Monday, July 13, 2009

The White Tiger by Aravinda Adiga -- A Book Review


Meet Balram Halwai, the 'White Tiger': servant, philosopher, entrepreneur and murderer. Balram, the White Tiger, was born in a backwater village on the River Ganges, the son of a rickshaw-puller. He works in a teashop, crushing coal and wiping tables, but nurses a dream of escape. When he learns that a rich village landlord needs a chauffeur, he takes his opportunity, and is soon on his way to Delhi behind the wheel of a Honda. Amid the cockroaches and call-centres, the 36,000,004 gods, the slums, the shopping malls, and the crippling traffic jams, Balram learns of a new morality at the heart of a new India. Driven by desire to better himself, he comes to see how the Tiger might escape his cage...

1 comment:

  1. Living in the western world it is hard to believe people live like this. I don’t believe in true freedom, we’re not exactly free are we? When someone or some-persons are telling you what you can and cannot do... Even the rich had someone to answer to. It’s sad to know that money is what makes the world go round. If you have it great if you don’t you’re s**t out of luck. It’s funny how people say money doesn’t matter. It’s funny because they are lying. No matter how you swing things it always comes back to money. Money is the number ONE reason why couples divorce today. (1)

    Once Balram had money he was able to escape from his servitude at a high price. We have to assume his whole family have been beaten or killed. It’s funny how “family” can mean so many different things.

    I think it’s interesting how they give each other animal names. He was smart and unique so he was a white tiger. I felt for the crazed tiger at the zoo. It’s how I sometimes feel. When I asked my husband what animal I would be and I told him that he had to answer off the top of his head he said I was a Panda. Not sure about that one...

    I realize this review is a little all over the place, but it's a great book and you should read it!!

    (1) http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/35097/top_reasons_people_divorce.html

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