Much has changed in India between VS Naipaul's first trip to the land of his ancestors and this fascinating final account of his time in the country.
Taking a counter-clockwise journey around India's major cities - including Bombay, Madras, Calcutta and Delhi - Naipaul presents a multi-layered and complex journey, encompassing a wide range of religions, sects and classes at a time when growing ideas of freedom threatened to destabilize the old ways.The book's beauty lies in Naipaul's decision to approach this changing and transforming land from a variety of perspectives: the author humbly steps back, allowing the Indians to tell their life stories, and a dynamic oral history of India emerges before our eyes.
With this book he may have written his lasting memorial, with prose at once evocative and deeply personal, marked by style and critical acumen.
