By: Aravind Adiga Publisher: Tantor Media Average Rating: Binding: Audio CD Format: Audiobook, CD, Unabridged Number of Items: 7 Publication Date: May 06, 2008 Studio: Tantor Media
Set in a raw and unromanticized India, The White Tiger---the first-person confession of a murderer---is as compelling for its subject matter as it is for the voice of its narrator: amoral, cynical, unrepentant, yet deeply endearing.
Interesting & unique ^ This is a cleverly written, attention-getting, interesting, entertaining book. It's a page-turner, but it's different, not your usual drama, but it's dramatic. I can't tell what about it won it the Man Booker Prize, but it's prize-worthy. But I'm not sure about it. I think it takes a bit of sophistication and a seasoned reader to enjoy/appreciate this book. It's not easy to explain why I liked it. It's odd!
White Tiger ^ The pompous style of writing contrasting with the material was, I suppose, to be humorous; I found it jarring. I wasn't amused by the book's sick humor.
The resurgence of the "Angry Young Man" ^ Remember the "Angry Young Man"? Remember how he raved against the institution, took insurgence to new levels of passion, showed an alternative path (for better or for worse) to an entire generation of people? Adiga feels like that man. And his mission feels similar. I can't remember the last time I have read such an angry voice in an Indian author. Actually, maybe I have never read such an angry voice. Indian authors have approached the shortfalls and sufferings of India and its denizens from many angles over the ages, but there's been nothing so "in the face". Adiga doesn't mince words - he refers to the protagonist's "homeland" as the Darkness. Period. He uses brutal language, brutal actions. Characters in his book don't shy from speaking or doing the dirty or gross, and in the process, play out a very accurate representation of some "parts" of India. Does Adiga go a little over-the-top in the process, especially by presenting a one-sided, unbalanced view of India as a whole - sure he does, but he has the licence to do that, and in fact, needs to take this approach to give the reader that "sock in the stomach" and "wake the ____ up" sort of call.
A couple of lines outlining the story before going on with my opinion: in a nutshell, it's the story of the "two Indias", demonstrated through the journey, the choices, and the transgressions of one "Balram Halwai" - the oppressed, poor man living in the Darkness, and the foreign-returned, rich, big city boy who employs him as a chauffeur. The overarching theme of the book is the vast gulf between India's haves and have-nots, a real and pressing danger today.
I feel ambiguously about this book. I loved the start - it was positively explosive and a wake-up call. But then, gradually, it became painful. Referring to the oppressed homeland as the Darkness a few times is ok, but when the word is used hundreds of times, it loses its efficacy and even becomes somewhat irritating. And this is in general true of the whole book - the author just did not know where to stop. To be honest, while I appreciate the angry style, I much prefer the gorgeous subtlety of books like Rohinton Mistry's "A Fine Balance" to convey similar messages.
Summarily, I think this is worth a read, if for nothing else, because of its radically different approach from the vast majority of Indian authors. Don't expect the world, and you'll do just fine with this book.
White Tiger's Prophetic ^ You know this book will make you laugh from the first entry (not exactly a sentence): "For the desk of His Excellency Wen Jiabao; The Premier's Office; Beijing; Capital of the freedom-loving Nation of China." It comes from the India narrator, Balram, who describes his Horatio Alger-style rise from poverty to entrepreneurshiup for the edification of a Premier who needs to encourage similar rises in his own country. What's important about Belram, who often refers to the 21C as the "Age of the Yellow and Brown Men," is that you believe him. People in India and China are creating, manufacturing, using their heads to provide legitimately helpful services. Meanwhile, what's done in the US? Bankers, Wall St. manipulators, and politicians play weird little games with money, like creating derivatives, until they bring the country to its knees. Bill Gates is one of the few who stood between us and anihilation, and as the late Nien Cheng said, "He would have been Knighted in England." Here the government harrassed him for years with antitrust suits - our other big industry. But "White Tiger" isn't polemic, so I shouldn't make it sound like it is. It's funny, exciting, and full of story - murder, sex, what have you. Many books are enjoyable reads, but this one truly is a MUST-read.
A first class novel ^ My wife and I both read the audio version of the White Tiger. It was the best of "Radio Theater" in addition to a first class novel. A wonderful view of the other side of India.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
