The late Sir VS Naipaul is one of my favourite writers. I do not read his fiction as the settings, in colonial Caribbean, is not an area of interest of mine. But his non-fiction books make for vivid reading.
He is famous for his India trilogy, where he lamented the decay and inability of his motherland to progress. He wrote these 3 books in his younger years. In his later years, he focused on Islam. He made many journeys to the converted lands, including Bolehland. His writings were not well received by the converted.
This week BBC is doing a 2-part documentary on him titled ” The Trouble with Naipaul”. In it many writers of Caribbean and black descent criticized him. They attacked him as not politically correct in his writings etc. They missed the mark. You are asked to appreciate his writings. Not his views. Especially as he is fond of saying controversial views. Merely to provoke. That is called Playing the devil’s advocate. Poser – in which university did he study?