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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Warts and everything,
By Ellen Drew "Ellen Drew" (Trinidad, West Indies) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The World is What it Is the authorized biography of V.S. Naipaul (Hardcover)
"I desire you would use all your skill to paint my picture truly like me, and not flatter me at all: but remark all the roughness, pimples, warts and everything ..." were Oliver Cromwell's instructions to Sir Peter Lely, England's leading portrait painter in the second half of the 17th century.
The fact that "The World Is What It Is" by Patrick French is the authorized biography of V.S.Naipaul, that Sir Vidia himself approved of the book seems to show a Cromwellian trait in Trinidad's most famous son, that he cared not what others thought, that the world should see him as he is. Love him or hate him, like him or loathe him, admire him or detest him, there's no denying that "A House for Mr Biswas", "A Bend in the River" and "Among the Believers" are works of genius. Reading this book one gets the impression that genius lives by its own rules, utterly ruthless, allowing nothing and no one to deter or distract from work in progress, Others have written learnedly and at length about this book in serious magazines and Sunday supplements in Europe and North America; the shocking revelations of the private life of the great writer hit headlines in the tabloids. However, it wasn't the scandalous details that held my interest, it was the skill, the art of the biographer himself. An interesting, intriguing, infuriating book,"The World Is What It Is" gives one an intimate portrait of the rise and rise of V.S. Naipaul, of his utter dedication to his craft of writing - even as one is appalled at his callous treatment of his long-suffering wife, his mistress, his family, his friends. One wonders that he has any friends left at all, until French reminds one that Naipaul can be amusing and charming, when it suits him, that he has remarkable powers of observation, seeing further than most ... and that much is forgiven genius.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
What a character!,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The World is What it Is the authorized biography of V.S. Naipaul (Hardcover)
This is an excellent read about a prolific writer. The author's skill at weaving together all the elements of Naipaul's life is impressive, making the bio a pleasure to read. He is successful in giving us a balanced look at Naipaul the man and writer and leaves the reader to make his or her own opinion of Naipaul. The book touches on both the personal and professional life of Naipaul, giving the reader insight into the various people and experiences that influenced his outlook on life and served as material for his writing. My only quibble is that the font size is so small and the author abruptly ends the book with Naipaul's second marriage. It would have been nice to learn more about his behaviour and treatment of his second wife.
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