Miguel StreetA tender, funny novel written with the verve of Dickens and the passion of Chekhov, set during World War II in a derelict neighborhood in Trinidad’s capital and narrated by an unnamed boy—from the Nobel Prize-winning author. “One of the few contemporary writers of whom we can speak in terms of greatness.” —Newsday “A stranger could drive through Miguel Street and just say ‘Slum!’ because he could see no more.” But to its residents this corner of Trinidad’s capital is a complete world, where everybody is quite different from everybody else. There’s Popo the carpenter, who neglects his livelihood to build “the thing without a name.” There’s Man-man, who goes from running for public office to staging his own crucifixion, and the dreaded Big Foot, the bully with glass tear ducts. There’s the lovely Mrs. Hereira, in thrall to her monstrous husband. This tender, funny early novel is a work of mercurial mood shifts, by turns sweetly melancholy and anarchically funny. It overflows with life on every page. |
Contents
GEORGE AND THE PINK HOUSE | |
HIS CHOSEN CALLING | |
MANMAN | |
B WORDSWORTH | |
THE COWARD | |
THE PYROTECHNICIST | |
TITUS HOYT I | |
THE MATERNAL INSTINCT | |
THE BLUE CART | |
LOVE LOVE LOVE ALONE | |
THE MECHANICAL GENIUS | |
CAUTION | |
UNTIL THE SOLDIERS CAME 16 | |
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Common terms and phrases
afraid ain't Alsatian American asked baby beat began Big Foot Bogart Bolo box-cart Boyee and Errol calypso cents Chaguanas crab cricket cricket bat crying damn dollars Dolly drink Eddoes Edward Elias everything father felt fireworks funny Ganesh gave George girl give Guardian happen Hat's hear heard hell Hereira husband jail knew laughed Laura living looked lorry Man-man Miguel Street milk mind missing ball months Morgan morning mother MYSTIC MASSEUR Nathaniel never nice night papers pavement policeman Popo Port of Spain Pundit Ramayana Sergeant Charles shouted smiled sorry sort spoke stopped stupid talking tell thing Titus Hoyt told Toni Trinidad Trinidad Guardian Tyrell Johnson Uncle Bhakcu V. S. Naipaul Venezuela wait walked watch wife woman women Wordsworth worried yard