Reviews with content warning for Murder - The White Tiger

I enjoyed Adiga's [book:Last Man in Tower|10854908] and can't remember what I thought about [book:Between the Assassinations|5743627] (mostly fine, I think), and this one I suspect I have read in pre-Goodreads dim past. Or skimmed over it as I kept having intermittent déjà lu. I chose it because of benign feelings towards Adiga, because of a reading challenge prompt 'unreliable narrator', because a google search of 'unreliable narrator' plus 'white tiger' brought up an academic paper on just this very topic, and because it was included in my Prime subscription.

I did not enjoy it all that much.

It is quite relentlessly grim. It starts out in what promises to be a light-hearted vein, poking fun at itself, saying outrageous things that the narrator!first-person-character believes to be correct but that we readers know to be false -- and then it just keeps going like that. The plot is a flat line. I'm not even sure that the narrator is in fact unreliable, or not in the sense I understand the concept which is in reference to a narrator who purposely misleads readers. This narrator keeps some information back until later on in the book but it is foreshadowed which is simply the structure of all mystery novels and many litfic novels to boot. It is not really the ruse of an 'unreliable' narrator (I may have to read that academic paper now).

The book rubs grimness in your face without any redemption or moments of non-grim. Faeces, vomit, skin conditions, body shaming because of skin conditions, bad breath, arses turned up naked towards the sky, pissing, the stink of ammonia, cockroaches crawling over your face, spit -- and on and on. The rich are ruthless, devoid of morals and on top. The poor are ground down. Politicians are corrupt. Religion dupes people. This is all well and good but there is a certain mauvais fois to the grand cynicism of this novel. Author: Oh, look at me, look at how I refuse to flinch before the horror of life in a corrupt society, look how I cast a realistic look at my own country of India. I should add that is is also relentlessly masculinist with women either prostitutes with jiggling breasts or hysterical irrational wives or hounding grandmothers.

I respect authors who invent entirely unlovable narrators. It is a profound challenge: immersing yourself so deeply in your point-of-view not-nice character that it becomes a rollercoaster of vile. But there is always that little bit of distinction between narrator and first-person character, and I would expect some sort of authorial voice to shine through in the narration, taking you outside the limited focalisation of the narrator-character. At one point, this does happen blatantly: the first-person narrator compares the sight of a white tiger behind zoo bars to old black-and-white movies. But this narrator, poor village boy that he is, would never have seen such a movie, and the comparison rings hollow. This is Adiga rearing up his head with a suitable erudite and lyrical simile, and Adiga appears also in the broad quasi-philosophical musings that are, perhaps, what is needed to certify a novel as 'literary fiction' and Man Booker Prize-able (which this one won).

Verdict: competent, lit-ficcy, grim, ultimately not a satisfying reading meal. I almost feel sullied.

Read for Something Bookish's 2024 reading challenge, prompt nr.24: 'a novel with an unreliable narrator'.

Content warnings: caste-ism, classism, women in secondary and downtrodden clichéd roles, murder, violence, blood, spit, shit, piss, car accident, child death.

Crossposted from Goodreads.

Content Warnings

crazytealady's review against another edition

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dark funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

mari1532's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I have a paperback copy of this book, but it has been on my to-be-read pile for far too long so I decided to check out the audiobook from my local library. Somehow I think that the narrator made this book better. There was a lot of nuance, especially in the humour throughout this book and the tonal inflection while the story unfolded I think was so important to the story.

The narrative was beautifully written. Although this book is written from Balram's very specific perspective the novel does provide commentary on, albeit an exaggeration of, the political and caste systems in India. The nuance of Balram as a character was effectively communicated via the direct letter-writing style of the narrative. That being said I did not find Balram likeable, but I did find him to be personable. Adiga's writing made Balram a nuanced character whose motivation and actions were not always clear.

If you like a book with great writing and a well throughout plot I'd recommend this book.

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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dark funny reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I really enjoyed White Tiger, particularly for the narrative voice which is strong, irreverent, irrepressible and unapologetic. The narrator is Balram Halwai and this novel unfolds as a series of letters written to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao who is due to visit India to learn why and how it produces so many successful entrepreneurs. Considering himself a successful entrepreneur and wanting to ensure the Chinese premier isn’t misled by government officials, Balram recounts the story of his own rise from promising but poor child to successful businessman by way of stints as a teashop waiter and servant/driver. His story highlights the divisions between rich and poor, the impact of the caste system, corruption, exploitation and abuse of workers, and many other issues in contemporary India. The legacy of colonialism and the impact of global capitalism are clearly evident. It also highlights the necessity of hard work, seizing whatever opportunities can be found, hustling, and - most importantly - looking out for yourself, because no one else will. Balram may believe his road to success is an exemplary one. Given that it involves theft and murder the reader is unlikely to agree. And yet knowing all that Balram was up against, how heavily the odds were stacked against him I found myself having some empathy, if not sympathy, for him. I really wanted him to find a way to reach his dreams and succeed, while deploring the means he took to eventually do so. This novel does not cast India in a favourable light, - the problems it highlights, albeit in a satirical fashion, undeniably exist. So this is an important book, yet it doesn’t feel worthy and dry. And that’s because of the narrator. Amoral and unreliable he may be, but he makes for an enjoyable, compelling and unputdownable reading experience.

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kaitoro_walker13's review

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dark reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Great idea. Some parts felt a little slow, but otherwise this us a great book that deals with major problems facing India. Overall, I enjoyed this book thoroughly.

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