It’s definitely important reading.