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A review by tiltedpages
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
challenging
dark
informative
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? Yes
4.0
It's darkness over there. Choatic slums. Unkempt households. Men leaving home for hard labour. Women taking care of the family. Trucks loading and unloading hundreds of human labour a day. Schoolteachers stealing lunch money. Boys given no identity contrived to work in local shops. Girls having no access to schools left behind as home makers and forced to child marriage, exploited by the dowry system. Families sharing a single room, no tasty meals were served, no fine suits were seen or worn. Humans left to death in haphazard hospital pavements. Huge mansions built and kept-up for landlords who are nothing less than animals. Unfulfilled promises of the politicians during elections. Corruption, abuse and mistreatment in the air.
It's light over there. Bungalows standing proudly on either side of the luxurious villas. Deluxe cars embellish the elegant courtyards. Politicians marching to and from the mansions. Servants bowing politely before their masters. Men in white rule the kingdom. Women in their charismatic outfits flutter around as butterflies. The seductive aroma of money and power pervades the mansions. Decisions taken purely based on religion and caste. Men and women leisurely stroll around malls, parties and night outs. Nepotism, inequality and materialism creates a smokescreen over democracy and human values.
This is India ! Two countries in one: an India of darkness brought by the river and an India of light brought by the ocean. No one, absolutely no one can resist this fact about our country. It is well cemented in the sociopolitical structure that precisely draws a line between the rich and the poor. It is what 'The white tiger' is all about, a subtly written classic that catches every nuance of India and its people ranging from afflicted to affluent in its flawless, authentic and unfiltered form. An excellent, darkly humorous, fast-paced, and character-driven narrative that kept moving a step ahead my anticipations. There is a kind of awakening in this whole chronicle of Balram, an awakening to rise from the feet and stand straight to achieve anything an Indian has dreamt of irrespective of all the tussles and humiliations he has to undergo in the process. I loved the book for this one solid reason !
It's light over there. Bungalows standing proudly on either side of the luxurious villas. Deluxe cars embellish the elegant courtyards. Politicians marching to and from the mansions. Servants bowing politely before their masters. Men in white rule the kingdom. Women in their charismatic outfits flutter around as butterflies. The seductive aroma of money and power pervades the mansions. Decisions taken purely based on religion and caste. Men and women leisurely stroll around malls, parties and night outs. Nepotism, inequality and materialism creates a smokescreen over democracy and human values.
This is India ! Two countries in one: an India of darkness brought by the river and an India of light brought by the ocean. No one, absolutely no one can resist this fact about our country. It is well cemented in the sociopolitical structure that precisely draws a line between the rich and the poor. It is what 'The white tiger' is all about, a subtly written classic that catches every nuance of India and its people ranging from afflicted to affluent in its flawless, authentic and unfiltered form. An excellent, darkly humorous, fast-paced, and character-driven narrative that kept moving a step ahead my anticipations. There is a kind of awakening in this whole chronicle of Balram, an awakening to rise from the feet and stand straight to achieve anything an Indian has dreamt of irrespective of all the tussles and humiliations he has to undergo in the process. I loved the book for this one solid reason !