1961. McGraw Hill published the first US edition of the book in New York in the same year. Style and themes A central theme of the novel is alienation. Right from his birth, Mr Biswas is alienated due to the prophecy. He grew up as a lonely child who lived in isolation. Following his marriage to Shama, the joint family of the Tulsis expected him to merge his personal identity with theirs, which he finds difficult and makes him feel trapped. They later humiliate him and he is forced to work at the estate at Green Vale, where he grows resentful of even his own children. Ultimately, this sense of alienation motivates him to search for a house, symbolising an effort to find and create his own identity. Throughout the novel, Mr Biswas' gradual progress is indicated through the many objects he and his wife acquire over the years. Naipaul lists out detailed inventories, much like "the catalogue of ships in the Iliad or the many descriptions of rooms by Dickens". Legacy The novel is generally regarded as Naipaul's most significant work and is credited with launching him into international fame and renown. Time magazine included the novel in its "All-Time 100 Novels". On 5 November 2019 BBC News listed A House for Mr Biswas on its list of the 100 most influential novels. Adaptations The novel was later adapted as a stage musical, with compositions by Monty Norman. One of the songs written for the play, "Good Sign, Bad Sign", was later rewritten as the "James Bond Theme", according to the documentary Inside Dr. No. In 1980, the book was serialised by the BBC in England as part of A Book at Bedtime and broadcast on the BBC World Service in 1981. A two-part radio dramatisation, featuring Rudolph Walker, Nitin Ganatra, Nina Wadia and Angela Wynter ran on BBC Radio Four on 26 March and 2 April 2006. References External links V. S. Naipaul discusses A House for Mr Biswas on the BBC World Book Club 1961 British novels Novels by V. S. Naipaul Novels set in Trinidad and Tobago André Deutsch books