Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga .
This 321 page novel was the winner of the Man Booker Prize 2008 and tells the story of Balram Halwai as he moves from rural to urban life in India. This book is written in the first person in a style adopted by many bloggers for their personal blogs. Aravind explores the differences between life in the Darkness, a simple agricultural life and life in the Light, in prosperous expanding and vibrant cities. This book is okay but I would not suggest that bloggers buy a copy, although it would be okay to read if it is passed onto you.
The story is quite claustrophobic and there is very little humour to enjoy. I would not consider The White Tiger to be a prize winner because although the story starts off bright it does become a little tired. Aravind's writing style is quite left-wing in attitude and he paints a gritty picture of current day India. This story shows that the poor have very little hope of getting a better life, whether they live in the Darkness or the Light. Even in the vibrant cities the poor cannot escape the poverty although their slums are adjacent to the luxury homes. The success of the rich is always made from the suffering of the poor, regardless of location within India. There are better novels about current day India but The White Tiger is okay as a taster.
This 321 page novel was the winner of the Man Booker Prize 2008 and tells the story of Balram Halwai as he moves from rural to urban life in India. This book is written in the first person in a style adopted by many bloggers for their personal blogs. Aravind explores the differences between life in the Darkness, a simple agricultural life and life in the Light, in prosperous expanding and vibrant cities. This book is okay but I would not suggest that bloggers buy a copy, although it would be okay to read if it is passed onto you.
The story is quite claustrophobic and there is very little humour to enjoy. I would not consider The White Tiger to be a prize winner because although the story starts off bright it does become a little tired. Aravind's writing style is quite left-wing in attitude and he paints a gritty picture of current day India. This story shows that the poor have very little hope of getting a better life, whether they live in the Darkness or the Light. Even in the vibrant cities the poor cannot escape the poverty although their slums are adjacent to the luxury homes. The success of the rich is always made from the suffering of the poor, regardless of location within India. There are better novels about current day India but The White Tiger is okay as a taster.
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