A House for Mr. Biswas

By: V. S. Naipaul

Narrated by: Sam Dastor

A House for Mr. Biswas, by Nobel and Booker Prize-winning author V. S. Naipaul, is a powerful novel about one man's struggle for identity and belonging. Born into poverty, then trapped in the shackles of charity and gratitude, Mr. Biswas longs for a house he can call his own. He loathes his wife and her wealthy family, upon whom he is dependent. Finding himself a mere accessory on their estate, his constant rebellion is motivated by the one thing that can symbolize his independence. The book is striking in its lush and sensual descriptions of Trinidad and was listed as one of Time magazine's 100 Best English-Language Novels from 1923 to 2005.

©1969 V.S. Naipaul (P)2017 Naxos AudioBooks

Thoughtful story, WONDERFULLY narrated

This is a long, funny, sad, sometimes frustrating story about a man who dreams of something better. It's not an easy listen, but well worth the time invested in the end. As always, Sam Dastor brings the story to life with his narration. I could honestly listen to this guy read the phone book. He interprets the author's words beautifully.

Great Performance. Great Story.

Many different accents, Helps the color of the many characters. Nice flow, welcomes story into your mind and heart. Loved.

One of the best audiobooks ever

This was my first Naipaul book, one which had come recommended, and I was not disappointed. The immersion into the world of Mr. Biswas (who was, I read, a facsimile of Naipaul's father) amounted to 21 hours of bliss for this reader. The details of his life were delivered with wry humor, wit, and a nuanced pathos that left me with compassion, amusement, awe at Naipaul's mastery, and a strong desire to travel to Trinidad. The descriptions of the landscape were rendered with such perfection, I could taste and smell the vegetation and salt spray. The characters were plentiful, full of life, and both vexing and pleasing in their insistence on being real. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I felt that the narrator was superb, and rendered the accents perfectly, and further, that he enhanced the experience of this book, by adding subtle expressive substance to the wonderful dialogue.

Great Performance and Story

This was a very fun read. Engaging most of the way through and meaningful. The performer did a wonderful job. I only felt that the book kind of sizzles out towards the end and became less enjoyable than the rest of the book. Nonetheless, it did not mar the experience which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Charming prose. Lovely book.

Naipaul never dissapoints in his narrative. This is a very simple story of a man who lives a fairly, short life on the fringes of poverty and amidst a patriarchal household. Many readers can be put-off by the pure absurdness of this story-line but for me as a Naipaul advocate, this is pure magic.

The protagonist, Mohun Biswas, is a dreadful character who continuously bites the hand that feeds him and wishes for grander things in life. His wishes to escape the chains of the Tulsi clan and buy a house of his own are the center pieces of the story. The novel spans the years of his life: his unhappy and tragic childhood, marriage to Sharma and the expectations of the Tulsis, children, and the continuous machinations of the sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws. Getting beaten and giving a beating is expected in the Tulsi house.

I wanted so badly for Mr. Biswas to succeed and yet, at some junctures, I wanted him to fail. That is the beauty of the story and the book. Remember the first chapter and then you will understand the rest of Mr. Biswas’s life and trials. Loved this book and the narration was pretty good too.