Magic Seeds

What I learned from this book would take another book to explain. Naipaul is such a prolix writer with chameleon shifts of tone - and did I mention his incredibly drawn characters? Right now, the brain is swimming in his wonderful sea of words, so let me pick one example of each facet of fiction. C......more

This is not one of Naipaul's better books. It was very good for about three quarters of the book but fell apart in the last quarter. I was almost half way through before I realized that this is a follow up to "Half a Life". It is a continuation of Willie Chandran's life after his marriage and move t......more

Nobody Says It's Easy V.S. Naipaul's "Magic Seeds" (2004) is a philosophical novel exploring issues of personal identity and meaning in individual and political contexts. The book fails for many reasons, chiefly because its preachy, didactic tone takes away from any kind of story or character develop......more

They say that really super rich guys (Donald Trump. Mitt Romney) often say the most stupid things because no-one wants to correct them. I think that winning the Nobel Prize may have had a similar effect on Sir VS Naipaul. His editors may now be less critical or maybe Naipaul has the power to be tota......more

A grim little novel of a man not in control of his life, beautifully and poignantly written in Naipaul's controlled, lucid prose. The observations of Indian revolutionaries, London council estate life and the middle classes, and race are acute and painful, sometimes combined with a black comedy. It'......more