A House for Mr. BiswasA House for Mr. Biswas
Score Classic
What it's about
Mohun Biswas, born in Trinidad to a poor Indian family, has been told since birth that he's unlucky. He marries into the large, domineering Tulsi family and spends his life struggling to escape them and to own a house of his own, as a sign painter, a shopkeeper and a journalist, failing and trying again.
Why it's worth reading
It's on both the TIME and Modern Library lists of the best novels, and Naipaul later won the Nobel. Based on his father, it's funny and sad.
You'll love it if you liked
Family Matters
A Fine Balance
The God of Small ThingsGood to know
It's long and leisurely. Its portrait of the Tulsi family is satirical.
By the numbers
- Readers12 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics83 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller12 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #213 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #511 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1782 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
More by V.S. Naipaul
If you like this, read next
The Color Purple
The Caine Mutiny
East of Eden
I, Claudius
A Room of One's Own
Angle of ReposeExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is A House for Mr. Biswas worth reading?
Yes. It's on both the TIME and Modern Library lists of the best novels, and Naipaul later won the Nobel. It ranks #1,782 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A House for Mr. Biswas about?
Mohun Biswas, born in Trinidad to a poor Indian family, has been told since birth that he's unlucky. He marries into the large, domineering Tulsi family and spends his life struggling to escape them and to own a house of his own, as a sign painter, a shopkeeper and a journalist, failing and trying again.
How long does it take to read A House for Mr. Biswas?
About 15 hours (590 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A House for Mr. Biswas?
If you liked it, try Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry, A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry or The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy.