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Rating: 
Summary: Like a fiery red curry without the chillies!
Review: "Is that all????" was my predomindant thought when I finished reading this book. At a time when VS Naipaul is being alternatively feted, derided, fawned upon and sneered at, the very least I expected was a huge canvas of thought and an incisive mind - with politial incorrectness and nastiness thrown in for good measure. Well, there's enough of the latter in this book, but wheres the original mind, the brilliant(never mind if it's unflattering) insight into the 'Indian' psyche?
In a society where plurality is often unwelcome, and straight-out honesty mistaken for *idol*-bashing, I was so looking forward to a few home-truths. All I got was a fairly articulate study of an 'alien' world. If we went to Mars and tried to understand the little green men and their society, I suspect this is what we would write. Factually correct, derisive, and a clear view of *us-and-them*. I do share a lot of Mr. Naipaul's disdain for the Indian way of life, but not his reasons, which unfortunately come off as incomprehension rather than a logically reasoned argument, or even superior understanding and morality.
And sadly lacking was that refreshingly brilliant mind. The difference was for its own sake, not because what he had to say was unique.
But would I recommend the book anyway? Sure, it IS different, the political incorrectness IS satisfying, and the point-of-view IS worth a peek. But dont make the mistake I did, and expect the blinding light of sagacity in the writing :-)
Rating:
Summary: Well-written but unsatisfying
Review: For those who want an introduction to India's politics and culture, look elsewhere. V.S. Naipaul writes beautifully --- every sentence is carefully crafted --- but his impressions do not amount to much. While I read, my head was filled with one vivid image after another. I assume this accurately reflects the complexity of India. But by the time I was halfway through, I was lost. What's he trying to say? What's really happening in India? The final third mentions Gandhi (and his complex legacy) on nearly every page, but little of what Naipaul has to say taught me anything. Although this book was a pleasure to read, I'm afraid I can't recommend it. It's simply too scattered and unfocused.
Rating: 
Summary: An enquiry on Indian attitudes
Review: Most Indians don't seem to like Mr.Naipaul from what I hear about his very acrimonious literary workshops and press conferences in India. He has a reputation preceding him as 'not a very nice man' but a great writer. I had all this in mind when I opened to read this book(such a sharp title).The book is written by some one who is intellectually a westerner(written from an unabashedly western stand point),and wants to understand and digest the Indian social & cultural scene to satisfy his probing mind. Naipaul does not accept convenient lies and soft answers in this quest. The result is a remarkable book about India and about the attitudes and expectations of average Indians(one generation away from the closed social life of an extended family, caste, religion, region).Naipaul dissects the Indian psyche and pinpoints the muddy thinking and mythologising that is widely prevalent in the intellectual life of India. This book could be seen as a critique of the blindness of Indians to the 'real' world, who prefer to live and judge themselves and others through the myopic glass of perceived high culture of 'centuries of rich civilization'. Unlike any previous rendition of India, Naipaul has a familiar access to people and places and the perspective of an outside observer that is closed to Indians. He straddles this unique viewpoint successfully, making this a very revealing book on India. This book is never dry or trite but has a rich humanity to it, a cast of real people seen through the curious and sympathetic eye of Naipaul. The book, to an Indian expat like me, was riveting.This book would have been an uncomfortable read for me in India. I would have failed to see the western ideals that Naipaul is grounded on and would have criticized him for trying to pull down an intellectual edifice under which I grew up and shared with everyone around me(with nothing else to take its place). The book is one of the better studies on India and gives you a flavor of the Indian mind.
And what's more, it is a short book.
Rating: 
Summary: Naipaul a wounded Indian.
Review: Naipauls premise here is shattering. Using the considerable literary talents at his disposal, he unravels a sordid picture of a nation historically and ideologically preprogrammed to run aground at every level.Unfortunately the evidence with which he carefully chooses to back up his grand denouement, is decidedly shoddy. Granted this is not a scholarly work, but the staggering conclusions that he draws from his pot pourri of annecdotal and other seemingly(not uninteresting) arbitrary sources beg at the very least some objectivity. Using cases in point as disparate as Gandhi's memoirs, the works of R.K. Narayan and a Sudhir Kakkars dubious interpretation of the indian psyche - he preselects his mottoes and offers ready explanations. In the chaotic orchestration that ensues, Mr. Naipaul succeeds only in muddying the waters. One can sense Naipauls involvement here - he really does care. At best he affords us tantalizing questions; at worst he ends up looking like a pompous, opinionated colonial posterboy. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: a brilliant essay
Review: This is not academic work that tries to cover an issue from some kind of systematic methodology that is currently in fashion. Instead, it is an extremely dense essay by an original novelist on what makes India what it is: chaotic, without a sense of historical continuity - his contrast with the European narrative that moves from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance/Reformation and Enlightenment to the industrial democracies is absolutely fascinating and yet deliciously succinct - and struggling to forge a modern identity in the post-colonial independence. What the reader gets is an interpretation, the details of which (s)he must fill in or debate oneself. Naipaul even does brilliant literary criticism of contemporary Indian novels in this book to shed light on his ideas, which as anecdotal and quirky as they are are always interesting. Disagree we might, but he stimulates even in error. Even after almost 30 years from its original publication, this essay is worth the read, if only to explore the reasoning behind rejecting it (I couldn't totally). Warmly recommended.
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