Reviews

A House for Mr Biswas by V.S. Naipaul

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emmajdavies's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I feel like I just failed to find the magic in this book

wolfdan9's review

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5.0

A House for Mr Biswas, my favorite novel I read in 2022, is a fairly epic domestic novel and portrait of a man's life in colonial Trinidad. Some novels seem to capture the heart of its writer -- being either autobiographical or largely influenced by one's own experiences-- and Mr Biswas appears to be that kind of novel. Over nearly 600 pages, we follow Mohun Biswas throughout his dismal life. Chapters are based around where Biswas lived as he futilely attempts to carve out his own living space. Biswas is a perpetual loser, unliked by many for his poor attitude and pugnacity, unlucky, mired by poor judgment, easily taken advantage of, constantly fighting with his wife, and viewed indifferently by his children. He catches no breaks throughout his life and we feel Naipaul's pessimism toward "overcoming the odds." Biswas does eventually obtain a home of his own after decades of vying and comically failing, but his misfortune merely enters a new stage when he is essentially duped into buying a crumbling home for an inflated price. Biswas makes very little progress -- morally, as a father and husband, as a man, or in any other way really. There are glimpses of his goodness throughout the novel (like when he buys his daughter an expensive dollhouse, although this event is admittedly more about flaunting wealth that he doesn't really have, or encouraging his son's academic success through tutoring which does work out for his son but ultimately contributes to their relationship being ruined as Biswas is dying at the end of the story). It's interesting that so much happens in the story, with each chapter being like a narrative formed of vignettes about Biswas and the many characters inside of his family and community, but very little changes within Biswas.

Naipaul offers the smallest drop of closure for Biswas' struggle- and humiliation-filled life at the very end of the story, when he proves had been cheated out of 12 feet of property and is awarded the measly extra bit of land. This is perhaps the only incident in the book in which Biswas is not either directly or indirectly punished in some way. One of his daughters also becomes rather successful and returns to nurture Biswas on his deathbed, although this is another of the universe's cruel jokes as he dies before he can truly enjoy being respected as a father.

A House for Mr Biswas is a thoughtful book with a very thin but enjoyable historical fiction layer; being exposed to Trinidad, an unusual location for me, has sparked some interest in researching its unique culture and history. The backdrop to Biswas' life is Trinidad during a transformative time in world history (early- to mid-1900s) and we learn a bit about Indian culture and attitudes as they have been adapted to life in Trinidad. I interpreted Naipaul as quite critical of customary Indian culture, with many devout characters being portrayed as either loony or mean-spirited, but Naipaul also shows disdain for newer ideas like communism. Also, Biswas, who is clearly a literary man and either open-minded or apathetic toward metaphysical ideas, is constantly punished. So I don't think Naipaul intended to espouse his ideological beliefs much throughout the novel.

Instead, Naipaul seems rather critical, morbid, and perhaps a bit nihilistic about life in general. There is no escape from life's hardships (in Trinidad at least). It merely consists of struggle after struggle and any attempt to break out of the cycle will be met with falling flat on one's face. Faith (in Hinduism, for example), while prevalent, does nothing to change this either, and are pointless exercises at best. I wish I had taken some notes while reading this story, as there's a lot more nuance to it than I'm suggesting here, but oh well. I will definitely be seeking out more Naipaul.

biscuitngrav's review against another edition

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5.0

Dark yet whimsical, the black comedy of Naipaul exudes painful, calm, deliberate, and harrowing insight into the universal human psyche, the double-edged sword of the plights and opportunities of modernity, and the unavoidably trying cultural affect of the marriage of both. Symbolically masterful and psychologically searing, A House for Mr. Biswas remains a must-own for every collector of the classics.