The White Tiger
Ratings136
Average rating3.7
What a headache of a book
Def would have to return to it in a couple of years from a non-academic perspective to perhaps find appreciation for it.
However, despite my emotional outlook, the book did provide food for thought in terms of how far are the means justified when justifying ends. Balram’s journey is a journey we see presented in media so often and I personally think Adiga’s novel was too resemblant of novels with the same message and themes.
Structure wise, the writing style made up for the lack of engaging content as we became the Premiere. Felt a little too dragged out for the bulk of the book and then a sudden rushed conclusion. I also felt that sometimes the use of a profanity/slur was a bit misplaced and didn’t necessarily add any value to the view of Balram. Rather it could have indicated a bit of lazy writing.
I'm confused about my feelings for this book. The writing is good, I admit. But the topic has left me confused and unhappy. It is a satire about India - the real life of the real people - both the rich and the poor. I was truly saddened by the life of Balram, our protagonist. But then, he treats his master, the one person in this world who treated him like a fellow human being, so appallingly without so much remorse. It was a contradictory read, to say the least. Interesting,too. But depressing. I will not be reading it again.
Very good book - extremely entertaining.
Small spoilers:
Surprisingly, the whole Count Of Monte Cristo-esque makeover into a rich person only happens in the last 20-30 pages, so some might think the whole “lowly servant” segment drags too long.
While this book's story is historically and socially interesting, I didn't think it was well written at all. The excessive levity of the tone fails in the attempt of sophisticated humor and instead removes complexity and empathy from the characters. I feel like the author decided to use a formula that could have worked for a few pages/chapters and instead he stuck with it for the entire book making the book itself feel a little fake and an immature exercise of style. I did enjoy learning more about Indian society, so I powered through it, but strictly in terms of book quality, it was not worth finishing reading it.
It was a good book. I don't like stories told by those of questionable moral character. But otherwise an interesting story
A good read overall. The author tells us about India as it really is. The only weak aspect was the primary motivation behind the characters' one main action.
unique narrator. interesting insights into the class system in India and the interactions between rich and the very poor. well written. It won the Man Booker prize in 2008.
I usually connect novels set in India with magic, colour and vibrancy. This book certainly started out that way, but as you read further a new gritty image of the country appears. It is dark and it is desperate. Balram is mostly a likable character (albeit a murderer) whose situation as a mistreated and unappreciated servant sees him spiral out of the “Darkness” and into the “Light.” Is it social justice though? What is the price of freedom?
“Why can't [insert country here] get their act together? It's so simple! If only they would [insert solution] ...” We've all thought that some time, about some country or another. It should be so simple! Adiga shows, vividly, why it's not. His depiction of modern-day India shows the cultural stasis, class boundaries, corruption, resentment that shapes its people and all their interactions. The image of broken manacles is a frequent ironic motif. As a child of a different third-world country, I found myself nodding in recognition at the world he describes. So many possibilities, so tragically limited by its own people. I wonder what first-worlders will think of the world he describes?I've never read Fukuyama's [b:Trust 57980 Trust The Social Virtues and The Creation of Prosperity Francis Fukuyama http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51djbFJ7b%2BL.SL75.jpg 56475], but I think it's time for me to do so now. I expect to find many parallels.(Oh, a note about the audio CD: the reader is exceptional.)
The White Tiger
Wat een heerlijk boek is dit. De eerste keer dat ik dit las was ik 21 en had ik het ambitieuze plan om alle winnaars van de Man Booker prijs te lezen. Dus daar was ik hard mee bezig.
Vorige week sloot ik dan eindeljk mijn andere boek af: A Game of Thrones en begon meteen als een razende te lezen aan deze heerlijke roman. 5 dagen later en het is achter de rug.
Waarom spreekt dit mij zo aan? Ik wijt het aan 3 dingen:
- een totaal disrespect voor de status quo
- unreliable narrator perspectief (my fave)
- setting in een niet-wit land waar plekken als Amerika of Europese highlights niet een centraal punt van het verhaal vormen.
Ik denk dat de mooiste zin uit het boek is: “This new generation, I tell you, is growing up with no morals at all.”
Die vat eigenlijk het geheel samen. Want een prachtige tentoonstelling van het paradox, de dualiteit van de mens en complexiteit die diepe armoede naast grote rijkdom met zich meebrengt. Wat is goed in een corrupte hiërarchie, doe je mee of breek je eruit? En wat is eruit breken je waard? Heiligt het doel de middelen en al dat soort vragen.
En om het iets persoonlijker te maken, hoe zit ik gevangen in patronen waarin je doet wat van je verwacht wordt, maar niet per se wat goed is? Hoe stop ik “de machine”, of hoe doe ik mijn bijdrage? Waarom protesteer ik niet tegen de klimaatdoelen die niet behaald worden? Waarom praat ik het mijzelf goed om nog vlees te eten of in de witste wijk van Nederland te wonen en van een afstand kritiek te leveren op mensen die naast Ter Apel wonen en niet links stemmen. Etc.
Anyways, hier mijn gedachten want ik kan er maandag niet bij zijn.