Rating: 
Summary: Half-a-Book?
Review: V.S. Naipaul's "Half-a-Life" is far from being an enjoyable book to read in terms of its content. Through its main character (Willie), the author has portrayed an individual who is not able to set roots anywhere, be it in his native land (India), in his pursuit of a literary career in London, or in his realization as a married man in Mozambique. The caste system which he so strongly despises follows him everywhere he goes, no matter how much he attempts to rewrite his life. Since he can never come to terms with his own self, his identity, and acceptance of what life has given him, he becomes a marginal man and fails to take any responsibility on his life. He is a half-bred individual, who marries a half-bred, and who leads a half-life!The theme is a pessimistic approach to reality, a direct reflection of the author's belief that human beings fail to live life to its full potential. The issue the reader might pose is: what is a "full-life!" Since the author fails to address this matter, the novel has an open end. In one of his several interviews, the author was asked what he would like readers to see in "Half-a-Life," to which he answered: "It's me!" Would it be fair then to say that this book reflects Naipaul's darker side? Are critics right when stating that it is not Naipaul at its best? Merit goes to a clear, crystal, and concise style, with a perfect use of the language. Blending autobiography, fiction, and nonfiction, with a cosmopolitan outlook, Naipaul carries the reader into the world of different cultures, and more specifically into the flaws contained by each one of them: prejudice, the stains left by colonialism, the rigid social and religious structures, emigration, alienation, and the spell of the past. It would be fair to say that whoever wants to get a better taste of Naipaul's work should start with "A House for Mr. Biswas," or "A bend in the River," or "The enigma of Arrival." The experience will be more gratifying!
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