In a Free State by V.S. Naipaul

A collection of unrelated essays on identity rather than a true novel this
the 1971 Booker Winner was a strange read. I though there would be some
connection between the first chapters and the large story in the middle that
bears the novels name but I was wrong. The thrust of the short stories is
the question of identity and race, the first two stories are concerned with
immigrants to the USA and the UK though there is a prologue that concerns
alienation form considered norms. Beautifully written indeed but the lack of
relation to the chapters means one never really gets to know the characters
so superbly written, we certainly never find out what happens so it's a
little disappointing on that score. The main story - In a Free State -
concerns two colonialists still in an African country at the point of its
independence and a car journey across the country. Its quite brilliant how
the descriptive passages build the whole picture of a dangerous fledgling
African state on the brink of civil war. But again instead of being a whole
novel we get the extra essays on life as an immigrant that whilst very good
add nothing to the main story. The Booker winner should really be viewed as
a collection of superb short stories but I wouldn't rush out to buy it.