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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
This book was completely different from the movie version. Completely. Different. You can go blue in the face arguing which version is better, but I think they are so strikingly different that they should not even be compared. I personally think they are both good and have their respective merits.
I can imagine anyone who has seen and loved the movie will be disappointed when they see the book with Jamal and Latika below the words "Slumdog Millionaire" because the filmmakers just took the basic premise of this novel to create their own story. It just happened to be so mind-blowingly successful that they renamed the book in order to sell more copies.
First off, Jamal and Latika do not exist in the novel. The protagonist's name is Ram Mohammed Thomas and he was abandoned as a baby in front of a christian church. Salim is Ram's best friend, not his brother, and he appears sporadically in the book. There is little to no involvement with a mafia. The love interest, Nita, is a prostitute and her pimp is her brother, not a mafia lord. Unlike in the movie, they meet in their late teens, not in childhood. Her character is introduced near the end of the book and she has a pretty passive role.
While the movie and book share the common characteristic of winning a game show based on the main character's knowledge of the answers through his real-life experiences, the book focuses less on the journey to be with his true love and focuses more on the divide between the invisible dirt poor and the prominent stinking rich in India. This is what makes the book great, in my opinion, and it makes sense that it was written by a diplomat.
I will admit that the character development is somewhat lacking in this version. You feel more invested in the events and not as much on the characters themselves. The events are very interesting and they'll keep you on the edge of your seat, but the people living them out remain bland.
This is a book that is not amazing, but it's not bad either. I think it's an entertaining and thought-provoking quick read that many people will enjoy as long as they're not too hung up on the film version.
I can imagine anyone who has seen and loved the movie will be disappointed when they see the book with Jamal and Latika below the words "Slumdog Millionaire" because the filmmakers just took the basic premise of this novel to create their own story. It just happened to be so mind-blowingly successful that they renamed the book in order to sell more copies.
First off, Jamal and Latika do not exist in the novel. The protagonist's name is Ram Mohammed Thomas and he was abandoned as a baby in front of a christian church. Salim is Ram's best friend, not his brother, and he appears sporadically in the book. There is little to no involvement with a mafia. The love interest, Nita, is a prostitute and her pimp is her brother, not a mafia lord. Unlike in the movie, they meet in their late teens, not in childhood. Her character is introduced near the end of the book and she has a pretty passive role.
While the movie and book share the common characteristic of winning a game show based on the main character's knowledge of the answers through his real-life experiences, the book focuses less on the journey to be with his true love and focuses more on the divide between the invisible dirt poor and the prominent stinking rich in India. This is what makes the book great, in my opinion, and it makes sense that it was written by a diplomat.
I will admit that the character development is somewhat lacking in this version. You feel more invested in the events and not as much on the characters themselves. The events are very interesting and they'll keep you on the edge of your seat, but the people living them out remain bland.
This is a book that is not amazing, but it's not bad either. I think it's an entertaining and thought-provoking quick read that many people will enjoy as long as they're not too hung up on the film version.
This is not the Slumdog Millionaire written by Swarup, rather a simplified English version.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
CONTAINS SPOILER. Book much better than the movie, as usual. Hard to believe at times, but that didn't decrease my enjoyment of the story (it's fiction after all). I lost myself in the twists of fate that lead a slum boy to win a big prize and ultimately, reunite with a young woman who provided hope and purpose to him through all of the hardships. Read kind of like a fairy tale. Quick read.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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 gives off the strangest feeling of having been written by two authors, because the quality of the writing is usually good, but at moments will become incredibly awkward- especially during dialogue. Also, Q&A suffered a bit in my estimation because the film adaption was better- more romantic, and had a more overtly cohesive Grand Narrative. Still, it's cute and clever, had some genuinely surprising plot twists, and was a really easy read.
It was fascinating to get to know this unknown world for me, but also I felt terrified at some points. For me the beginning of the book was the most horrifying part, it really shocked me. It was a too harsh start, although the ending wasn't so bad. And I was surprised that the storyline wasn't the same as in the moovie, and in a good way. Little romance, more aspects of poverty.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix