A Hot Country Book

Subdued story of political and personal tyrannies in a fictional Caribbean coastal country named Cuyama (almost certainly Guyana, given the mixture of African and Indian descended populations), written by V.S. Naipaul's not so famous brother.

A dictatorial president prepares to hold a sham plebiscite which will effectively hand him sole rule without constitution, as an english journalist called Alex visits his old university friend Aubrey St. Claire, a descendant of one of the countries once wealthiest slave trading families.

Aubrey is ashamed of his past and has become an active force in opposing the dictatorship, writing letters to foreign newspapers such as The Times whilst running an unsuccessful bookshop, which he stocks with left-wing political works that no one buys.

His wife, Dina, does not share his fervor for the cause, nor his hope for change, though he constantly lectures her. Alex the englishman wonders if she "had been ground to dust by the tyranny of his uncomprehending affection?" For her part, she half-heartedly finds refuge from her husband's dogma via native superstitions.

This is a placid but deeply pessimistic piece of post-colonial writing, perhaps a perfect reflection of a distinctly Caribbean malaise, yet suffering for its torpid tone by a lack of drama.

Certainly well written, with characters that seemed very real, but largely unengaging.