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V. S. Naipaul

Among the Believers: An Islamic Journey Paperback – July 12, 1982

by V. S. Naipaul (Author)

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Naipaul's controversial account of his travels through the Islamic world was hailed by The New Republic as "the most notable work on contemporary Islam to have appeared in a very long time."

Print length

448 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Vintage
Publication date

July 12, 1982
Dimensions

5.19 x 0.97 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

0394711955
ISBN-13

978-0394711959
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Naipaul's controversial account of his travels through the Islamic world was hailed by The New Republic as "the most notable work on contemporary Islam to have appeared in a very long time."

About the Author

V.S. Naipaul was born in Trinidad in 1932. He came to England on a scholarship in 1950. He spent four years at University College, Oxford, and began to write, in London, in 1954. He pursued no other profession.

His novels include A House for Mr Biswas, The Mimic Men, Guerrillas, A Bend in the River, and The Enigma of Arrival. In 1971 he was awarded the Booker Prize for In a Free State. His works of nonfiction, equally acclaimed, include Among the Believers, Beyond Belief, The Masque of Africa, and a trio of books about India: An Area of Darkness, India: A Wounded Civilization and India: A Million Mutinies Now.

In 1990, V.S. Naipaul received a knighthood for services to literature; in 1993, he was the first recipient of the David Cohen British Literature Prize. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. He lived with his wife Nadira and cat Augustus in Wiltshire, and died in 2018.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; Reissue edition (July 12, 1982)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 448 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0394711955
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394711959
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.3 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.19 x 0.97 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #356,290 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #72 in Women in Islam (Books)
- #118 in General Middle East Travel Guides
- #185 in History of Islam

Customer Reviews:
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5 star		72%
4 star		19%
3 star		4%
2 star		2%
1 star		4%

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Art Vanderleigh

Dated but still relevant

Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2014

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This book provides an objective look at the regular people living in some of the Islamic cultures that are very mysterious to many Westerners. The section in Pakistan was enlightening. The author highlights a theme I have since seen reinforced in other books, which is that the concept of running a society based on Islamic principles is an idealistic vision that people will fight for without ever giving serious thought to the practical challenges of such a system.

The Qu'ran forbids the charging of interest on loans: how then to institute a banking system in a society governed by Islamic law? Naipul meets with an official grappling with this very problem when he visits Pakistan, and the problem is simultaneously bemoaned by one group and kicked down the road by another, to a future where people are "True Muslims" and such problems solve themselves.

Naipul meets many people who are struggling to assimilate a very complex world into the very simple one revealed in a book. Their ultimate success or failure is left open ended, but Naipul is obviously pessimistic about their chances.

I enjoyed reading this book for the insights it gave into the thinking of the people powering the Islamic revolutions and counter-revolutions in the Middle East. In some cases they slot with depressing ease into the cynical stereotypes I had of "faithful ignorant" types, and in others they have a complex understanding of the forces at work in their society. The reality of their situation makes them feel powerless to help themselves while their faith lets them feel optimistic about the future.

I am giving this book four stars instead of five because in some places it was boring, but these places were rare and brief.

18 people found this helpful

Helpful

Stays with you

Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2018

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V.S. Naipaul was recommended to me by a reader I trust.

It took me a while to get to this book, but once I began reading it, I stayed with it.

The writer has a way of being gentle with the people he writes about. Humans with dignity, even when he points out the absurdity of their actions or the futility of their struggles with the circumstances they find themselves in.

This book has stayed in my mind, with scenes and observations for me to turn over and consider.

My kind of book.

5 people found this helpful

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Dick Rochester

An Observer's Travelogue for Seekers

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2006

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This book was part of my set of books I read while on a quest to understand Islam and Islamic peoples. The set includes Karen Armstrong's Islam, the Barron's Islam, Huston Smith's The World's Religions, The Essential Koran, and the Koran itself (translated, of course). Armed with a topical understanding of Islam, I began reading V. S. Naipal's Among the Believers. Wow. This is the book to understand some of the religious and political attitudes of people in Islamic countries. There are surprises and there are cases where Naipal establishes just what are the "balances".

Naipal is a world class writer (Nobel prize winner) so the writing is excelent. However, more importantly, his observations are compelling. For example he suggestmhow "not having to earn a living" in Iran because of the huge oil revenues has skewed politics and religion. He explores how Islamic institutions in Pakistan, a country founded so it could be totally Islamic, have failed but no one will blame Islam - rather they blame the weak faith of the people or Western ideas. He also presents a spectrum of attitudes toward Islam even within these strong Islamic societies.

BTW, there is another edition of this book that has many customer reviews to view also.

15 people found this helpful

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wiseprof

Calls a spade a spade!

Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2001

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Mr. Naipaul's treatment of a what has now become a very contemporary issue is definitely commendable. He asks all the questions you'd like to ask and then some. While many have called this an opinionated piece of work, after reading the book I am truly surprised about such conclusions. Mr. Naipaul takes the reader on a journey through some of the bedrock Islamic societies to winnow fact from fiction and in doing so sets forth the state of affairs with remarkable practicality, bereft of either political correctness or feigned understanding of the tortuous evolution of religion and its convenient interpretation. What a refreshing change compared to the politically correct drivel we read everyday in the papers!!
The dialogs with everyday folk in Iran right after the revolution, the description of the abject conditions in Pakistan are indeed illuminating. The book has much to offer by way of insights especially into the Islamic way of life and origins of Islamic societies in Malaysia and Indonesia (e.g., the "statistical Muslim"). I only wish he had included the Middle Eastern countries in his book. It would have been quiet interesting to read what he has to say about the virulent strains of Islamic fundamentalism that has risen in those parts of the world.
In sum, the book is definitely a good read. I would ask the reader to set aside any prejudiced reviews before reading this book. For the most part Mr. Naipaul adopts a descriptive style of writing and lets the reader connect the dots and draw conclusions. Of course the book is peppered with the author's own interpretations but I did not find them overbearing in any way. It still comes across as a very balanced look at some parts of the Islamic world.
I would strongly recommend the reader to visit ...to view/listen/read Sir Vidia's Nobel lecture. It offers interesting insights into the writer's journey.

34 people found this helpful

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Tan

Poor condition

Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2020

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Received book in very poor condition

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Steve Salkow

Easy reading and inciteful look at Muslims

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2017

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Easy reading and inciteful look at Muslims. No bias just the Muslim's own word revealed. This is an important book if you want to understand the Middle East.

5 people found this helpful

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saket

Thought provoking and brave

Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2013

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On can not but appreciate enough the effort which the author has put in to understand Islam and its world view. It takes rare courage to write it the way Naipaul writes it as to how faith is used to understand social catastrophe which is difficult to understand and why therefore it is so futile.

6 people found this helpful

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nutmeg

Arrived well packaged & on time

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2021

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I haven’t begun to read this book yet but happy with the condition. Thank you

OK

Islam

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2018

Verified Purchase

Very critical for an author of his character. RIP.

Professor L. Bowater

Three Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 22, 2015

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The copy I received was great and it is an interesting but not an easy read.

One person found this helpful

UKLurker

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 14, 2014

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wonderful, fampus account of travels in Islam: 30 years old and prophetic!

One person found this helpful

HansBlog

Nüchterner Bericht mit vielen Gesprächen

Reviewed in Germany on September 5, 2014

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1979 reist V.S. Naipaul durch vier muslimische Länder, die nicht direkt an Saudi-Arabien grenzen und den Islam erst mit Verzögerung und eventuell unter Zwang annahmen: Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia und Indonesien. In jedem Land spricht Naipaul mit Klerikern, Zeitungsmachern, Macht- und Privatmenschen über ihren Glauben und dessen Auswirkungen auf den Alltag.

Zu jedem Land schreibt Naipaul rund 80 bis 120 Seiten. Zum großen Teil schildert er seine Gespräche. Deutlich weniger Platz belegen historische Abschnitte und reine Reiseschilderungen - das Wetter, schwierige Straßen, unpünktliche Taxifahrer und immer wieder verstörender Schmutz bis hin zu Nasebohren.

Die Reiseumstände beschreibt Naipaul meist lesenswert, bis auf die ausgedehnte Schilderungen seines zweiten Teheran-Besuchs (der Flug, die Passkontrolle, das Hotel); nur auf diesen etwa elf Seiten klingt Naipaul teils weitschweifig, als ob er ganz am Ende des Buchs noch einmal Seiten schinden oder sich nicht von der Schreibarbeit lösen wollte. So obsolet schrieb Naipaul erst drei Jahrzehnte später wieder, in seinem durchgehend schwachen Buch Afrikanisches Maskenspiel (engl. The Masque of Africa).

Die Diskussionen vor Ort schildert Naipaul eminent lesbar. Er bringt viel wörtliche Rede, erklärt aber auch die Umgebung, die Atmosphäre, Untertöne, die Hitze, Ortswechsel. So wirkt jedes Gespräch wie eine kleine Reise. Mitunter versteht Naipaul etwas nicht oder zieht sich lustlos zurück, auch das schildert er offen.

Mal sucht sich Naipaul Geistliche, Dichter oder Rechtsgelehrte, aber er spricht auch länger mit Dorflehrern und sogar mit einer Berufsgruppe, die kein anderer Reisejournalist zitieren sollte: seinen Taxifahrern. Nach welchen Kriterien Naipaul Gesprächspartner auswählt, bleibt unklar. Er zeichnet kein allgemeines Bild, keine Glaubenslehre, und strebt das auch nicht an. Er sagt selbst gegen Ende:

"The six-month (sic) journey I had done had been a series of gambles; what had come my way had come my way."

Oder, wie Patrick French in seiner Naipaul-Biografie über dieses Buch befindet:

"Vidia's interest was less in Islam than in Muslims."

Mitunter spekuliert Naipaul allerdings zeilenlang über soziale Stellung, Motive und Vergangenheit einzelner Gesprächspartner, ohne konkrete Anhaltspunkte für seine Vermutungen zu nennen.

Naipaul begann seine Reise im Spätsommer 1979. In Iran war Khomenei schon an der Macht, aber die US-Botschaft war noch nicht besetzt, der Irak hatte noch nicht angegriffen. Im Dezember 1979 beendet Naipaul den Aufenthalt im letzten Land seiner Reise, Indonesien, und kehrt noch einmal kurz nach Pakistan und in den Iran zurück. Diese zweiten Besuche erhalten wenige Seiten im letzten Teil von Eine islamische Reise: Unter den Gläubigen (ich habe das englische Original gelesen, Among Believers - An Islamic Journey und kann die deutsche Übersetzung nicht beurteilen).

1996 wiederholte Naipaul diese islamische Reise und veröffentlichte 1998 ein zweites Buch, Jenseits des Glaubens: Eine Reise in den anderen Islam (engl. Beyond Belief). Hier trifft Naipaul seine Kontakte aus dem ersten Buch teils erneut.

Lese-Empfehlung zu Naipauls zwei islamischen Büchern:

Die Verbindungen zwischen den zwei Berichten zum selben Land in den zwei verschiedenen Büchern sind dabei deutlich stärker und interessanter als die Verbindungen zwischen den verschiedenen Ländern innerhalb eines Buches.

Ich würde die beiden gleichermaßen empfehlenswerten Bände darum so lesen: Erst den Iran-Teil aus dem ersten Band, dann den Iran-Abschnitt aus dem Nachwort des ersten Bandes, dann den Iran-Teil aus dem zweiten Band, der 16 Jahre später recherchiert wurde; danach: den ersten Pakistan-Bericht aus dem älteren Buch, die Pakistan-Seiten im Nachwort des älteren Buchs, anschließend den zweiten Pakistan-Bericht aus dem späteren Buch; nach diesem Schema auch Malaysia und Indonesien (die beide nicht mehr im Nachwort des ersten Buchs erscheinen).

Wer nur ein islamisches Buch lesen will, sollte vielleicht das neuere nehmen: Es ist nicht nur aktueller, es ist vielleicht auch geringfügig besser geschrieben.

Der Stil von Among Believers erinnert deutlich an Naipauls späteres Islambuch, aber auch an seine Indien-Berichte wie in India: A Million Mutinies Now. Dazu gehört auch, dass Naipaul gelegentlich seine eigene Situation erklärt - in einer Hindu-Familie auf Trinidad aufgewachsen -, aber solche Verweise erscheinen nur selten.

Bei Naipauls kühl feinem Stil fallen vereinzelte Mängel allerdings deutlicher auf: verrutschte Grammatik, nicht einwandfrei erkennbare Bezüge, überflüssige Wiederholung, sogar ein Tippfehler. Mitunter will Naipaul offenbar das schlicht-falsche Englisch seiner örtlichen Gesprächspartner wiedergeben, doch ausnahmsweise überzeugen diese Stimmen nicht; Pidgin-Englisch hatte Naipaul in seinen frühen Trinidad-Romanen noch meisterlich beherrscht.

Nur sehr selten gibt Naipaul zu erkennen, dass ihm etwas missfällt. Unhygienische Zustände jedoch irritieren den Bramahnen-Sohn immer wieder, und nur ein einziges Mal schildert er sie so freundlich wie bei diesem Aufseher in einer schlichten pakistanischen Nervenanstalt:

"... a fat and friendly little man sat amid a companionable swarm of flies on the tiled floor" …. "This man… rose… the flies swarmed up a few inches, then settled down again" … "The guardian… returned to his beans and his flies, which swarmed up six inches to greet him and settled down again"

In beiden islamischen Büchern interessiert sich Naipaul für Todesurteile, Hinrichtungen und geplante Morde. In Pakistan und im Iran findet er viel Material für diese morbide Faszination. Dass in Indonesien 1965 zu Gamelan-Klängen gemordet wurde, erwähnt er zweimal. Er zitiert einen Koran-Vers, der angeblich die Ermordung Ungläubiger vorschreibt.

Meist unauffällig offenbart Naipaul große Belesenheit in Sachen Islam, asiatischer Geschichte und Literatur und er fasst meine eigenen Eindrücke der besuchten Länder oft exzellent zusammen. Ich war mehrfach in Iran und habe viel dort diskutiert, darüber gelesen und rezensiert; doch mit ein, zwei beiläufigen Bemerkungen erklärt Naipaul Zusammenhänge, die mir bis dahin nicht klar waren. Und über Teheran zitiert er einen Satz, der passt wie die Faust aufs Auge:

"You might think we are in a developed country."

Mit dem iranischen Straßenverkehr hat Naipaul die gleichen Probleme wie ich: Ein kräftiger junger Mann muss ihm über die Straßen helfen, sonst kommt er nicht weiter.

Wie Patrick French in seiner exzellenten Naipaul-Biografie schreibt, nahm V.S. Naipaul seine argentinische Geliebte Margaret Murray Gooding 1979 mit nach Iran, Pakistan und Malaysia, wo er sie dann wegschickte. In Jakarta stieß anschließend seine Frau Patricia zu ihm. Sie verbrachten etwas Zeit in Indien, bevor Naipaul zu letzten Recherchen noch einmal allein nach Pakistan und Iran flog. Jeden Abend notierte er seine Erinnerungen an den Tag.

French schreibt auch, dass Naipaul - nach einem Wechsel seines Agenten - die Rechte an dem Buch bereits vorab für einen guten Vorschuss verkauft hatte. Allerdings musste er das Exposee siebenmal ändern, bevor es genehmigt wurde. Vielleicht begründet sich in einer Längenvorgabe des Verlags die verblüffende Weitschweifigkeit im Nachwort. Die Niederschrift dauerte zehn Monate mit vielen Korrekturen, auch mit Hilfe seiner Frau; laut French umfasst das Buch fast 200.000 Wörter.

Kritiker lobten Among Believers als gut beobachtet und betonten, dass Naipaul nicht den Anspruch erhebe, den Islam allgemein zu erklären. Laut French erhielt Naipaul viele Briefe von Männern, die im Buch portraitiert wurden - sie betonten seine genaue Erinnerung und stimmige Darstellung.

Interessante Rezensionen:
- "As always, in Naipaul's writing, there are passages that soar… Ever the gifted novelist, Naipaul tells the story best when he lets some of his characters open up and reveal themselves" (New York Times)
- "the delicate mockery that flavors his writing also reminds a reader that the view is affected by the eye of the beholder" (Christian Science Monitor)
- "This book is a triumph of style over substance… There is no analysis of the countries' varied histories, cultures or socioeconomic circumstances… eloquent, if oversimple" (Foreign Affairs)
- "he is the tireless interrogator; the collector of persons, their life-stories, their outlooks - without the scorn he has directed toward his own in the past" (Kirkus)
- "nie auch kommt er einem vordergründigen Informationsbedürfnis des Lesers entgegen, sondern dieser muß sich, wie der Autor, selber einen Reim auf vieles ihm ungereimt Erscheinende machen... Naipaul urteilt nicht, noch verurteilt er. Er hört zu, läßt sich belehren" (FAZ)
- 3,84 von 5 Sternen bei Goodreads (1189 Bewertungen, 87 Rezensionen, 4. September 2014)

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