A review by serendipitysbooks
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

dark funny reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

 I really enjoyed White Tiger, particularly for the narrative voice which is strong, irreverent, irrepressible and unapologetic. The narrator is Balram Halwai and this novel unfolds as a series of letters written to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao who is due to visit India to learn why and how it produces so many successful entrepreneurs. Considering himself a successful entrepreneur and wanting to ensure the Chinese premier isn’t misled by government officials, Balram recounts the story of his own rise from promising but poor child to successful businessman by way of stints as a teashop waiter and servant/driver. His story highlights the divisions between rich and poor, the impact of the caste system, corruption, exploitation and abuse of workers, and many other issues in contemporary India. The legacy of colonialism and the impact of global capitalism are clearly evident. It also highlights the necessity of hard work, seizing whatever opportunities can be found, hustling, and - most importantly - looking out for yourself, because no one else will. Balram may believe his road to success is an exemplary one. Given that it involves theft and murder the reader is unlikely to agree. And yet knowing all that Balram was up against, how heavily the odds were stacked against him I found myself having some empathy, if not sympathy, for him. I really wanted him to find a way to reach his dreams and succeed, while deploring the means he took to eventually do so. This novel does not cast India in a favourable light, - the problems it highlights, albeit in a satirical fashion, undeniably exist. So this is an important book, yet it doesn’t feel worthy and dry. And that’s because of the narrator. Amoral and unreliable he may be, but he makes for an enjoyable, compelling and unputdownable reading experience. 
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