AREA OF DARKNESS

"AN AREA OF DARKNESS" IS V.S. NAIPAUL'S SEMI-AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT - AT ONCE PAINFUL AND HILARIOUS, ALWAYS CONCERNED - OF HIS FIRST VISIT TO INDIA, THE LAND OF HIS FORBEARS. FROM THE MOMENT OF HIS INAUSPICIOUS ARRIVAL IN PROHIBITION-DRY BOMBAY, BEARING WHISKY AND CHEAP BRANDY, HE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE A SENSE OF CULTURAL ESTRANGEMENT FROM THE SUBCONTINENT. IT BECAME FOR HIM A LAND OF MYTHS, AN AREA OF DARKNESS CLOSING UP BEHIND HIM AS HE TRAVELLED...THE EXPERIENCE WAS NOT A PLEASANT ONE, BUT THE PAIN THE AUTHOR SUFFERED WAS CREATIVE RATHER THAN NUMBING, AND ENGENDERED A MASTERFUL WORK OF LITERATURE THAT IS BY TURNS TENDER, LYRICAL, EXPLOSIVE AND CRUEL. WITH SPECTACULAR NARRATIVE SKILL, NAIPAUL PROVIDES A REVELATION BOTH OF INDIA AND OF HIMSELF A DISPLACED PERSON WHO PARADOXICALLY POSSESSES A STRONGER SENSE OF PLACE THAN ALMOST ANYONE. 'A MASTERPIECE OF TRAVEL-WRITING' - PAUL THEROUX. 'BRILLIANT' - "OBSERVER".