 First edition cover | |
| Author | V. S. Naipaul |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Stephen Russ[1] |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Contemporary fiction |
| Published | 1961 |
| Publisher | André Deutsch |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | |
A House for Mr Biswas is a 1961 novel by V. S. Naipaul, significant as Naipaul's first work to achieve acclaim worldwide. It is the story of Mohun Biswas, a Hindu Indo-Trinidadian who continually strives for success and mostly fails, who marries into the influential Tulsi family only to find himself dominated by it, and who finally sets the goal of owning his own house. It relies on some biographical elements from the experience of the author's father.[2][3]
In 1998, the Modern Library ranked A House for Mr Biswas number 72 on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.[4] Time magazine included the novel in its list of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005. In 2022, it was included on the "Big Jubilee Read" list of 70 books by Commonwealth authors, selected to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II.[5]
- ^ Bound books – a set on Flickr
- ^ Kumar, Amitava (1 January 2002). Bombay--London--New York. Psychology Press. ISBN 9780415942119.
- ^ Hayward, Helen (1 January 2002). The Enigma of V S Naipaul: Sources and Contexts. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781403902542.
- ^ Wallace, Kimberly (4 September 2021). "MASTERPIECE! A House for Mr Biswas, standing for 60 years". Trinidad Express Newspapers. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "The Big Jubilee Read: A literary celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's record-breaking reign". BBC. 17 April 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.