The Enigma of Arrival

V S Naipaul

Caroline said that this novel read like an autobiography describing a man of Indian ethnic background from the West Indies arriving in Britain. Caroline also was intrigued by the cover of her book and drew our attention to it. The book starts dealing with an apparent idyll in Wiltshire but then slowly gets below the surface. Caroline described the writing as slow and reflective as it peels away the layers. In the section of the book 'The Journey', Caroline told us how the writer described what he expected to achieve in London. His ideas of London were based on Dickens and of course London was not like that at all.

At this point there was a group wide discussion of the rather fanciful expectation that some visitors to England had of this country. Andrew told us about his friend who had come to England to see Gravesend, expecting it to be like the description of the town that Dickens had recorded. Caroline concluded her comments about V.S. Naipaul's book by telling us how the author felt that he had tried to leave his own heritage behind at that time. He was in a sea of refugees in Britain at that time but did not record his observations in his earlier writing. Now V.S Naipaul is talking about going back to Trinidad. Caroline said she thought that this was a book for a holiday as it was almost too thoughtful for a going to bed book. Doreen said that she thought V.S. Naipaul had a very solid style. Seán added that the book was simply very convincing.
Caroline 26/4/98

By the same author

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