You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
Though not particularly well written and slightly homophobic, I do think this will be an interesting text for my Film Adaptation course--how does one go from an average novel with an interesting idea to a film that won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay? In this case by adding a ton of new elements and cutting ninety percent of the plot. It turns out to be a good choice, since much of what Swarup wrote tends to the melodramatic and overly obvious.
I didn't hate the book, I was just underwhelmed. And for such an innovative and energetic movie to come from this source material? Well that's something!
I didn't hate the book, I was just underwhelmed. And for such an innovative and energetic movie to come from this source material? Well that's something!
I listened to the radio play adaptation by Ayeesha Menon, and I loved it. The voice actors are incredible, and the ambient sound really makes you feel like you're traveling with R. M. Thomas. It's shorter than the novel, and I'm sure a lot is left out - for example, there is no arrest. I think I'd like to read the full novel some day as well.
Don't you just love a book that surprises you right up to the very end? Although many parts of this book should leave you feeling utterly depressed, it's actually quite uplifting and a great read. At first I was a little confused because the story jumps around chronologically from chapter to chapter, but ultimately I think that's one of the great things about this book - how it all comes together perfectly at the end. I can't wait to see the movie now (Slumdog Millionaire).
I read this long after watching & loving the movie, Slumdog Millionaire. After a strong recommendation from a good friend and a realization--after True Grit that book versions are often better than the movies, I read this one.
To be honest, after about the first third, I feared I had another Forrest Gump on my hands--one case where the filmmakers found far more humanity and cultural resonance in a character than the author did. But I still had eight questions to go, so I stuck around. I'm glad I did.
The film's flashbacks are chronological, unveiling Ram's childhood in Mumbai's slums, his friendship with Selim, and his growing affection for Nita. The book jumps around the life-span because it isn't trying to develop the Ram character and build the Ram-Nita love story. (With that said, I love that filmmaker Danny Boyle did seize on this aspect in the 2008 film.)
Instead, the book is a drawn-out mystery. Ram isn't on Who Wants to Win a Billion because of Nita--he's come to confront the "bad guy" who comes to embody the injustices that he and Nita have faced.
A story is a tapestry, and Swarup has many colored threads at work here that weave in and out of the connected stories. Besides the characters in the film there is an aging cinema star--India's "Tragedy Queen"--a hit man, an autistic boy, a Scottish priest, a movie hero cum pedophile, and a lawyer to get Ram out of the torture chamber.
All of these threads interweave beautifully and come together at the end. Unfortunately 1 billion rupees solves a lot of problems, but they also make for an abrupt and unsatisfying--if complete--end.
About the only group of movie viewers to whom I would not recommend this book would be those who are expecting the same Nita or the same Selim. They are far different in the book, although interesting in the way Vikas Swarup intended.
To be honest, after about the first third, I feared I had another Forrest Gump on my hands--one case where the filmmakers found far more humanity and cultural resonance in a character than the author did. But I still had eight questions to go, so I stuck around. I'm glad I did.
The film's flashbacks are chronological, unveiling Ram's childhood in Mumbai's slums, his friendship with Selim, and his growing affection for Nita. The book jumps around the life-span because it isn't trying to develop the Ram character and build the Ram-Nita love story. (With that said, I love that filmmaker Danny Boyle did seize on this aspect in the 2008 film.)
Instead, the book is a drawn-out mystery. Ram isn't on Who Wants to Win a Billion because of Nita--he's come to confront the "bad guy" who comes to embody the injustices that he and Nita have faced.
A story is a tapestry, and Swarup has many colored threads at work here that weave in and out of the connected stories. Besides the characters in the film there is an aging cinema star--India's "Tragedy Queen"--a hit man, an autistic boy, a Scottish priest, a movie hero cum pedophile, and a lawyer to get Ram out of the torture chamber.
All of these threads interweave beautifully and come together at the end. Unfortunately 1 billion rupees solves a lot of problems, but they also make for an abrupt and unsatisfying--if complete--end.
About the only group of movie viewers to whom I would not recommend this book would be those who are expecting the same Nita or the same Selim. They are far different in the book, although interesting in the way Vikas Swarup intended.
It's upsetting that the book title has been changed to match the movie's.
It's a good, light read. Do not judge India by the stories in the book. Pure fiction.
It's a good, light read. Do not judge India by the stories in the book. Pure fiction.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
This book literally took me two years to read. Yea. It was good, though. I like the collection of stories and characters, and the way the present was tied in with the past. I do prefer the book over the movie, but that's a different thing.
I've never seen the film adaptation, but if it's anything like the book, it's an adventure, following one Indian boy's quest for money and meaningfulness, all in the name of winning a quiz show. Fairy tales and quiz shows don't abide by standard modes of reality, so this book plays with myths like voodoo, uses a mightily tragic backstory as a tool for empathy, and ends with a wrapped-in-a-bow happy ending. There's some rather obvious plots of choosing good over evil, but the lack of a chronological narrative forces attention. Still, this survival tale is sharp, revealing hope in a corrupted corner of India. Onto the film!