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The Enigma of Arrival
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The Enigma of Arrival Paperback - 1988

by V. S. Naipaul


About this book

An autobiography for the most part, the book is composed of five sections reflecting the growing familiarity and changing perceptions of Naipaul upon his arrival in various countries. 

The majority of the action takes place in Wiltshire, England, where Naipaul has rented a cottage in the countryside. He sees the area around his cottage as a frozen piece of history, unchanged for hundreds of years. However, during his extended stay at this cottage where he is working on another novel, he notices the area for what it is: a forever changing place with ordinary people simply existing away from the rest of the world. This causes the author to reflect upon the nature of perceiving our surroundings and how much these perceptions are affected by our preconceptions.  

He reflects on his own emigration from Trinidad to New York City, and his following removal to England and Oxford. Naipaul’s novel illustrates the growing understanding of his place in this new environment and the complicated relations of the people and land around them. 

First Edition Identification

The book was first published in 1987 by Viking Press, London, in hardcover format  with 318 pages. 

Published in 1987 by Alfred A. Knopf, New York. This edition has black cloth over green boards with titles in gilt to upper board and spine, 354 pages. 


Details

  • Title The Enigma of Arrival
  • Author V. S. Naipaul
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Reprint
  • Publisher Penguin Books Ltd, London
  • Date February 25, 1988
  • ISBN 9780140098860
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The Enigma of Arrival: A Novel in Five Sections: Jack's Garden; the Journey; Ivy; Rooks; the...

The Enigma of Arrival: A Novel in Five Sections: Jack's Garden; the Journey; Ivy; Rooks; the Ceremony of Farewell

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The Enigma of Arrival
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The Enigma of Arrival

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The Enigma of Arrival

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The Enigma of Arrival : A Novel in Five Sections
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The Enigma of Arrival : A Novel in Five Sections

by Naipaul, V. S

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The Enigma of Arrival
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The Enigma of Arrival

by V. S. Naipaul

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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The Enigma of Arrival : A Novel in Five Sections
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The Enigma of Arrival : A Novel in Five Sections

by Naipaul, V. S

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140098860 / 0140098860
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The Enigma of Arrival : A Novel in Five Sections
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The Enigma of Arrival : A Novel in Five Sections

by Naipaul, V. S

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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The Enigma of Arrival

by Naipaul, V. S.

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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The Enigma of Arrival

by Naipaul, V. S.

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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The Enigma of Arrival
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The Enigma of Arrival

by V. S. Naipaul

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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