Remembering VS Naipaul: A look back at 'Miguel Street'

Trinidad-born Indian-origin author VS Naipul passed away at the age of 85 recently. In rememberance of the renowned artiste, I look back at one of his timeless stories, Miguel Street.

Let no one fool you into thinking that just because VS Naipul's Miguel Street is set in the beautiful island of Trinidad, that somehow it will cater to the stereotype of the Caribbean as an idyllic paradise filled with amusement and tranquility. In fact, Naipul's bleak and realistic take on war-time pre-independence Trinidad can be described as misanthropic and hopeless.

I first read this book when I was around twenty-three, back when I was majoring in English Literature at North South University. I took a course on nineteenth century British fiction. Our professor got us to read many rich novels and made me fall in love with classic literature. At that point, there were so many classics that I wanted to read but I was always intimidated by them. I now realise that they are very readable and they are classics for a reason. I loved every minute of that course and it encouraged me to explore books beyond the syllabus.  One of those books was Miguel Street.

The characters in Miguel Street seem very real, albeit in a pitiful way. Naipul perfectly captures the dialogue, rhyme and rhythm of the Caribbean life and adds his own blend of nihilism. All of the characters fail in their ambitions or don't have the willpower to drag themselves out of the Trinidadian slums. The writer repeatedly reminds us how pathetic and at times, tragic, the lives of the people of Miguel Street are.  The depictions of the 'stuck in a rut' feeling that pervades many living in the slums of Trinidad are incredibly well-written.

VS Naipul was a masterful author who specialised in realist stories that pulled no punches.