A review by apobec
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

An interesting story of a boy from an Indian village who becomes a servant/driver, then eventually kills his master, runs off and runs his own taxi business. It’s told through the intriguing lens of retrospective letters the protagonist is writing to the Chinese primer minister ahead of an upcoming visit, purporting to use his story to teach the prime minister about Indian entrepreneurship. Through the story we’re treated to a class commentary about how-the-other-half-lives: the mindset of the master and servant classes, the casual cruelty of the privileged few forcing the narrator to a cruelty of his own. At the edges, the moral is reflected at the global scale: the West cruelly takes Indians (and Chinese) for granted, and the protagonist foresees the downtrodden savvy Asians soon overtaking their white “masters”. 

The story was interesting, but didn’t pull me in quite as much as some of the other recent prize-winners I’ve read. It drags a bit at times, and I’m not sure I would’ve made it through without a well-timed plane flight. But it’s still an interesting read, a window into another place and people, and a bold storytelling mechanic/frame that stands out. Would certainly recommend to a friend.