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The White Tiger
by: Aravind Adiga

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Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours Binding: Hardcover
EAN: 9781843547204
ISBN: 1843547201
Label: Atlantic Books
Manufacturer: Atlantic Books
Number Of Pages: 336
Publication Date: March 01, 2008
Publisher: Atlantic Books
Studio: Atlantic Books
Sales Rank: 19

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Editorial Review:

Amazon.co.uk Review:
Winning the Man Booker prize is something that most authors dream of, although -- ironically -- the reputation of the prize itself was under siege a few years ago. Books that won the award were acquiring a reputation of being difficult and inaccessible, but those days appear to be over -- and unarguable proof may be found in the 2008 winner, The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. Apart from its considerable literary merit, the novel is the most compelling of pageturners (in the old-fashioned sense of that phrase) and offers a picture of modern India that is as evocative as it is unflattering. The protagonist, too, is drawn in the most masterly of fashion.

Balram Halwai, the eponymous ‘white tiger’, is a diminutive, overweight ex-teashop worker who now earns his living as a chauffeur. But this is only one side of his protean personality; he deals in confidence scams, over-ambitious business promotions (built on the shakiest of foundations) and enjoys approaching life with a philosophical turn of mind. But is Balram also a murderer? We learn the answer as we devour these 500 odd pages. Born into an impoverished family, Balram is removed from school by his parents in order to earn money in a thankless job: shop employee. He is forced into banal, mind-numbing work. But Balram dreams of escaping -- and a chance arises when a well-heeled village landlord takes him on as a chauffeur for his son (although the duties involve transporting the latter's wife and two Pomeranian dogs). From the rich new perspective offered to him in this more interesting job, Balram discovers New Delhi, and a vision of the city changes his life forever. His learning curve is very steep, and he quickly comes to believe that the way to the top is by the most expedient means. And if that involves committing the odd crime of violence, he persuades himself that this is what successful people must do.

The story of the amoral protagonist at the centre of this fascinating narrative is, of course, what keeps the reader comprehensively gripped, but perhaps the real achievement of the book is in its picture of two Indias: the bleak, soul-destroying poverty of village life and the glittering prizes to be found in the big city. The book cleverly avoids fulfilling any of the expectations a potential reader might have -- except that of instructing and entertaining. The White Tiger will have many readers anxious to see what Adiga will do next. --Barry Forshaw

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- A decent read but a disappointing Booker.
We agreed to read the Booker winner for book club, and this book was exactly what I expected. Far from sensationally exposing the little-known 'dark underbelly' of modern India, it is exactly the same as the all the other books exposing the little-known dark underbelly of modern India - we read Q&A last year and this book is pretty much the same, even inferior. In fact, exposing the little-known dark underbelly of modern India seems to be the most popular genre currently in print.

Having said that, this is not a terrible book, although I also didn't find it at all humourous. It is well paced and easy to read and if the author wanted to convey the utter hopelessness of everyone alive in India today, he did this well. Again though, ... Read More:

Rating:

- Booker beware.
I am with A. M. Dell Munro. If this is the best then? I don't even think it was a particularly clever story. I was glad to finish it only just before putting it in the bin. What do you clever Booker boys look for in a book? Bah bah Humbug.

Rating:

- The White Tiger - Journey into the Light...
I enjoyed reading this book, the storyline was straightforward and easy to follow and having never been to India myself, I found it refreshing to read about it the way it really is, without having to sit through fantastical descriptions with no correlation to the real world.
I noticed that many have said they found the character two dimensional. On the contrary, I found him to have quite an interesting character, and as I read along I couldn't help but wish he finds what he is looking for, that he manages to escape the 'cage' holding him in (be it due to lack of education, of money, or simply due to the difficulties he is faced with, born in the Darnkess but straining to move into the Light).
I also think that the fact that it is ... Read More:

Rating:

- If this is the best then....
This won the Booker prize - if it the best then the worst must have been pretty awful. The book never felt as if it got any momentum going. Yes it was descriptive, but at times I wished that Balram would slit my throat too. I am sure that the portrayal of India is probably accurate and the author will not be Mr. Popular back home, but don't you sometimes wish that a story could win one of these prizes instead of some "clever satirical tale"

Rating:

- A readable Booker Prize winner!
I saw the author on tv recently say that he wanted to write about the 'real India' and if he has succeeded (I've not visited the county) I'm not surprised the novels's jacket suggests that India's tourist board won't be pleased with the result.

The coutry is aflow with sewage and dirt and only money and ruthless ambition will keep you out of it: very Dickensian. Adiga portrays an India where everyone in authority welcomes a backhander and the only way for a poor person to succeeed is through murder, ar at the very least by allowing themselves to be corrupted (like the fellow villager who finds end up with an important government job).

The narrator is writing to China's premier to tell him about the 'real' India in the ... Read More:

Books : The White Tiger