Summary of The Enigma of Arrival
“The Enigma of Arrival” by Nobel Prize laureate V. S. Naipaul follows a writer from the Caribbean who rents a cottage in the countryside of Wiltshire – the ancient heart of England – and gradually develops an understanding of the landscape and the people around him.
Reasons to read The Enigma of Arrival
“The Enigma of Arrival” is a reflective and somewhat melancholic meditation on migration, identity, and the shadows of colonialism. The book is largely autobiographical, rooted in the author’s own experiences as an outsider in England. When V.S. Naipaul was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2001, the Swedish Academy described “The Enigma of Arrival” as his masterpiece. Born in Trinidad to a family of Indian descent, Naipaul became one of the most distinctive English-language writers of the twentieth century. Other notable works by V. S. Naipaul include “A House for Mr Biswas”, “In a Free State” (winner of Booker Prize in 1971), and “A Bend in the River”.
Setting: Wiltshire (England, UK)
“The Enigma of Arrival” is set in Wiltshire, particularly the area around the parish of Wilsford cum Lake, near Amesbury and Stonehenge, where Naipaul rented a cottage (at Wilsford Manor).
Original title: The Enigma of Arrival
Year of publication: 1987
Nr of pages: 354
