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2.44k reviews for:

The White Tiger

Aravind Adiga

3.67 AVERAGE


For a commentary on casteism, the gulf between the rich and poor and the lack of ambition that depravity may bring (and the excess ambition it may bring, too) I adore how this book avoids the usual trope of being almost abusively depressing. The inclusion of some pretty dark-grey humor is quite refreshing to me and the protagonist is interestingly flawed as well. Bordering on the megalomania that I guess all entrepreneurs must flirt with, he starts from quite a bleak beginning. In the beginning it seems he constantly tries to sell it as the norm but as the story progresses we see him revolt with his own corrupted version of revolution.

(I would've liked to have rated this 3.5 mostly cos I feel the story loses some of its steam halfway but Goodreads ain't about that)
dark funny fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
informative medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Dark, entertaining, well-constructed, very critical.

Ok, Aravind Adiga knows how to write and White Tiger won Booker Prize. But this one felt remotely tyro. First of all White Tiger is not conveying the whole situation in India. India as a land of diversity has its own uniqueness in each and every nook. The author took a minuscule part of Indian life and then emphasized it as the whole Indian situation. As a South Indian, I am not questioning the author’s credibility but I am contravening what he drawn. The book is a partial truth, so I am giving a partial rating.
Do I recommend it?!
Indeed. But it’s up to the readers.
dark reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

“If you taught every poor boy how to paint, that would be the end of the rich […]”
challenging dark funny medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
dark funny reflective medium-paced