Rating: 
Summary: Everybody needs a place he can call home
Review: I think that almost everyone can empathize with Mr. Biswas. Born into a poor family of Indian extraction in Trinidad, Mohun Biswas has been put upon right from the start. When he was a youngster Mr. Biswas lost his father through a swimming accident that was blamed on the boy. His mother was self-absorbed, distant and unloving. Mr. Biswas later met a young woman, Shama, with a huge family that never thought that Mr. Biswas would amount to anything. Shama's sisters, most of them either prima donnas, neurotics or both, were constantly criticizing Mr. Biswas for one thing or another. Shama would take her sisters' side over her husband's. Mr. Biswas' brothers-in-law and their sons were little better. To add insult to injury, Mr. Biswas and Shama, due to economic reasons, often found themselves living in extremely close quarters with Shama's family. Just finding breathing room seemed an impossible task. No wonder Mr. Biswas was often irritable, cantankerous, argumentative, and seemingly misanthropic. Mr. Biswas just wanted a house of his own where he could live with his wife in harmony and raise their children in peace.
_A House for Mr. Biswas_ is simply about a man who desparately seeks to find his place in the world, but is frustrated at every turn, including settling on a career. I admired Mr. Biswas and felt that his seemingly difficult personality masked a heroic man of great imagination, resourcefulness, and tenacity. It is ironic that Mr. Biswas, often impoverished himself, worked as a newspaper reporter and then as a government welfare worker, in both capacities getting to know the destitute of Trinidad.
V.S. Naipaul has written a book that is always lively, thought-provoking and never sentimental. Naipaul could have made Mr. Biswas an embittered and hateful person or loaded his book with pathos. He instead created a fighter and like Naipaul, who is himself an exile from his native India, a restless man who yearns to live out his final years in a place he can finally call his own.
Rating:
Summary: One man's quest for a house of his own. [4.5 stars]
Review: Mr. (Mohan) Biswas had an unlucky birth. He was born at the wrong time of day and the midwife claimed that he would "eat up his own mother and father." From his birth Mohan struggled with the midwife's prophesy while trying to get his life on the correct track, gain independence, and most importantly, to purchase a house for his family away from his meddling in-laws that would give him some peace and quiet. At the surface this novel appears to tell a simple tale of one man's life, but as the story progresses it becomes evident that there is much more to this story than what first meets the eye. V.S. Naipaul spins a delightful tale of rural Indian populations in the Caribbean island of Trinidad. The reader gains a perspective on the multi-cultural history of this island nation while assimilating new beliefs and customs. This novel creates an atmosphere full of poverty, dirt, and apathy but in the midst the main protagonist is determined to make it one his own terms and conditions. Amongst it all there is a clear sense of hope. There is little doubt that the character of Mohan is certainly not an overall likeable man. He has a tendency to be selfish and rude to those who have helped him. But at other times I felt pity and compassion as some of his dearest altruistic actions failed miserably. Mohan is a wonderful yet flawed character. One of the aspects of this novel that I loved most was the humor that often made me laugh out loud! Mohan's interactions with his wife's extended family are often hilarious and riotous. He can certainly make a fool of himself if left to his devices. But I have to admit that the best part were the stories that he wrote while working as journalism in Port of Spain. I continue to laugh just thinking about them! Overall, THE HOUSE OF MR. BISWAS was a wonderful and rewarding reading experience for me that drew on virtually all emotions. I was immediately drawn into the plot and the plight of Mr. Biswas and felt compassion for him (except, of course, when he was making a fool of himself). Don't let the length of this book put you off; it is definitely worth the time investment. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: This one will take some time...
Review: A House for Mr. Biswas was my first foray into V.S. Naipaul's writing. Perhaps I should have started with a shorter book. However, the character of Mr. Biswas is one I will never forget. Take your time reading this one. Naipaul's writing is wonderful but a bit slow at times. You will be rewarded in the end as this novel will stay with you for quite some time. It definately makes me want to explore other novels by Naipaul.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent
Review: I've read a number of books by Naipaul, and I can truthfully say that I believe V.S. Naipaul to be one of our very greatest living writers. Without a doubt (in my opinion anyway) A House for Mr. Biswas is his masterpiece, and perhaps one of the most beautiful books ever written. I don't say this because Biswas contains pages of flowery prose or some sort of cheesy feel-good plot. In fact, it is one of Naipaul's greatest strengths that he needs no gimicks in his writing whatsoever. What you see is what you get. Its like listening to Brahms, but different in that Naipaul is a completely modern writer. Modern, but without anything uncomfortably experimental or trendy. The beauty of Naipaul's writing is deep, and always somewhere just beneath the surface. First of all it is in his structure. The over-arching themes of the novel are integrated seamlessly into the a plot-line that reads more like an actual life than your conventional exposition, climax, etc. The comedy and the tragedy of Biswas are to be found side-by-side, and every page bears the imprint of a master stylist. There is beauty in Naipaul's clarity, in his realism, and perhaps above all, in his sincerity. For anyone who has enjoyed Naipaul in the past, A House for Mr. Biswas is an obvious next step. For those new to Naipaul, or even those who have been turned off of him in the past, A House for Mr. Biswas, of all Naipaul's works, is probably the most balanced and the most timeless. Although it touches on many themes common to Naipaul (alienation, colonialism, the search for independence) A House for Mr. Biswas ties them all together into one magnificent work. Perhaps the perfect modern novel.
Rating:
Summary: Realism over sentiment-not fun to read, but worthwhile
Review: This early V.S. Naipaul novel is a detailed look at his father's life on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. While the book does at times bog down in relaying the details of a life that included mundane and ignoble aspects, it is saved by both Naipaul's astounding writing ability and the realism of the depictions. If you believe that great literature transports you to another place, it is impossible to dismiss this book. Few authors can capture the essence of a place and its people as Naipaul can.
Of course he has himself endured criticism, being called too detached and too negative, particularly in his depictions of developing countries. I for one welcome his critical approach, particularly given that so many `travel' books are by contrast superficial, rosy, and romantic. Is the latter type of approach really more respectful than investing time and energy in really trying to understand and immerse oneself within a culture?
In some ways this critique does not apply so much to this work, since Naipaul is not as disconnected; he is describing his own father as seen (largely) through his own eyes. But Naipaul's characteristic and often brutal observations and insights are here. It is often painful to read about the petty vanities and passive dismissals described here, but I feel Naipaul's tone is ultimately compassionate. I feel the message may be that it takes time for an oppressed culture made up of an amalgam of immigrants living in poverty to incubate heightened (self and other) awareness. This is certainly a controversial idea, and it cannot be totally dismissed by simply noting that people in `developed' countries often show very limited awareness and compassion as well.
Like so much of Naipaul's works, this is a realistic novel. It is about flawed individuals, but in the case of Mr. Biswas, who is (effectively) deprived even or a first name we come to feel for him nonetheless because we see what has made him this way and why he operates as he does. One certainly can learn a lot from studying exceptionally heroic and world-shaping personalities who appear to transcend their backgrounds and immediate environments. But there is also something to be said for those who, perhaps by necessity here, address the more modest goals of giving meaning to their life through subtle manipulation of their nearby environment. Perhaps Naipaul, who probably belongs more to the former category of people, is drawn in some ways to the latter lifestyle.
One final minor point. While I too couldn't help at points wishing for more action here, it should be noted that one section of the book (the end of part 1) in particular departs radically from the somewhat mundane narrative tone. This section is handled quite skillfully, and adds a depth not only to the narrative style but more importantly to Biswas' character.
A couple of the books this one connects with in my mind are A Bend in the River (my favorite by Naipaul also about cultural displacement), and Buddenbrooks (not my favorite by Thomas Mann, about family life.) 4.5 stars
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