In a Free State
V.S. Naipaul
246 pages

In a Free State is a collection of short stories -- one more of a novella -- about expatriates living outside their home country.  Naipaul has a good vantage point, being somewhat of a "wanderer" himself:  of Indian descent, born in Trinidad, and living most of his life in England.  He is well positioned to lay bare the perceived glamour of far-off lands.  However, this book did nothing for me.  Nothing, nada, zilch. The characters were largely unlikeable.  They were mostly male, and his female characters were appallingly shallow.  And then I found it impossible to get past Naipaul's misogynist history, having psychologically abused his wife for many, many years.  It's disappointing to read a Booker prize-winner, from a Nobel prizewinning author, and have it fall so flat.

This may be my shortest review ever, but there's really nothing more I have to say.   ( )