Wednesday, December 24, 2008

The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga



One of my favorite things to do since I was a little girl, is to find a great book and read it on Christmas Eve. I got a chance to do it this year and loved every minute of reading The White Tiger. This book is set in India (pretty much now-a-days) and is narrated by Balram, a driver turned entrepeneur, in Bangalore. This is a tale about Balram's life and how he got to be the successful man he is today by killing his employer. This is not a story about a cold-blooded killer but a story of the things people do to make their lives better. Balram comes from nothing and works hard to create a new life for himself. This book made me angry, angry that people still are treated as slaves and forced to live in the basements of the apartment blocks that their masters liv; that they are paid almost nothing and told to be grateful. This book skillfully makes you feel for Balram, even after he has killed someone. I know I was reading page by page hoping he got away. This novel is a dark-comedy and I found myself laughing sometimes but then feeling bad about laughing seconds later.

This is an excellent read.

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