Naipaul's controversial account of his travels through the Islamic world was hailed by The New Republic as "the most notable work on contempor...
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Jun 07, 2007
Raghu
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One of Naipaul's best and most prescient books. Naipaul travels through islamic Asia - Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia in 1980, just after the Iranian islamic revolution. The book contains his observations on Islam after meeting a lot of people in all these countries. The book is sympathetic in tone, contrary to the usual accusation of Naipaul as a sympathiser of Hindu nationalism.
Naipaul prophetically concludes many of the things which are fashionable today about islamic fundament More...
Naipaul prophetically concludes many of the things which are fashionable today about islamic fundament More...
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Sep 28, 2011
Patrick
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V.S. Naipaul’s nonfiction book, Among The Believers, about his trips to four Islamic countries at the end of the 70s is a compelling narrative and a fascinating look at countries and a religion that has spawned intolerance and terrorism ever since. It is essentially a travelogue in which he interviews various people, students, religious leaders, taxi drivers, hotel workers, interpreters, etc, in order to get a idea of what is going on in these Islamic countries and how the people feel about it.
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Mar 25, 2010
Wawan
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Buku Among the Believers (Bersama Kaum Beriman) mencatat “perjalanan Islami” V.S. Naipaul yang mencakup empat negara, yakni Republik Islam Iran, Republik Islam Pakistan, Kerajaan Malaysia dan Republik Indonesia. Pemberian nama lengkap masing-masing negara ini sepertinya diperlukan, untuk memberikan pelurusan terhadap istilah “negara islam” atau “Muslim countries” yang seringkali dipakai di konteks Ero-Amerika—Indonesia bukan negara Islam dan gerakan “negara Islam” merupakan salah satu gerakan su
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Apr 05, 2010
Neeraj
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2001 Nobel Laureate V. S. Naipaul is a master of English prose. His travelogues are awesome piece of English literature. They give a glimpse of daily life of the people as well the history of the events leading to current situation. In last week i read his masterpiece, its a survey of the condition of Islam among the converted people of Pakistan, Iran, Malaysia and Indonesia. Among the believers: An Islamic journey is a thought provoking book as it was written in 1979-81 but it seems that its w
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Jan 12, 2010
Donald
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From the first page it was apparent that Naipaul arrived with some mission that he took very seriously. Instead of following the wind like a free-spirit Naipaul had meetings, interviews, appointments. But what were his aims, what was his mission? We aren't explicity told. Having followed him around and listened in on his conversations with Muslims of Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia, I can make a few pretty close guesses though I can't help but think he left home with a conclusion an More...
Sep 30, 2010
William
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Terrific sequel to Beyond Belief. Naipaul revisits some of the men and women he interviewed for his first book, and many others, living in Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia. He reports on the pro-Westerners, followers of Islam all, as being if anything more embattled, while the Islamists are still more incongruous in their strenuous, sometimes hypocritical, attempts to follow and apply the admonitions of a fifth century book of spoken religious poetry literally to their own lives and beha
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Apr 28, 2011
Al
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TLDR: Expected better. A lot of very bitter criticism from someone with a bone to pick. It is scary though how Iran has not changed since post-revolution until my recent visit, if anecdotes are based on any truth whatsoever.
You know, I like to think I have seen a fair chunk of this so-called Islamic world Naipul describes. As I mentioned to a friend, and even one guy on a bus in DC who asked how the book was, this is Naipul at his most bigoted. It is not hard to see he had real insight More...
You know, I like to think I have seen a fair chunk of this so-called Islamic world Naipul describes. As I mentioned to a friend, and even one guy on a bus in DC who asked how the book was, this is Naipul at his most bigoted. It is not hard to see he had real insight More...
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Jul 11, 2009
Nishant
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I hardly read Naipaul for what the books contain anymore. I know I will disagree -- occassionally quite strongly -- I know there will be moments that will appall me -- when he's needlessly aggressive or mean or, for that matter, judgmental about people he's just met ('I should be ready at 7:30. He came some minutes before eight. He was in his late twenties, small and carefully dressed, handsome, with a well-barbered head of hair. I didn't like him.') -- but then you're transported by the sheer p
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Jan 04, 2009
Shenryhughes
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Soon after the Iranian Revolution, Naipaul begins his Islamic Journey. His account consists of several interviews of religious and political figures throughout the Muslim world. He finds that Islam while being a worthy and "useful" religion, is handicapped as a form of Government. He concludes that Islam as a form of Government leads to societies and institutions that are feudal in nature and ultimately reliant on the West for technology.
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Feb 24, 2009
Shane
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I read this book when I was living in the Middle East and it was a refreshing depiction from an outsider of my world at the time, where I had thought everything was okay. I was grateful for the new perspective he gave me, leading me to realize that I could never make the Middle East my permanenet residence. Reading this book was one of the many gentle nudges I received during that time to try and find another place to call home.
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Jan 12, 2012
Melody
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I guess I'm just not ready to go on an Islamist journey. I let Naipaul take me into these converted lands and I met the folks Naipaul wanted me to meet. But I just don't really get any religion if you want to know the truth and one that treats women with such disdain and contempt is even more confusing so I just didn't join in with the lively conversation when these believers were paraded before me. In fact often times I was in the corner looking at my split ends and when I'd look up the room
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Aug 09, 2011
Tasha
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While I enjoyed the book and his insights I felt that it was lacking in some aspects. To begin with he didn't visit a single Arab or African country so there was no analysis of Islam in those places. Secondly he does appear to have set objectives very early on in the book and seems to go out of his way to meet individuals with those views.
Sep 10, 2009
Steven
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This book is brutal. Naipaul is a fantastic novelist, but he's a bit of a crank as an essayist and travel writer. The full range of his controversial misanthropy is on display in this collection, where Naipaul reduces all complex social phenomena to the toxic admixture of Islam and local cultures.
Aug 18, 2009
For many, it could be the blasphemy oriented book . However, its beauty lies in accepting the shotcomings of Islam and making sincere effots to eradicate those things to make the religion even more beautiful instead of getting annoyed and labelling VS Naipaul as a cultural voyeur.
May 25, 2007
Nathan
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Nearly a 5 star book. Reading Naipaul's deadpan account of a long-haul journey through Asian muslim communities in the early 1980s, one pictures a tweed-clad cross between Werner Herzog and Dr. Spock, roaming around with a worn notepad. Naipaul is prone to guessing -- sometimes presumptuously -- at the inner motives of strangers he encounters, but his eye for the telling detail in such interactions is keen, and his reserved rationality rarely errs. One sees easily why his stubborn, insistent
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Sep 05, 2011
Homes
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Amazing! I've never been a big non-fiction reader, but my husband and I were discussing Islam and he suggested this book. Completely engrossing and quite an interesting perspective, to see how the Muslim world was back in the late 1970s as compared to today.
Sep 10, 2010
Lina
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Oops, didn't finish. But interesting insight (albeit old) from Iran, Pakistan and Indonesia. I felt like I didn't understand the fundamental historical background of Iran enough to get the book but still good. Pakistan: INTERESTING.
Jun 28, 2011
David
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These are Naipaul's travels in Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia to understand what it means to be a Muslim. Seems more appropriate now than when it was written in 1980. His writing skill makes one turn the pages.
Jun 10, 2009
Barb
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Very well written, like his other books, and interesting, informative analysis of interplay between Islam and preexisting religions, as well as the effot to combine religion with government.
Nov 12, 2011
Mike
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This was a good book--an entertaining and interesting travelogue and also excellent reporting. I do have a bone to pick with the publisher, however ... would it have cost so much to put a frickin map or two in here?!!
Feb 07, 2010
Scott
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I read this as I was traveling through Malaysia, actually. Insightful, wonderfully written. A pleasure to read.
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Sep 11, 2008
Jono
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Naipaul writes a great book. this was the first one i read and it is a sort of travel log of his trip through muslim asia. I decided to read this and "beyond belief" after 9-11-01 to better understand the region. Although Naipaul comes off as a scathing critic, it is still a truly enlightening sketch of the cultures that he encounters while on his journey. It makes one think about the events that lead nations to where they now rest. Colonialism, western sponsored dictators, merchant
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Jul 30, 2011
he wa svery very critical but a good book from non-white non-muslim perspective. i really enjoyed it
Jan 10, 2010
Rianne
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Tried to read it several times (before I became Muslim)... no idea why he's so famous... couldn't read it.
Oct 25, 2010
Chris
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Just started. I am hoping for an insightful, if dated, trip through the Muslim experience.
Jul 07, 2008
patrick
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I read the follow up to this book, "Beyond Belief," several years ago and remember it flowing a bit more smoothly than this volume. Perhaps it was the fact that so much has changed around the Muslim world since this was published in 1982, but I struggled to get through this book. Still, read in conjunction with "Beyond Belief," this author offers useful snapshots of how different countries (and specific individuals therein) struggle with the role of religion in society.
