V.S. Naipal says no woman writer is his equal

[pscot]

Disses Jane Austen for her narrow sentimentality. Can you really tell within a few sentences if something was written by a woman?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jun/02/vs-naipaul-jane-austen-women-writers

Naipaul, who has been described as the "greatest living writer of English prose", was asked if he considered any woman writer his literary match. He replied: "I don't think so." Of Austen he said he "couldn't possibly share her sentimental ambitions, her sentimental sense of the world".

He felt that women writers were "quite different". He said: "I read a piece of writing and within a paragraph or two I know whether it is by a woman or not. I think unequal to me."

The author, who was born in Trinidad, said this was because of women's "sentimentality, the narrow view of the world".

[pnwmom]

1. Remind me never to read anything of his again. n/t

[enough]

3. +1 (nt)

[MineralMan]

2. Uff da! An unwarranted high opinion of himself, I believe.

And an equally unwarranted low opinion of women as writers. Bad Naipal!

[hobbit709]

4. Who?

[pnwmom]

5. Hah! n/t

[emilyg]

6. A legend in his own mind.

[FSogol]

7. Sounds like someone took their parent's praise too seriously.

:shrug:

[Chef Eric]

8. Ah yes, V.S. Naipal. The Bobby Riggs of literature. nt

[pscot]

9. That's funny!

Lit hustler. :P