Finished reading: July 31st 2014 “I had seen how deep in nearly every West Indian, high and low, were the prejudices of race; how often these prejudices were rooted in self-contempt; and how much important action they prompted. Everyone spoke of nation and nationalism but no one was willing to surrender the priviledges or even the separateness of his group.”(view spoiler)[A friend of mine lend me a copy of The Middle Passage, and I'm glad I took the time to finish this travel memoir by V.S. Naipaul before I returned it to her. The Middle Passage was not my typical choice of reading and I have to admit I don't know that much about Trinidad and the four Carribean societies mentioned (except for maybe Surinam because of its connection with Holland). What the countries have in common are the traces of slavery and colonialism, and that is what Naipaul focuses on in his book: the racial differences and the connections the former colonies have with their occupiers.It's hard to give a proper summary of all the different countries without this review becoming a short novel itself, so I have decided to keep this short. In The Middle Passage, Naipaul takes you on a journey through five societies and former British, French and Dutch colonies. He tells us his experiences during his journey, and analyzes the situation in the different countries (Trinidad, British Guiana, Surinam, Martinique and Jamaica). Not every society has reacted to its occupiers in the same way, and while some reject the foreign cultures, others openly embrace it. There is also an enormous difference in racial acceptance between the different countries... With huge social consequences.The way Naipaul wrote down his story didn't convince me fully, and I had to make myself continue at certain points where the story just became too slow to keep my attention. But I cannot deny it is an interesting story Naipaul is trying to tell. The fact that he was born and raised in Trinidad and later moved to London has a lot to do with that. Having lived in both 'worlds', he is able to blend in with the locals as well as having access to the insights of outsiders. I cannot judge properly if the comments he makes in The Middle Passage about the different societies, race problematics and inequality are accurate. What does become clear is that the book narrates his experiences when travelling through those countries; the difficulties on the way and the people he meets a sample of what the situation was like back then. Recommended to those who want to know more about the societies mentioned and enjoy reading non fiction travel memoirs. (hide spoiler)]
I was 14 when I attempted to read The Middle Passage for my book report. Awful, awful decision. I remember not understanding half (maybe more) of what Naipaul was describing. I didn't even know who Humphrey Bogart was at that time, or if he even was slightly significant to the story. You'd need a good background of social histories to fully grasp what he's trying to describe as the travel goes along. Otherwise, you're left with lengthy descriptions of (probably) unfamiliar settings, characters, and backgrounds. Bottom line, it's not something a "general" 14-year old would appreciate. And it's definitely not what you'd want when you're cramming a book report. For college kids or older readers? I'll try to find out soon...
What do You think about The Middle Passage (2002)?
Naipaul certainly has a gift for seamlessly weaving several vignettes together. Despite his writing skill, I was left disappointed in this travelogue. His neo-colonialist political views and occasional racist sentiments turned this story quite bitter. Coupled with Naipaul's rampant pessimism, this book reads more like a highly biased account of one man's feelings toward a homeland he abandoned.I would cautiously recommend the book to those that like to critically read a text and compare it to other accounts of the Caribbean. I am by no means disappointed that I read it; however, I am left feeling like I need to read another author's account of the same cultures.
—Julie Pearson
"Middle Passage" was my introduction to Naipaul and it occurred at the same moment I was being introduced to the Caribbean. I was attending a literary festival called Callabash which is where I brought the book. Naipaul had been bashed during a reading by Derek Walcott. It made me interested in this man considered to be a traitor to his homeland and the ethnic complexities of the Caribbean. The "Middle Passage" satisfied both curiosities. Naipaul's voice is exploratory and introspective. He draws connections throughout history to make sense of the present around him as he observes the various nations throughout his return to the region where he grew up.
—Alicia Beale
Quite often one picks up a book written about Travel memoirs and expects each word to the melodic and soothing to one's vigorous imagination of a distant land. Unlike anything as such, Naipaul, the master that he is with is words, gives a fantastic version of the Colonial impact in the Caribbean Islands. These islands were the lesser known places when one needs to understand Colonialism at it's very best. Vidia Naipaul makes precise incisions in the societal impacts of the back then (in the 1960s) major problems of racism in these colonies and also manages to point out the lack of Individualism in terms of belonging the Native Caribbean culture, as opposed to following the following the ever strong European cum White ideals that the imperialist/colonialists preached. Though Naipaul was a Trinidadian by birth, some of his words do sound vociferous for his own country but also denote the fact that the countries had prevalent problems and the local attitude didn't seem to help. Some of his words were straight up to the point of what Naipaul really meant, some anecdotes that were clumsy yet worth mentioning; overall making this book a great work in terms of understanding the aftermath of the ever-so-evil Colonialism and how the countries 50 years or so back then were coping up with cultural turmoil of adopting to new ways while clinging on to old ones.Concisely, The Middle Passage is a book only a few with depth of understanding the dynamics of the organic, mixed Caribbean Society can fathom and come to really like.
—Shantanoo Desai
