Janet
2nd November 2006, 08:54
The ‘Blurb’
Naipaul's Booker Prize winning novel set in an African state In A Free State is set in an imaginary state in Africa against a background of civil conflict. The book travels from America to London to Africa. The first third focuses on the fortunes of Santosh, a young Indian servant, at the mercy of his dreams, of his employers and of the countries in which he is plunged. We then move into the world of expats in Africa, of government officers and radio people, attempting to understand the country they have found themselves in, to match their ideas to reality, 'In the end you don't know what you feel about anything'. And always, in the background the threat of violence looms. The voices in this novel are breathtakingly vivid, the feelings of the characters portrayed with an intelligence and sensitivity that is rarely seen in contemporary writing. Dennis Potter described the book as one 'of such lucid complexity and such genuine insight, so deft and deep, that it somehow manages to agitate, charm, amuse and excuse the reader all at the same pitch of experience'
This book won the Nobel Prize for Literature, and it also won the Booker prize in 1971. Normally I’d steer well clear of prize winners such as this, but this book is our November bookworms read - we’re discussing it tonight!
On the front cover, it reads “IN A FREE STATE. A NOVEL with two supporting narratives”. There is also an epilogue and a prologue, which are taken from Naipaul’s own travel journals.
The ‘Prologue, from a Journal THE TRAMP AT PIRAEUS’ is just 14 pages long, and is about a man travelling to Egypt on a ferry. Among the other people travelling with him is a tramp, who encounters some terrible prejudice.
The first supporting narrative is entitled ‘One Out Of Many’ and is about an Indian servant, Santosh, who travels with his master from Bombay to a new life in Washington. Whilst there, he gains American citizenship, but never really feels at home. This story is 38 pages long, and was really good. He becomes slightly reclusive at first, but gradually gains confidence, then one day he meets an Indian restaurant owner and goes to work for him. This bit of the book was really enjoyable, but then it just… stopped!
I would really have like to have read more about Santosh, and his struggle to feel at home in America.
The second narrative, called ‘Tell Me Who To Kill’ is about an Asian West Indian in London, who is in jail. He’s very disturbed and doesn’t really understand what he’s done.
The main novel starts on page 99 and tells of two British ex-pats who are travelling back to their compound from the city, just after the unnamed African country has gained independence and the President has overthrown the King. The journey is dangerous because it is a time of great unrest. This bit had potential, but I found somewhat slow moving and a bit repetitive. One of the characters, Bobby, is giving a lift to a woman called Linda. During the journey he likes her. Then he hates her. Then he likes her again. Then he’s indifferent…
The end of this section was better, but this also came to an abrupt conclusion. This main section is 140 pages long.
The book ends with ‘Epilogue from a journal - The Circus at Luxor’, and is also from Naipaul’s journal. He’s back in Egypt again, and witnessing children being beaten at a government rest house for scavenging for food. It’s just 7 pages long.
The themes in this book are exile, freedom and prejudice.
The paperback is 246 pages long and is published by Picador. The ISBN number is 0330487051.
Whilst it wasn’t the most exciting book I’ve ever read, I did quite enjoy it. It’s not something I’d have picked up if it wasn’t a Bookworms choice.
4½/10
Naipaul's Booker Prize winning novel set in an African state In A Free State is set in an imaginary state in Africa against a background of civil conflict. The book travels from America to London to Africa. The first third focuses on the fortunes of Santosh, a young Indian servant, at the mercy of his dreams, of his employers and of the countries in which he is plunged. We then move into the world of expats in Africa, of government officers and radio people, attempting to understand the country they have found themselves in, to match their ideas to reality, 'In the end you don't know what you feel about anything'. And always, in the background the threat of violence looms. The voices in this novel are breathtakingly vivid, the feelings of the characters portrayed with an intelligence and sensitivity that is rarely seen in contemporary writing. Dennis Potter described the book as one 'of such lucid complexity and such genuine insight, so deft and deep, that it somehow manages to agitate, charm, amuse and excuse the reader all at the same pitch of experience'
This book won the Nobel Prize for Literature, and it also won the Booker prize in 1971. Normally I’d steer well clear of prize winners such as this, but this book is our November bookworms read - we’re discussing it tonight!
On the front cover, it reads “IN A FREE STATE. A NOVEL with two supporting narratives”. There is also an epilogue and a prologue, which are taken from Naipaul’s own travel journals.
The ‘Prologue, from a Journal THE TRAMP AT PIRAEUS’ is just 14 pages long, and is about a man travelling to Egypt on a ferry. Among the other people travelling with him is a tramp, who encounters some terrible prejudice.
The first supporting narrative is entitled ‘One Out Of Many’ and is about an Indian servant, Santosh, who travels with his master from Bombay to a new life in Washington. Whilst there, he gains American citizenship, but never really feels at home. This story is 38 pages long, and was really good. He becomes slightly reclusive at first, but gradually gains confidence, then one day he meets an Indian restaurant owner and goes to work for him. This bit of the book was really enjoyable, but then it just… stopped!
I would really have like to have read more about Santosh, and his struggle to feel at home in America.
The second narrative, called ‘Tell Me Who To Kill’ is about an Asian West Indian in London, who is in jail. He’s very disturbed and doesn’t really understand what he’s done.
The main novel starts on page 99 and tells of two British ex-pats who are travelling back to their compound from the city, just after the unnamed African country has gained independence and the President has overthrown the King. The journey is dangerous because it is a time of great unrest. This bit had potential, but I found somewhat slow moving and a bit repetitive. One of the characters, Bobby, is giving a lift to a woman called Linda. During the journey he likes her. Then he hates her. Then he likes her again. Then he’s indifferent…
The end of this section was better, but this also came to an abrupt conclusion. This main section is 140 pages long.
The book ends with ‘Epilogue from a journal - The Circus at Luxor’, and is also from Naipaul’s journal. He’s back in Egypt again, and witnessing children being beaten at a government rest house for scavenging for food. It’s just 7 pages long.
The themes in this book are exile, freedom and prejudice.
The paperback is 246 pages long and is published by Picador. The ISBN number is 0330487051.
Whilst it wasn’t the most exciting book I’ve ever read, I did quite enjoy it. It’s not something I’d have picked up if it wasn’t a Bookworms choice.
4½/10