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libraryofdreaming's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, this book is a masterpiece. It's brutal, sharp, and addicting. It's definitely made to unsettle you. It was a wild and sometimes extremely painful ride but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the page.
cooturtle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
fast-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
4.5
campbelle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lauracooleyjohnson's review against another edition
4.0
I can’t say I enjoyed this book. But it was a very unique narrative voice and the story packed a punch for sure. Last year I read A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry which painted a pretty desperate picture of India in the 70s. Sadly, this modern novel seems to illustrate that living conditions for many in the country are still bleak, plagued by the legacy and desperation of the caste system. But it was a quick read at least, so I can expedite getting back to the privilege of putting my head in the sand.
loreleimoxon's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating main character and a very unique satire of poverty
dandanbookman's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
kivt's review against another edition
5.0
This has been critiqued pretty hard for contributing to the Indian "poverty porn" industry. It didn't read that way to me for two main reasons: 1) pointed lack of a kindly white savior character & repeated digs at the West, 2) Balram's explicit, if ironic, class consciousness. I could be super off on this, but a lot of books written for white foreigners tend to pander to us pretty hard by making huge parts of the story about us, and they generally skew toward garbage about private charity and "personal responsibility" over calls for class warfare.
Adiga pulls off a lot of really difficult literary tricks. His prose is easy and entertaining to read, which clashes well with the horrors he describes. Balram is the kind of unreliable antihero protagonist that I had given up hope anyone could write in an interesting way. Adiga doesn't use depictions of Balram's vices as a socially condoned excuse to wallow in his own. Instead, they serve to explain something about Balram's context & illustrate his development into a "social entrepreneur."
Adiga pulls off a lot of really difficult literary tricks. His prose is easy and entertaining to read, which clashes well with the horrors he describes. Balram is the kind of unreliable antihero protagonist that I had given up hope anyone could write in an interesting way. Adiga doesn't use depictions of Balram's vices as a socially condoned excuse to wallow in his own. Instead, they serve to explain something about Balram's context & illustrate his development into a "social entrepreneur."
tedcannon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75