The White Tiger, Aravind Adiga (3)
This Man Booker Prize winning novel is described as a dark
comedy, though when I look back, I don’t remember laughing at any point. The
narrator is definitely precocious and part of the anti-hero craze of late - he
is a self-professed murderer turned entrepreneur who tells the whole story to the
Premier of China in a letter. Wait, that sounds funny! While I may not have
laughed at the time, Mr. Adiga does tell a believable tale of modern India from
the point of view of a village boy who goes to the big city and becomes a
driver for a rich family. He carefully illustrates the dichotomy of India from
a servant’s perspective. This book has the usual fantastical features of an
Eastern tale, but they are understandable as part of this boy’s daily life and experiences.
He also deals with the real corruption that is faced by rich and poor, but in
very different ways. This book is getting a ‘3’ because even after finishing, I
can’t decide if I really liked it. I found it interesting and can appreciate it
– but I didn’t really enjoy reading it.
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