A review by inkyknits
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

adventurous dark funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I had read half this book when it first came out and then decided to re-visit when I saw the trailer for the upcoming movie. Glad I did because it was totally worth reading. I really enjoyed the conversation style, though I confess to being still in the dark about why he's writing to the Chinese Premier. I thought it was an excellent portrait of caste, oppression, and entitlement in India and the costs incurred for trying (or wanting) to break free of the system and the struggle. It was interesting to read it now, when there is a some increase in global awareness of caste and class struggles in India, compared to when the book was published.   At the end I wasn't clear if Balram was at peace with the choices he'd made and their attendant costs or if he'd just been eaten up by the system like everyone else.  
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