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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
I really enjoyed reading this. It is unlike any other book I’ve read before with its episodic like format and flowing of events in the past and present, and that really engaged me. Overall I liked the direction of the story, but I got frustrated at some of the things that happened and our main characters decisions sometimes. But that’s sort of the whole heart of the book, in a way.
I’m excited to check the movie out soon as well.
I’m excited to check the movie out soon as well.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Så glad att jag äntligen satte mig för att läsa denna! Tyckte om historian och är taggad på att se filmen nu.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
When I was reading this novel I felt that I was reading a collection of short stories, each chapter brought in new characters, new tales that stood alone as great stories. Entertwined in a novel they give me an insight to the darker side of India that I hadn't really read about before. Obviously this wasn't my first experience of India, but I was shocked at the about of violence and sexual abuse in the book. I did enjoy the book, however dark it was, and recommend it as a thought provoking read.
Góð en Myndin betri. Kannski tengdi ég ekki alveg við íslenskuna
Q & A is an imaginative tale of an uneducated waiter called Ram winning the biggest gameshow prize in history. He's playing India's version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, and although he has little to no general knowledge, he coincidentally has very specific knowledge pertinent to each question asked. Each chapter ends with a quiz-show question, and leads to this point by telling a chapter of his life and how it relates to him knowing the answer to the question. So he knows an answer about the history of the Taj Mahal because he worked there as a tour guide. You get the picture.
I started this book once and put it down right away. I have only read one book by an Indian author and it was harrowing. The sheer scale of the suffering and inhumanity was upsetting and left me miserable and with recurring flashes to the more traumatic moments long after I finished. It seems right to bear witness to the suffering, not to turn away from it. But it's hard, and joyless, and my comprehension of the human misery does nothing to stop it. In short, it's not why I read books. So I picked this up, hoping that its tone would be lighter. Immediately our protagonist is being tortured, in detail. I skipped over the paragraph but was angry. I asked, why am I reading this? Why subject myself to the deep sense of despair? There is something about the gargantuan size of India and its population and its depth of poverty that brings a crushing pessimism.
I did return to the book. I knew what I was getting into this time. Was it worthwhile? Not really. What I will say is that the fable-like quality of writing does mean that its easier to stomach the depth of human despair that is hinted at. As well as torture we have incestual rape, domestic violence, molestation, disfigurement of children, suicide, and much more! Swarup's writing is nowhere near equipped to deal with these subjects, and he doesn't really try to. The book moves so fast, and flies past these topics without looking back. Perhaps this is why this book was so popular - because people feel like they are reading something deep without having to actually engage with the profound topics within. At least with the last book (A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry) there was some artistry to the work. It made me much more miserable, but at least I respected the work.
One reason I don't have much regard for this book is that it relies entirely on coincidence. And not just in the premise, where Ram has a lived experience relating to each question, but at every juncture of the book. In the penultimate chapter Ram saves a man's son's life. He gives Ram a business card. Four months later Ram is on the show and for the first time doesn't know the answer. He fishes around in his pocket and finds the card, which he has until now never looked at, but has for some reason brought to the quiz-show taping. He realises that the man's profession lines up exactly with the question's topic, and calls the number on the card for his phone-a-friend. Even recounting this turn of events makes me feel dumber. This is the first of three serendipitous events that conclude the book and left me conscious of nothing but the artificiality.
While I'm ranting, I have to highlight the most egregious life story/question combo. Ram works for an Australian diplomat who is outed as a spy and disgraced. Ram overhears a conversation where an official states that the diplomat is "persona non grata". His quiz-show question asks what that phrase means. The "correct" answer is option D - "The diplomat is not acceptable". The question is so specific and the answer is so vague, and it's not even correct! It means the person is not welcome!
In short, this book is not clever enough to pull off its premise, not deep enough to justify its tragedies, and not affirming enough to make the journey worthwhile. My Dad loves this book and leant it to me, so I'm not looking forward to telling him I didn't like it.
I started this book once and put it down right away. I have only read one book by an Indian author and it was harrowing. The sheer scale of the suffering and inhumanity was upsetting and left me miserable and with recurring flashes to the more traumatic moments long after I finished. It seems right to bear witness to the suffering, not to turn away from it. But it's hard, and joyless, and my comprehension of the human misery does nothing to stop it. In short, it's not why I read books. So I picked this up, hoping that its tone would be lighter. Immediately our protagonist is being tortured, in detail. I skipped over the paragraph but was angry. I asked, why am I reading this? Why subject myself to the deep sense of despair? There is something about the gargantuan size of India and its population and its depth of poverty that brings a crushing pessimism.
I did return to the book. I knew what I was getting into this time. Was it worthwhile? Not really. What I will say is that the fable-like quality of writing does mean that its easier to stomach the depth of human despair that is hinted at. As well as torture we have incestual rape, domestic violence, molestation, disfigurement of children, suicide, and much more! Swarup's writing is nowhere near equipped to deal with these subjects, and he doesn't really try to. The book moves so fast, and flies past these topics without looking back. Perhaps this is why this book was so popular - because people feel like they are reading something deep without having to actually engage with the profound topics within. At least with the last book (A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry) there was some artistry to the work. It made me much more miserable, but at least I respected the work.
One reason I don't have much regard for this book is that it relies entirely on coincidence. And not just in the premise, where Ram has a lived experience relating to each question, but at every juncture of the book. In the penultimate chapter Ram saves a man's son's life. He gives Ram a business card. Four months later Ram is on the show and for the first time doesn't know the answer. He fishes around in his pocket and finds the card, which he has until now never looked at, but has for some reason brought to the quiz-show taping. He realises that the man's profession lines up exactly with the question's topic, and calls the number on the card for his phone-a-friend. Even recounting this turn of events makes me feel dumber. This is the first of three serendipitous events that conclude the book and left me conscious of nothing but the artificiality.
While I'm ranting, I have to highlight the most egregious life story/question combo. Ram works for an Australian diplomat who is outed as a spy and disgraced. Ram overhears a conversation where an official states that the diplomat is "persona non grata". His quiz-show question asks what that phrase means. The "correct" answer is option D - "The diplomat is not acceptable". The question is so specific and the answer is so vague, and it's not even correct! It means the person is not welcome!
In short, this book is not clever enough to pull off its premise, not deep enough to justify its tragedies, and not affirming enough to make the journey worthwhile. My Dad loves this book and leant it to me, so I'm not looking forward to telling him I didn't like it.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Honestly pretty depressing.
A nice quick read! The narrator's dedication to painting as complete a picture as possible makes for a vibrant story -- though I can imagine his direct audience, in the form of Smita, would be a bit alienated by this frame narrative. The story neatly illustrates life among various socioeconomic classes, but it remains at times a bit too neat and tidy, and the narrative form is rather repetitive. Still, Q&A has some strong chapters and captivating moments in the frame narrative, unfortunately closing in a rush of resolutions.