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A House for Mr. Biswas

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A House for Mr. Biswas

By: V. S. Naipaul
Narrated by: Sam Dastor
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About this listen

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 to 2005.

©1969 V.S. Naipaul (P)2017 Naxos AudioBooks Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Small Town & Rural World Literature

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No real heroes or villains or great adventures. A subtle tale of families, flawed people and traditions and all their strengths and weaknesses.

A subtle tale of families, flawed people and traditions

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V. S Naipaul's tragi-comic masterpiece, beautifully read by Sam Dastor. I kept listening again and again and finding new things to love and remember about it. I read it years ago but enjoyed it much more as an audio book.

One of the great novels of the 20th century.

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Wow it was so descriptive I was in the room with Mr Biswas, I felt his pain!
I didn't want to finish the book it was that good!
Great narration as well.

Loved this book!

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This book seemed to last forever. Perhaps it was the convincing realism that made me feel as trapped as the central character, Mr Biswas. Perhaps it was the skilful portrayal of the sheer relentless immovability of the Indian family and class system that made this reading experience feel so turgid and stuck. I cannot deny the craft and quality of the writing that transported me to a world I would otherwise not know but still, I was relieved to finish and escape.

Uncomfortable realism

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A favourite book, I wished it had a happier ending. I'd like to know the Naipaul's thought on this.
Great narration, too

solemn end

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VS Naipaul's masterpiece set in his birthplace, Trinidad. This audiobook would have benefited from some effort to give it more authenticity . As a Trinidadian listener it was jarring to hear place names pronounced incorrectly. Also, while getting the accent right can be difficult, substituting an Indian accent is not the answer.

Audiobook marred by inattention to country context

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The oration is absolutely wonderful and changed the book from reading good literature to listening to an outstanding story, Sam Dastor’s voice really brought the characters to life, full of humour and pathos. Highly recommended to all of my friends.

Full of Life

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Great lens into what life was like in those days.
Issues with narration:
- Inaccurate Trinidadian accent
- Several names are pronounced incorrectly

Great story, poor narration

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although the story covers such a limited and small world, it presents a wonderful , humorous study of people and situations . the reader was excellent

A fascinating read

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Hard edged writing recreates a hard life in a lost world that is as beautiful as it is harsh, tragic and timeless.

Brilliant and heartbreaking

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