In "Half a Life" we are introduced to the compelling figure of Willie Chandran. Springing from the unhappy union of a low-caste mother and a father constantly at odds with life, Willie is naively eager to find something that will place him both in and apart from the world. Drawn to England, and to the immigrant and bohemian communities of post-war London, it is only in his first experience of love that he finally senses the possibility of fulfilment. In its humorous and sensitive vision of the half-lives quietly lived out ...
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In "Half a Life" we are introduced to the compelling figure of Willie Chandran. Springing from the unhappy union of a low-caste mother and a father constantly at odds with life, Willie is naively eager to find something that will place him both in and apart from the world. Drawn to England, and to the immigrant and bohemian communities of post-war London, it is only in his first experience of love that he finally senses the possibility of fulfilment. In its humorous and sensitive vision of the half-lives quietly lived out at the centre of our world, V.S. Naipaul's graceful novel brings its own unique illumination to essential aspects of our shared history. "The best novel I have read this year ...the prose is crystalline and seductively so you hardly realize that you are consuming a work of genius until you are plunged deep into a dramatic story which stretches across three continents" - Antonia Fraser, "Irish Times". "A small masterpiece and a potent distillation of the author's work to date. Mr Naipaul endows his story with the heightened power of fable" - Michiko Kakatuni, "New York Times". "A brilliant, withering story of the bitter consequences of empire ...Writing with a degree of wit and subtlety beyond the grasp of most writers, Naipaul has built a bleak world of discomfort and yearning from which, paradoxically, the reader will not want to escape" - Jeremy Poolman, "Daily Mail". "Parts are as sly and funny as anything Naipaul has written. Nobody who enjoys seeing English beautifully controlled should miss this novel" - John Carey, "Sunday Times".
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Add this copy of Half a Life to cart. $1.36, very good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2002 by Picador.
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
Add this copy of Half a Life to cart. $1.36, good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2002 by Picador.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Damaged cover. The cover of is slightly damaged for instance a torn or bent corner. Grubby book may have mild dirt or some staining, mostly on the edges of pages.
Add this copy of Half a Life to cart. $3.41, very good condition, Sold by Kennys.ie rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Galway, IRELAND, published 2002 by Picador.
Add this copy of Half a Life to cart. $3.41, good condition, Sold by Kennys.ie rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Galway, IRELAND, published 2002 by Picador.
Add this copy of Half a Life to cart. $4.04, good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2001 by Picador.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Damaged cover. The cover of is slightly damaged for instance a torn or bent corner. Grubby book may have mild dirt or some staining, mostly on the edges of pages.
Add this copy of Half a Life to cart. $4.28, very good condition, Sold by Kennys.ie rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Galway, IRELAND, published 2001 by Picador.
Add this copy of Half a Life to cart. $4.38, very good condition, Sold by John C. Newland rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Cheltenham, Glos., UNITED KINGDOM, published 2001 by Picador.
Add this copy of Half a Life to cart. $4.77, good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2011 by Picador.
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Grubby book may have mild dirt or some staining, mostly on the edges of pages. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading. Ex-library book with stamps on the first page, it is also likely to have a small shelf number sticker on the spine.
Add this copy of Half a Life to cart. $4.95, very good condition, Sold by Goldstone Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Ammanford, CARMS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2001 by Picador.
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Very good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
Add this copy of Half a Life to cart. $5.13, very good condition, Sold by Goldstone Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Ammanford, CARMS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2002 by Picador.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
NAIPUL IS AN EXPERIENCED WRITER OF MANY BOOKS. tHIS ONE IS PROBABLY AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL . iT IS STORY OF A MAN FROM CHILDHOOD TO MATURITY BORN IN INDIA HE GOES TO ENGLAND LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO FOCUS HIS LIFE. . HE FALLS IN LOVE WITH A YOUNG WOMAN IN ENGLAND, WHO IS DEPORTED AS AN UNREGISTERED ALIEN.HE GOES WITH HER TO HER NATIVE COUNTRY IN AFRICA. AFTER 20 YEARS OF LIFE WITH HER IN AFRICA HE DECIDES HE HAS BEEN LIVING HER LIFE, NOT HIS AND HE LEAVES HER. I DID NOT FIND THE CHARACTERS APPEALING. HE WRITES VERY WELL.
pamela1717
Oct 17, 2009
Lackluster...
Read for my book club and panned by all members. We all felt it failed to keep the reader engaged, the writing seemed "half done", and the protagonist was very unlikeable. We also found it unsettling the story was somewhat autobiographical. Not only was the protagonist a jerk but apparently the author may be one as well. It may be Pollyanna of us to think this way, but it is what it is. I abandoned it 20 pages from the end.
For a better depiction of a coming of age Indian story I would recommend instead: The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga.
