(born 1932). The novels of V.S. Naipaul are about individuals in developing countries who are seeking an identity and trying to make sense of their lives. His nonfiction works follow a similar theme, dealing with Third World societies that are in conflict, searching for a future that is altogether uncertain—and often sinking into violence and repression. Throughout his works, one finds an unflinching portrayal of the problems wrought by imperialism and the shattering effect these have on everyday people. Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul was born in Caguanas, Trinidad, on Aug. 17, 1932. He attended school in Port of Spain, then went to England in 1950 to study at Oxford University. After graduation he settled in London, where he worked at a variety of jobs before gaining success as a writer. His first work, The Mystic Masseur, was published in 1957, and established his gift for portraying street life. His next efforts, such as The Suffrage of Elvira (1958) and Miguel Street (1959), were similar in their ironic accounts of life in the Caribbean region. In his next novel, A House for Mr. Biswas (1961), Naipaul used his father's experiences in Trinidad to portray a Brahmin Indian living halfway around the world from home. Later novels include A Bend in the River (1979), Finding the Center (1984), and The Enigma of Arrival (1987). The latter work, considered by some to be his masterpiece, is somewhat autobiographical in its portrayal of a writer from the Caribbean who travels to the countryside of England. Later fiction included A Way in the World (1994) and Half a Life (2001). In his nonfiction works, Naipaul used a literary style to draw his readers into the world of his subjects. Among his nonfiction works are The Return of Eva Peron (1980); Among the Believers: An Islamic Journey (1981); India: A Million Mutinies Now (1991); Beyond Belief: Islamic Excursions Among the Converted Peoples (1998); and Reading and Writing: A Personal Account (2000). He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1990, and in 2001 was awarded the Nobel prize for literature. |