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tomgenue's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
stevmwhite's review
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
daveparry67's review against another edition
3.0
This review may be a bit ‘spoilery‘ but it’s intended to encourage you to read it for yourself, honest!
‘In A Free State’ by V. S. Naipaul - like the start of ‘When Harry Met Sally’ but without the humour...
It’s billed as a novel with 2 supporting narratives but there’s also a prologue & an epilogue, making it essentially 5 short stories of varying lengths, sharing themes of clashing cultures, failed dreams, intolerance, ignorance, passion & resignation.
I found it rich, intellectual & obscure. It was obvious I was reading something weighty but I kept feeling I didn’t really know enough about the subject at hand or the time it was set, especially the main novel, (Africa, in what I guessed must be the sixties) to fully appreciate the significance of what they were saying & their responses & attitudes to each other.
The prologue was easy enough to get into; a tramp on a boat trip, either acting strangely or being bullied (or both), it made me ask about how collective, mutual permission-giving can excuse appalling mistreatment of those on the fringes of society. The first narrative didn’t really grab me; a servant who accompanied his boss from one culture to another & escaped, but was never really free.
The second narrative was the most easy story here to relate to, its not fully explained plot also being the most disturbing. An overlooked brother is taken advantage of throughout his life; neither the huge distance he travels culturally or geographically can prevent the mounting, seething resentment inside him ultimately keeping him down.
The main novel soon becomes a slightly awkward, intellectual road trip in Africa for two English acquaintances thrown together for the drive; like the start of ‘When Harry Met Sally’ but without the humour...
It’s set against the backdrop of political upheaval in an African country living with a peculiar mix of ancient cultures & ‘adopted’ (enforced) imperial ‘traditions’ & obscure (to me) attitudes & resentments which lead to tension, misunderstanding, fear, violence & confusion.
It’s weird & even surreal at times, some of the events dropping in to the story as if from nowhere; at one point they somehow get surrounded by a vicious pack of dogs that they’re lucky to evade; at another they find themselves having tea in a rather artificial, genteel, home along the way, the heat as intense as the argument they’re having. These interludes no doubt support the author’s message & maybe made it a bit more entertaining for me too!
The roadblocks & diversions in their journey are also metaphors for the views & prejudices of the main characters; they clash with locals, the authorities & each other in equal measure; their stunning lack of judgement leaves them relying purely on luck to survive; or so it seemed to me; my incredulity at their behaviour may be a consequence of my ignorance or the different cultural lens I’m seeing it through... or their stupidity!
I wanted to read this as it was one of the 5 best winners from 50 years of the Booker Prize, discussed at a Hay Festival event in 2018 I went to. For me it’s not at all as good as ‘Moon Tiger’ by Penelope Lively; I have the other 3 still to read though, so who knows, it may yet get 2nd prize from me!
I read to the end in only a week; drawn on a bit by my new found reading obsession at the start of 2019 but also by curiosity, a hope for resolution, the rich, descriptive writing which I’ve unfairly hardly mentioned & a strong sense that there’s more here than I’m noticing.
In the epilogue another new narrator stops in Egypt for a couple of days sightseeing. There’s an incident in a ‘rest-house’ where he stops a guy whipping children who were scrabbling for scraps of food offered by ignorant, cruel tourists in full knowledge of the consequences. Everyone else just carried on, untroubled... the world just carries on.
‘In A Free State’ by V. S. Naipaul - like the start of ‘When Harry Met Sally’ but without the humour...
It’s billed as a novel with 2 supporting narratives but there’s also a prologue & an epilogue, making it essentially 5 short stories of varying lengths, sharing themes of clashing cultures, failed dreams, intolerance, ignorance, passion & resignation.
I found it rich, intellectual & obscure. It was obvious I was reading something weighty but I kept feeling I didn’t really know enough about the subject at hand or the time it was set, especially the main novel, (Africa, in what I guessed must be the sixties) to fully appreciate the significance of what they were saying & their responses & attitudes to each other.
The prologue was easy enough to get into; a tramp on a boat trip, either acting strangely or being bullied (or both), it made me ask about how collective, mutual permission-giving can excuse appalling mistreatment of those on the fringes of society. The first narrative didn’t really grab me; a servant who accompanied his boss from one culture to another & escaped, but was never really free.
The second narrative was the most easy story here to relate to, its not fully explained plot also being the most disturbing. An overlooked brother is taken advantage of throughout his life; neither the huge distance he travels culturally or geographically can prevent the mounting, seething resentment inside him ultimately keeping him down.
The main novel soon becomes a slightly awkward, intellectual road trip in Africa for two English acquaintances thrown together for the drive; like the start of ‘When Harry Met Sally’ but without the humour...
It’s set against the backdrop of political upheaval in an African country living with a peculiar mix of ancient cultures & ‘adopted’ (enforced) imperial ‘traditions’ & obscure (to me) attitudes & resentments which lead to tension, misunderstanding, fear, violence & confusion.
It’s weird & even surreal at times, some of the events dropping in to the story as if from nowhere; at one point they somehow get surrounded by a vicious pack of dogs that they’re lucky to evade; at another they find themselves having tea in a rather artificial, genteel, home along the way, the heat as intense as the argument they’re having. These interludes no doubt support the author’s message & maybe made it a bit more entertaining for me too!
The roadblocks & diversions in their journey are also metaphors for the views & prejudices of the main characters; they clash with locals, the authorities & each other in equal measure; their stunning lack of judgement leaves them relying purely on luck to survive; or so it seemed to me; my incredulity at their behaviour may be a consequence of my ignorance or the different cultural lens I’m seeing it through... or their stupidity!
I wanted to read this as it was one of the 5 best winners from 50 years of the Booker Prize, discussed at a Hay Festival event in 2018 I went to. For me it’s not at all as good as ‘Moon Tiger’ by Penelope Lively; I have the other 3 still to read though, so who knows, it may yet get 2nd prize from me!
I read to the end in only a week; drawn on a bit by my new found reading obsession at the start of 2019 but also by curiosity, a hope for resolution, the rich, descriptive writing which I’ve unfairly hardly mentioned & a strong sense that there’s more here than I’m noticing.
In the epilogue another new narrator stops in Egypt for a couple of days sightseeing. There’s an incident in a ‘rest-house’ where he stops a guy whipping children who were scrabbling for scraps of food offered by ignorant, cruel tourists in full knowledge of the consequences. Everyone else just carried on, untroubled... the world just carries on.
stephenl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
schwarmgiven's review against another edition
4.0
An extremely well written book that is structurally fascinating. A fun book to read with interesting perspectives and easy to get through. Glad I read this one.
ungildedlily's review against another edition
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
moviebuffkt's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the short stories much better than the longer "In A Free State." I never really understood Bobby and Linda... there were moments that were hilarious, moments that were scary, and a lot of things that I really just didn't get. I think i need to think of this one more. Booker Prize winner #4 is finished!
Book Club Discussion (posted 1/8/12):
The Goodreads description of this book of course focuses on the major narrative of this novel, In A Free State. Honestly, this was not my favorite narrative in the collection. It took me a long time to figure out Bobby and Linda, their relationships and motivations, and whether or not I was even enjoying them as people. Naipaul does a great job expressing tone throughout this collection, the underlying unease of each character is always clear.
The book highlights issues of freedom, ownership, racism and to a lesser extent, self-education. A New York Times review of the story claims that Naipaul's attitude is one that is "affectionate without being overly kind." This is an apt description for the stories in this book, I feel. At different moments, characters are AWARE of injustices, perhaps even incensed about them, but no one ever outwardly does anything about it. Their free state is in fact an unchanging state.
I am not sure which was my favorite of the shorter narratives. I really liked the dialogue/writing style of "Tell Me Who To Kill," about the man who sent his brother to England to study. It is at times funny, sad and infuriating. However, I also really liked (and found a good deal of melancholic humor in) "One Out of Many". The culture shock of the Bombay servant, from his first flight to his first interaction with African Americans in Washington D.C. was equally amusing and depressing.
Discussion Questions:
Did you have a favorite story?
What about it did you enjoy?
What themes did you pick up on through these narratives?
Were you more sympathetic to the characters in the shorter novellas, than to Linda and Bobby?
Book Club Discussion (posted 1/8/12):
The Goodreads description of this book of course focuses on the major narrative of this novel, In A Free State. Honestly, this was not my favorite narrative in the collection. It took me a long time to figure out Bobby and Linda, their relationships and motivations, and whether or not I was even enjoying them as people. Naipaul does a great job expressing tone throughout this collection, the underlying unease of each character is always clear.
The book highlights issues of freedom, ownership, racism and to a lesser extent, self-education. A New York Times review of the story claims that Naipaul's attitude is one that is "affectionate without being overly kind." This is an apt description for the stories in this book, I feel. At different moments, characters are AWARE of injustices, perhaps even incensed about them, but no one ever outwardly does anything about it. Their free state is in fact an unchanging state.
I am not sure which was my favorite of the shorter narratives. I really liked the dialogue/writing style of "Tell Me Who To Kill," about the man who sent his brother to England to study. It is at times funny, sad and infuriating. However, I also really liked (and found a good deal of melancholic humor in) "One Out of Many". The culture shock of the Bombay servant, from his first flight to his first interaction with African Americans in Washington D.C. was equally amusing and depressing.
Discussion Questions:
Did you have a favorite story?
What about it did you enjoy?
What themes did you pick up on through these narratives?
Were you more sympathetic to the characters in the shorter novellas, than to Linda and Bobby?
gusabus's review against another edition
An incredibly interesting book. Very simple to read on a surface level, but there's so much hidden in a more in-depth reading. Naipaul's conflicting images of Africa are well-represented in the characters of Bobby and Linda; highly enjoyed.
ida_s's review
3.0
Very unsettling read. Tightly plotted and eery, and with not a single likable character.