Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul (Vidia to his friends, family and fans; V S Naipaul to everyone else), one of the finest writers of the 21st century, died at the age of 85. A master of both fiction and non-fiction, he wrote almost three dozen books, many of them masterpieces in their own right.
His novels, The Mystic Masseur and Miguel Street, published when he was in his mid-twenties have all the hallmarks of his style – cinematic description of the setting, sharp choice of words and dry humour with a blend of tragicomedy.
Most of his books, set in colonial or post-colonial backgrounds, have a recurring theme – one man pitted against the great forces of destiny. In narrating his stories, he masterfully brews wonderful little details and autobiographical insights into brilliant fiction.
Vidia’s early novels drew heavily from his Trinidadian background where his family members metamorphose into his protagonists. For example, in his much-celebrated novel, ‘A House for Mr Biswas,’ the protagonist Mr Biswas is more or less based on his father, Sreepersad Naipaul, who worked as a journalist for the Trinidad Guardian.
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