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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
I didn't see the movie, and this book sat on my "to read" pile for a long time. I found the back-and-forth between game show scenes and what had happened to allow the main character to know the answer an interesting plot device.
The storytelling in this one was too gimmicky. Connecting the questions each to a part of the protagonist's life seemed interesting at first but quickly wore off. The beginning was good, but the more episodes you read, the more disconnected everything feels. In the end, it was more like a collection of short stories.
The book tries to tackle a lot of issues but never goes into much depth and stays superficial, too the point where some parts are almost contradictory and the protagonist doesn't seem like a really round character anymore.
And the big revelations at the end couldn't save it either as they were pretty far fetched and seemed added in at the last minute to create a strong ending.
The book tries to tackle a lot of issues but never goes into much depth and stays superficial, too the point where some parts are almost contradictory and the protagonist doesn't seem like a really round character anymore.
And the big revelations at the end couldn't save it either as they were pretty far fetched and seemed added in at the last minute to create a strong ending.
TERRIBLE last 60ish pages. Terrible, terrible, terrible.
Most of Q&A is very good and extremely entertaining. I had a difficult time putting down the story. Then I got towards the ending. The dialogue was horrible, the forced, predictable plot was egregious....what a shame. Had the last part of the book been written differently, this could have easily been a four and a half star book. The concluding two chapters are absolutely rubbish. What shame that a book that is so good for so long will forever be branded in my head by such a lousy conclusion.
Most of Q&A is very good and extremely entertaining. I had a difficult time putting down the story. Then I got towards the ending. The dialogue was horrible, the forced, predictable plot was egregious....what a shame. Had the last part of the book been written differently, this could have easily been a four and a half star book. The concluding two chapters are absolutely rubbish. What shame that a book that is so good for so long will forever be branded in my head by such a lousy conclusion.
So endearing! Was captivated through every single story Ram recounts on his epic life journey where he learned not only trivia facts that help him to answer all 12 trivia questions right, but also valuable life lessons along the way. I was fully invested from page 1. I laughed, cried, screamed, gasped and cheered for Ram and his people!
2.5/5
I thought I liked this book, but now that I've had a few days to digest it, I realize it was just "okay." Meh. Fine. The twist at the end was really unexpected, especially considering this book isn't a thriller or a suspense. However, ultimately I felt it was just too unbelievable and dragged on in some sections. My biggest criticism is the author's approach to homosexuality throughout the novel. He would often pair homosexuality with criminality in a way that not necessarily assumed all gay people were bad, but drew an uncomfortable parallel between the two. This occurred with at least three different characters, who were all bad men who were sexually abusive to young boys, and it majorly rubbed me the wrong way. The author only described gay men in terms of being pedophiles or being abusive; I didn't like it the first time it happened, but I didn't dwell on it, but the second and third times, I definitely noticed a trend.
I thought I liked this book, but now that I've had a few days to digest it, I realize it was just "okay." Meh. Fine. The twist at the end was really unexpected, especially considering this book isn't a thriller or a suspense. However, ultimately I felt it was just too unbelievable and dragged on in some sections. My biggest criticism is the author's approach to homosexuality throughout the novel. He would often pair homosexuality with criminality in a way that not necessarily assumed all gay people were bad, but drew an uncomfortable parallel between the two. This occurred with at least three different characters, who were all bad men who were sexually abusive to young boys, and it majorly rubbed me the wrong way. The author only described gay men in terms of being pedophiles or being abusive; I didn't like it the first time it happened, but I didn't dwell on it, but the second and third times, I definitely noticed a trend.
wow! I'm absolutely shocked by how much I enjoyed this book!
Since I don't live under a rock, talk of the movie has been flooding my head for months upon months, but I never thought it looked any good. Finally, after hearing a number of my friends say that it really is worthy of the hype, I decided I would cave, and see the movie when it comes out on DVD.
I was in a store the other day and saw the book on sale, so I decided to pick it up and read it. After the first 3 pages or so, I was completely hooked. This was not at all what I was expecting!
I found the pace to be incredibly exciting- I liked Swarup was constantly jumping around the timeline. And really, although most readers won't be able to relate to Ram's circumstances, I think everyone can relate to the idea of learning something really valuable from an otherwise terrible situation. Slumdog really revived that feeling of life being one giant learning experience...inspiring, to say the least.
I have yet to see the movie- I think that will happen this weekend, but I absolutely recommend the book!
Since I don't live under a rock, talk of the movie has been flooding my head for months upon months, but I never thought it looked any good. Finally, after hearing a number of my friends say that it really is worthy of the hype, I decided I would cave, and see the movie when it comes out on DVD.
I was in a store the other day and saw the book on sale, so I decided to pick it up and read it. After the first 3 pages or so, I was completely hooked. This was not at all what I was expecting!
I found the pace to be incredibly exciting- I liked Swarup was constantly jumping around the timeline. And really, although most readers won't be able to relate to Ram's circumstances, I think everyone can relate to the idea of learning something really valuable from an otherwise terrible situation. Slumdog really revived that feeling of life being one giant learning experience...inspiring, to say the least.
I have yet to see the movie- I think that will happen this weekend, but I absolutely recommend the book!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“Exactly. It’s my lucky coin. But as I said, luck has got nothing to do with it....Luck comes from within.”
I picked up Slumdog Millionaire on a whim. I wanted an audiobook to listen to while I went for a walk with the intention of listening for that one walk only. I wasn’t expecting much. That intention turned into the listening of the entire book within a week. The story immediately captured me.
Slumdog Millionaire was highly entertaining. Ram’s stories were full of drama, escapes, love interest, brutality, poverty, cleverness and street smarts. Ram treated others with compassion and kindness. Many times, he gave to others at his own expense. The level of poverty struck me; the marginalized are often disregarded. I gained a different perspective. Through Ram’s voice, India came to life for me.
Despite that fact that Ram’s stories captivated me, I did not connect with him. I felt more for those in his stories, but even that, not much. I felt the most for the general infliction of living in poverty than an actual character. For most of the story I felt ambivalent. The ending changed the ambivalence into an admiration for Ram and his journey.
Side note: the narrator for the audiobook, Christopher Simpson, did his job well. A narrator can make or break a story regardless of how well written a story is. He made the story.
Rating: 3.5 stars
I picked up Slumdog Millionaire on a whim. I wanted an audiobook to listen to while I went for a walk with the intention of listening for that one walk only. I wasn’t expecting much. That intention turned into the listening of the entire book within a week. The story immediately captured me.
Slumdog Millionaire was highly entertaining. Ram’s stories were full of drama, escapes, love interest, brutality, poverty, cleverness and street smarts. Ram treated others with compassion and kindness. Many times, he gave to others at his own expense. The level of poverty struck me; the marginalized are often disregarded. I gained a different perspective. Through Ram’s voice, India came to life for me.
Despite that fact that Ram’s stories captivated me, I did not connect with him. I felt more for those in his stories, but even that, not much. I felt the most for the general infliction of living in poverty than an actual character. For most of the story I felt ambivalent. The ending changed the ambivalence into an admiration for Ram and his journey.
Side note: the narrator for the audiobook, Christopher Simpson, did his job well. A narrator can make or break a story regardless of how well written a story is. He made the story.
Rating: 3.5 stars
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No