In a Free State by V. S. Naipaul
It starts out as merely an African road trip. Following a visit to the city, two English people—Linda, a haughty “compound wife,” and Bobby, a government servant with a guilty thirst for African boys—are travelling back to their enclave by car. However, in between is a terrain whose filth and ethnic bloodletting resemble Idi Amin’s Uganda. And when the characters of Naipaul’s stories delve deeper into it, they increasingly find themselves straddling the line between wealthy outsiders from shocked victims. Four sharp portraits of men searching for freedom far from home accompany this Conradian masterpiece. In A Free State, Naipaul is at his best, alternating between humour and terror, sadness and frankness.
In a Free State by V. S. Naipaul
29 used from $2.25
Free shipping
Amazon.com
No author has depicted our boundary-less, post-colonial society or given its upheavals such a frighteningly human face as V. S. Naipaul. This gripping novel, which has four supporting tales and is masterfully and tastefully depicted as an exodus, dislocation, and fear narrative, is a prime example.
Including the title novella as well as two brief vignettes, two short stories, and one longer narrative. Even though they are brief, the two vignettes are good. The two short stories centre on men who have been cast adrift on distant shores and are trying to find themselves as well as their wrath. The typical Naipaul themes, you know. They are nicely written, but for some reason, it was difficult for me to read them in a rhythm, and I felt like they dragged.
Two English officials named Bobby and Linda are travelling across an unknown newly independent African nation in their car. The majority of the action takes place in the car, where tension and unease are present from the very start. The actual turbulence, notwithstanding the background political unrest, is occurring inside the minds of our characters. Bobby, Linda, and a few other individuals we encounter along the road serve as vehicles for Naipaul’s dissection of the British imperial worldview. Africans are clearly detested and dismissed by Linda. Bobby, who believes he is superior to that, despises Linda for her attitude. However, he is not better; in fact, he may even be worse. Linda at least is upfront about her biases.
However, Bobby believes he is a part of this place and that he comprehends Africa and its people. He is a predator, though, and he uses his white skin and his wealth to rule. He is a pitiful and frail man who came to Africa to feel better about himself. Additionally, he never passes up an occasion to flaunt his alleged superiority.
