The World is What it is: The Authorized Biography of V.S. Naipaul

Product Details

Author : Patrick French
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9780330433501
Number of Pages : 400
Product Group : Book
Publication Date : 2008-04-04
Publisher : Picador
Release Date : 2008-03-31

ASIN : 0330433504

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Editorial Reviews

Sunday Times 100 best holiday reads

'Few subjects have ever been as candid with their biographers as Naipaul, in this eye-opening life'

Spectator

'A brilliant biography: exemplary in its thoroughness, sympathetic but tough in tone...'

Literary Review

'Patrick French has brought off something very difficult, so difficult indeed that I would have thought it impossible.'

Evening Standard

'A terrific achievement - in effect, an addition to the canon of Naipaul's own works.'

The Guardian

'The biography must be the frankest authorised biography of anyone alive and in possession of their senses.'

Daily Telegraph

'A gripping book, one of the most compelling biographies I have read.'

The Scotsman

'French's integrity impresses ... a magnificent read. It will be one of the Books of the Year.'

Mail on Sunday

'[An] extraordinary biography...[a] remarkable book...This biography will change the way we read Naipaul's books.'

Sunday Tribune

'French's reluctance to "possess" his subject represents a real strength. He is an excellent stylist.'

Irish Times

'This is a proper biography that tells the story of the subject's literary life.'

Customer Reviews

Thoroughness overdone (2008-08-09)

The author certainly seems to have said all there is too say on his subject - and even more. `Be specific! Add detail!' is what the writing courses teach us. Well, this otherwise impressive piece of work is a fine showcase of how one can overdo it. The author had only to follow the writing advice of his subject (who in turn got it from his father) and the result would have been more readable and definitely a lot shorter. Still, it is an interesting read, at times even gripping, certainly for people already familiar with V.S. Naipaul. Those who like a quicker (though less accurate) insight into the man behind the genius should get the book by Paul Theroux.

Sir Vid or Without (2008-05-16)

Meticulously researched.Fair but brave.Well balanced.Dramatically gripping.Illuminating.Proves that himself is the most enigmatic characterSir V.S.Naipaul ever created.

The world is what it is. (2008-04-13)

This is a terrific autobiography of Sir V S Naipaul. Patrick French's style of writing is very economic, real page turner- and it helps that he has chosen such a writer. I am not going to comment on the controversial politics of V S Naipaul, but there are lines in this book that make you laugh out loud. For days afterwards! Here's what Naipaul said on hearing about the fatwa against Salman Rushdie, ''It's an extreme form of literary criticism.''I wished there had been a chapter devoted to the craft of writing and his writing influences for all aspiring writers. His favourite author 'Balzac...I suppose.' Just makes you laugh.Sir V S Naipaul has also opened himself to real public scrutiny, brutaly honest. When everything is taken into account this honesty has to be admired. There will be many in depth reviews to follow I'm sure - but I highly recommend this book.

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