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A House for Mr. Biswas
- Narrated by: Sam Dastor
- Length: 21 hrs and 29 mins
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A House for Mr. Biswas
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Summary
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.
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What listeners say about A House for Mr. Biswas
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- little egret
- 02-06-23
A subtle tale of families, flawed people and traditions
No real heroes or villains or great adventures. A subtle tale of families, flawed people and traditions and all their strengths and weaknesses.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Lesley
- 18-12-19
A fascinating read
although the story covers such a limited and small world, it presents a wonderful , humorous study of people and situations . the reader was excellent
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Vinay
- 15-08-23
Great story, poor narration
Great lens into what life was like in those days.
Issues with narration:
- Inaccurate Trinidadian accent
- Several names are pronounced incorrectly
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- NCoops
- 27-08-19
Audiobook marred by inattention to country context
VS Naipaul's masterpiece set in his birthplace, Trinidad. This audiobook would have benefited from some effort to give it more authenticity . As a Trinidadian listener it was jarring to hear place names pronounced incorrectly. Also, while getting the accent right can be difficult, substituting an Indian accent is not the answer.
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jilly M-B
- 21-03-19
Full of Life
The oration is absolutely wonderful and changed the book from reading good literature to listening to an outstanding story, Sam Dastor’s voice really brought the characters to life, full of humour and pathos. Highly recommended to all of my friends.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jennifer Hawkesworth
- 06-12-19
One of the great novels of the 20th century.
V. S Naipaul's tragi-comic masterpiece, beautifully read by Sam Dastor. I kept listening again and again and finding new things to love and remember about it. I read it years ago but enjoyed it much more as an audio book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Greenfly
- 28-09-18
Loved this book!
Wow it was so descriptive I was in the room with Mr Biswas, I felt his pain!
I didn't want to finish the book it was that good!
Great narration as well.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- KC
- 11-09-18
Uncomfortable realism
This book seemed to last forever. Perhaps it was the convincing realism that made me feel as trapped as the central character, Mr Biswas. Perhaps it was the skilful portrayal of the sheer relentless immovability of the Indian family and class system that made this reading experience feel so turgid and stuck. I cannot deny the craft and quality of the writing that transported me to a world I would otherwise not know but still, I was relieved to finish and escape.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Patrick
- 19-06-22
solemn end
A favourite book, I wished it had a happier ending. I'd like to know the Naipaul's thought on this.
Great narration, too
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MR K.
- 20-09-18
Brilliant and heartbreaking
Hard edged writing recreates a hard life in a lost world that is as beautiful as it is harsh, tragic and timeless.
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