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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Really enjoyed this book. Recommend both it and the film for sure!
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I watched the movie years ago so I decided that I have to read the novel it was a good novel, You 'll feel bad about the things that happen in india it really really sad it have that moments when you want to cry because you have a better life than what they have, Alhamdulillah. If you would like to read a novel that have a great great message so you 'll have to read this one.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
medium-paced
This novel is really dark & disturbing at times, while also being heartwarming and inspirational. Arrested for suspicion of cheating on “Who Will Win a Billion”, Ram reviews gameshow footage with his lawyer and explains how he was able to answer every question correctly. I love how this book was written; each chapter is related to a different game show question. Ram shares his stories growing up in the slums of India, and demonstrates how his experiences have provided him with the knowledge to answer each question correctly. While I loved how this novel was written, I did find it a little difficult to follow at times. Most chapters (stories) in this book are interesting, but some seemed to drag a little. I can’t quite pinpoint exactly why this novel didn’t hit the mark for me. I found it just “okay” overall.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Ram Mohammad Thomas participated in a quiz show and won a billion rupees, after living in poverty for most of his life. Because of his lack of education though, the show producers believe that he has cheated, and they try to make him confess through torture. After the lawyer Smita Shah rescues him, Ram tells her how he came to know all the answers in the quiz show to prove his innocence.
As Ram explains Smita how he knew the answers, we not only get to know Ram himself, but also life in India, especially the life of the poor. The book focuses on issues like child abuse, rape, religious conflicts and the difference between rich and poor. We also encounter a few cases of suicide, corruption, mutilation and prostitution.
Slumdog Millionaire is a peculiar novel. Even though I didn’t care for the characters, the plot or anything else, I didn’t really mind reading it, but I wouldn’t do it again. And since I already mentioned the characters, let’s start with Ram.
Ram is the protagonist of the story and he is the one we are supposed to sympathise with. And it’s true that he has had a difficult life. But I wouldn’t even have been able to make one of my brain cells care if I tried. Probably because he didn’t seem to have any emotions either. No matter what happens, he is the rational and smart one, except for a few cases. This could be explained by Swarups inexperience as an author, which proves to be true as can be seen by this quote:
This brings us to the next topic: the plot, which was just as unrealistic as everything else. Now, don’t understand me wrong. I am not claiming that life in India is easy for everyone, but it seemed to me as if Swarup just took every horrible thing that can happen to you and declared it a book. Not only that, but Ram manages to escape and outsmart everyone, even though he is only 18 years old and even younger in most of the scenarios. Sure, you don’t need an education to be smart, but Ram could just as well have been the invincible hero of a Bollywood movie.
And that is not the only thing this book has in common with a Bollywood movie. At the beginning of the book, I was sure its intention was to educate people on issues in India. Then it became a love story and suddenly one of revenge. Which is really funny, considering the criticism of this genre mixing in Bollywood movies and of the film industry in India in general. Because in the end, this novel was just one big Bollywood movie, only without the dancing and singing, which could have made the book less boring.
I was even more surprised when I read what the author actually intended to say with his novel. He wanted to show that one does not need book knowledge to be smart enough to win a game show. It doesn’t matter if you are poor or rich, if you acquired your knowledge in school or in the streets. If you try hard enough, you can succeed. That in itself is a good message, but I don’t think that it actually fits the book. Ram may have spent a lot of his life on the streets, but the knowledge he shows is definitely not normal street knowledge. I am not sure if it is because Vikas Swarup grew up in a wealthy family, but he has no idea what street knowledge is. It means being able to adapt, to negotiate, to make quick decisions and to simply survive. Even though we occasionally see these traits in Ram, they didn’t help him to win the quiz show.
After this pretty negative review, one could think that I hate this book. But I do not hate it. I don’t have any feelings towards it at all. The issues I have with the novel only appeared after having read and thought about it. While reading it, I just didn’t care.
If you want to know more about India and its numerous problems, just read articles or something. They actually report about real people, with real experiences and feelings. If you want to read a fictional novel set in the slums of India that tells the story of an orphan’s life, don’t read this novel. I am sure there are far better ones out there.
As Ram explains Smita how he knew the answers, we not only get to know Ram himself, but also life in India, especially the life of the poor. The book focuses on issues like child abuse, rape, religious conflicts and the difference between rich and poor. We also encounter a few cases of suicide, corruption, mutilation and prostitution.
Slumdog Millionaire is a peculiar novel. Even though I didn’t care for the characters, the plot or anything else, I didn’t really mind reading it, but I wouldn’t do it again. And since I already mentioned the characters, let’s start with Ram.
Ram is the protagonist of the story and he is the one we are supposed to sympathise with. And it’s true that he has had a difficult life. But I wouldn’t even have been able to make one of my brain cells care if I tried. Probably because he didn’t seem to have any emotions either. No matter what happens, he is the rational and smart one, except for a few cases. This could be explained by Swarups inexperience as an author, which proves to be true as can be seen by this quote:
“Finding the right words to describe those emotions was gut wrenching.”The only problem with that is that he didn’t actually find the words to describe those emotions. Because no matter how many horrible things happened in the novel, I didn’t feel anything. And not because I am a heartless bitch, but because everything was just so unrealistic and badly written.
This brings us to the next topic: the plot, which was just as unrealistic as everything else. Now, don’t understand me wrong. I am not claiming that life in India is easy for everyone, but it seemed to me as if Swarup just took every horrible thing that can happen to you and declared it a book. Not only that, but Ram manages to escape and outsmart everyone, even though he is only 18 years old and even younger in most of the scenarios. Sure, you don’t need an education to be smart, but Ram could just as well have been the invincible hero of a Bollywood movie.
And that is not the only thing this book has in common with a Bollywood movie. At the beginning of the book, I was sure its intention was to educate people on issues in India. Then it became a love story and suddenly one of revenge. Which is really funny, considering the criticism of this genre mixing in Bollywood movies and of the film industry in India in general. Because in the end, this novel was just one big Bollywood movie, only without the dancing and singing, which could have made the book less boring.
I was even more surprised when I read what the author actually intended to say with his novel. He wanted to show that one does not need book knowledge to be smart enough to win a game show. It doesn’t matter if you are poor or rich, if you acquired your knowledge in school or in the streets. If you try hard enough, you can succeed. That in itself is a good message, but I don’t think that it actually fits the book. Ram may have spent a lot of his life on the streets, but the knowledge he shows is definitely not normal street knowledge. I am not sure if it is because Vikas Swarup grew up in a wealthy family, but he has no idea what street knowledge is. It means being able to adapt, to negotiate, to make quick decisions and to simply survive. Even though we occasionally see these traits in Ram, they didn’t help him to win the quiz show.
After this pretty negative review, one could think that I hate this book. But I do not hate it. I don’t have any feelings towards it at all. The issues I have with the novel only appeared after having read and thought about it. While reading it, I just didn’t care.
If you want to know more about India and its numerous problems, just read articles or something. They actually report about real people, with real experiences and feelings. If you want to read a fictional novel set in the slums of India that tells the story of an orphan’s life, don’t read this novel. I am sure there are far better ones out there.
This was so moving so funny and oh so clever . Just what I needed. A woven tale it all fits together ! Just brilliant .