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Among the Believers: An Islamic Journey Paperback – July 12, 1982
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With all the narrative power and intellectual authority that have distinguished his earlier books and won him international acclaim (“There can hardly be a writer alive who surpasses him” – Irving Howe, The New York Times Book Review), Naipaul explores the life, the culture, the ferment inside the nations of Islam – in a book that combines the fascinations of the great works of travel literature with the insights of a uniquely sharp, original, and idiosyncratic political mind.
He takes us into four countries in the throes of “Islamization” – countries that, in their ardor to build new societies based entirely on the fundamental laws of Islam, have violently rejected the “materialism” of the technologically advanced nations that have long supported them. He brings us close to the people of Islam – how they live and work, the role of faith in their lives, how they see their place in the modern world.
- Print length448 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherVintage
- Publication dateJuly 12, 1982
- Dimensions5.19 x 0.96 x 7.97 inches
- ISBN-100394711955
- ISBN-13978-0394711959
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From the Back Cover
About the Author
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 died in 2018.
Product details
- Publisher : Vintage; Reissue edition (July 12, 1982)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 448 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0394711955
- ISBN-13 : 978-0394711959
- Item Weight : 13 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.19 x 0.96 x 7.97 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #182,590 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #86 in General Asia Travel Books
- #204 in Travel Writing Reference
- #351 in Travelogues & Travel Essays
- Customer Reviews:
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Top reviews from other countries
Naipaul hit the nail right on.
If you are like me, you probably wondered if you should read a book written about "actualities" from the 1970's (maybe it's outdated!!!) ...thing is , as Naipaul pinpoint clearly, Islam doesn't evolve, the muslim world (as it is hope to be ) is a world stuck in a stand still like life was in the year 600 when the prophet came.
So , do you really think it matters now that you will read something written in 1979 about Islam;
The answer is no, It could have been written yesterday.
Read it, this is the most straight to the point inquiry about Islam and their Islamic dream state that will never be.
It isn't to deconstruct the Muslim world, it isn't about hate (or just not liking them) it is more about the whole philosophie of what is it that they want to achieve when they are talking about an "Islamic state"...
Do you respect such an idea just to be politically correct or do you try to pinpoint all the incongruity that don't make any sense at all?
Are you going to ask questions that will make them refer back non-stop to the Koran because they never themselve have the answer (since they should not have their own opinions) or are you just going to shut up because we must respect and understand that it is after all another culture?
Well, the answer is in the book, Naipaul's book not the Koran!
The dark Cyclist
Brilliant!





