V.S. Naipaul, one of the most renowned authors of the 20th century, accorded Patrick French the honor of writing his biography sometime back. Making use of the privilege, the author has written the book and is all set to release it on 31st March, 2008. Patrick studied the private papers and personal recollections of Naipaul for the purpose, after being granted exclusive access to them. After so much study and research, he compiled it in the form of a book, which has been named as ‘The World Is What It Is’. Get a glimpse of the book, with the brief synopsis given below.
The Book
One of the many admirers of V.S. Naipaul’s literary abilities, Patrick French has written gleaming account of the life and works of the great author. He has traced the life of the V.S. Naipaul in the book, beginning from his birth in Trinidad, into an Indian family, which has been described with evocative details. Thereafter, he has delved deeper into his past and explored early privations of Naipaul, along with his initial reminiscences, his life within a displaced community and his staunch ambition, even at the school level, which helped him win a scholarship to Oxford when he was hardly 17 years old.
As the biography moves further, we see Patrick French describing that period in the life of V.S. Naipaul, when he felt homesick in England and became a victim of depression. He has succinctly described the role, Naipaul's first wife played in helping him cope with his 'double exile'. Their life as a couple, which lasted almost four decades alongside Naipaul’s twenty-five year affair, has been well defined. Patrick has also give due emphasis on the ability of Naipaul, to write fiction and non-fiction masterpieces, with extraordinary perfection. All in all, with this book, the author has done full justice to the brilliance of V.S. Naipaul.
The Author
Patrick French is a writer and historian, born in the year 1966, in England. He graduated in literature from the University of Edinburgh. The literary career of Patrick, though not too long, has won him admiration of many. His most famous book till date has been the Biography of Francis Younghusband, for which he won the Somerset Maugham Award and the Royal Society of Literature W. H. Heinemann Prize. Amongst his other books are ‘Liberty or Death: India’s Journey to Independence and Division’ (Winner of the London Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award) and ‘Tibet, Tibet: A Personal History of a Lost Land’.
Patrick French is a writer and historian, born in the year 1966, in England. He graduated in literature from the University of Edinburgh. The literary career of Patrick, though not too long, has won him admiration of many. His most famous book till date has been the Biography of Francis Younghusband, for which he won the Somerset Maugham Award and the Royal Society of Literature W. H. Heinemann Prize. Amongst his other books are ‘Liberty or Death: India’s Journey to Independence and Division’ (Winner of the London Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award) and ‘Tibet, Tibet: A Personal History of a Lost Land’.
