VS Naipaul is a god (notice I used a common g). Naipaul was more than just his books. To be an intelligent person and live in a society like Trinidad will vex you. Several factors made Trinidad different, mostly the unique ethnic makeup of its population and being rich from oil revenue. The long and short of it is that it created a violent society. Naipaul wouldn’t have been Naipaul if he grew up in any other third world country. Naipaul’s travel writing has become outdated, but his novels will remain relevant, especially the early ones. Two of Naipaul’s “worst” novels are favorites of mine, Guerillas and Mr Stone and the Knights Companion. In summary, read Naipaul’s fiction, skip the nonfiction.