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slichto3's review against another edition
1.0
The Enigma of Arrival is an incredibly tedious book. On the surface, it sounds like it could be interesting: it's about the development of a writer and his experiences adjusting to life in England after growing up in Trinidad. But it is sooooooo dull. The first third of the book is all about the author walking around this rural English down and looking at the landscape. That's pretty much it. He sees people on his walks, but then remains firmly focused on the landscape. The second section describes the author's experience going from Trinidad to England - somewhat more interesting. But then the third section takes us right back to that English town! This time, though, a little bit more focused on characters, which was nice. But still - quite slow and dull. Another odd note about this book: the author repeats sentences. It's odd, and I can't quite figure out why they decided to do this. Anyway, it's a dull book.
hannahbottarel's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
booksntea99's review against another edition
4.0
I loved and hated this book simultaneously. It felt more like a meditation than a book because it flowed so slowly from page to page, there was no rush reading this book. But even though I'd struggle to say what it was about, I deeply enjoyed it and feel that it is one of the great works of literature.
annenikoline's review against another edition
2.0
"The Enigma of Arrival" by V.S. Naipaul left me quite ambivalent, as the writing flows beautifully like a river, but it is also very seldom interrupted by dialogue which makes it, not difficult, but hard to read. It is not a book you read in one setting unless reading with your eyes closed counts. What I did not like about the writing was the way characters are described. Instead of showing and not telling, Naipaul does it the other way around which I do not approve of.
This is without doubt a book I only read because I read it for a course in longer novels, however, I did enjoy the writing as just mentioned. What I did not like was the lack of plot and the fact that the author's own arrogance is shining through his main character. "The Enigma of Arrival" is said to be a somewhat biography which might explains Naipaul's traits in the main character.
The first forty pages are the most difficult to through, but once you have overcome these it gets easier as you get to known the way the author writes and what the novel is about. It reminds me a lot of "Walden" by Thoreau which means I probably will not read it again any time soon.
This is without doubt a book I only read because I read it for a course in longer novels, however, I did enjoy the writing as just mentioned. What I did not like was the lack of plot and the fact that the author's own arrogance is shining through his main character. "The Enigma of Arrival" is said to be a somewhat biography which might explains Naipaul's traits in the main character.
The first forty pages are the most difficult to through, but once you have overcome these it gets easier as you get to known the way the author writes and what the novel is about. It reminds me a lot of "Walden" by Thoreau which means I probably will not read it again any time soon.
boundtwobooks's review against another edition
4.0
The Enigma of Arrival by V.S. Naipaul is an extremely nostalgic book that makes you question where and what is home. The book was published in the year of my birth, 1987, and has had several covers. This cover, with the wintery road is perhaps my favourite because I feel like it really captures the essence of the book. And too be honest, I’m a sucker for good cover art. That whole judging-a-book-by-its-cover thing is slightly askew for me.
The story is set in five main parts and jumps backwards and forwards throughout time. Naipaul is able to blend past sorrows with bitter sweet tomorrows in The Enigma of Arrival. If you have spent a lot of time away from your home country, or are still far away from what you call home then this is a book that will speak to you.
The book is in many ways a sad pastoral about the narrator’s experiences in the English countryside. It is also about seeing the world differently throughout different times in your life. Weather and geography play a huge part in the development of the story and of the characters. I imagined the descriptions of the English countryside painted in water colour and tinged with a longing much bigger than just missing home.
Naipaul, rather beautifully, manages to show the contrasts of leaving and coming, remembering and forgetting, and connectedness and disconnection. Naipaul shows the difference of reality versus expectation with sometimes brutal honesty and poetry. I can highly recommend this book to any reader, but be warned: this book will leave you with a nostalgia that will take over your heart.
“The river was called the Avon; not the one connected with Shakespeare. Later – when the land had more meaning, when it had absorbed more of my life than the tropical street where I had grown up – I was able to think of the flat wet fields with the ditches as ‘water meadows’ or ‘wet meadows’, and the low smooth hills in the background, beyond the river, as ‘downs’. But just then, after the rain, all that I saw – though I had been living in England for twenty years – were flat fields and a narrow river.”
The story is set in five main parts and jumps backwards and forwards throughout time. Naipaul is able to blend past sorrows with bitter sweet tomorrows in The Enigma of Arrival. If you have spent a lot of time away from your home country, or are still far away from what you call home then this is a book that will speak to you.
The book is in many ways a sad pastoral about the narrator’s experiences in the English countryside. It is also about seeing the world differently throughout different times in your life. Weather and geography play a huge part in the development of the story and of the characters. I imagined the descriptions of the English countryside painted in water colour and tinged with a longing much bigger than just missing home.
Naipaul, rather beautifully, manages to show the contrasts of leaving and coming, remembering and forgetting, and connectedness and disconnection. Naipaul shows the difference of reality versus expectation with sometimes brutal honesty and poetry. I can highly recommend this book to any reader, but be warned: this book will leave you with a nostalgia that will take over your heart.
“The river was called the Avon; not the one connected with Shakespeare. Later – when the land had more meaning, when it had absorbed more of my life than the tropical street where I had grown up – I was able to think of the flat wet fields with the ditches as ‘water meadows’ or ‘wet meadows’, and the low smooth hills in the background, beyond the river, as ‘downs’. But just then, after the rain, all that I saw – though I had been living in England for twenty years – were flat fields and a narrow river.”
cinaedussinister's review against another edition
2.0
The first chapter was (apart from the descriptions of Jack) quite bad. No plot and yes misogyny. Probably would have rated this 2 stars if it had continued like that. Things got somewhat better in the 2nd chapter when he described his move from Trinidad to Britain and then much better in the 3rd & 4th chapters where he really went into depth with the character descriptions of the people who live in rural England. Thoroughly enjoyed the 2nd half, did not really enjoy the 1st. But the 2nd half was rly good so overall it's 4 stars for me.
eheslosz's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I love Naipaul's writing, definitely want to try some more. The short sentences, the exclamation marks, the revelations in parenthesis, the many sentences starting with 'And' and 'But'. Language so simple but powerful and precise. Really interesting on colonialism and British culture. My favourite aspect of this book was the way it was about a writer and the process of seeing the world. As the narrator puts it towards the end, 'The story had become more personal: my journey, the writer's journey, the writer defined by his writing discoveries, his ways of seeing, rather than by his personal adventures'.
khyland's review
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
sgenheden's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0