The White Tiger: A Novel

After the travesty of "The Gathering" being named the best work of fiction in 2007, I had given up on the Booker as the standard bearer of quality or guide for readers of serious fiction. I am therefore delighted to say that with last year's choice for the prestigious award, my faith in the committee's judgment has been restored. Aravind Adiga's debut novel, "The White Tiger (WT)" could be the most contemporary and relevant prize winner of the past 5 years. In a year when the feel good movie "Slumdog Millionaire" won the Oscar for Best Film, it is entirely fitting and congruous that a book such as WT that exposes the underbelly of moral degeneracy and corruption infecting modern Indian should be named the Booker winner. Are they not in a sense mirror images of one another ?

WT has been well reviewed so it would be pointless for me to get into plot details or what the book is all about. Suffice it is for me to say that in the central character of Balram Halwai, Adiga has served up a most unusual hero (or anti-hero), a cold blooded murderer - immoral or amoral, it's up to you - birthed by an ancient civilization coming of age in a rapidly globalising world, its position secure as the undisputed favourite outsourcing destination for developed countries. How is this centuries old, rigidly caste bound (and in some ways) feudal society that has a gridlock on the minds and destiny of its inhabitants to make sense of a world order promising social mobility and encouraging every man to believe that he can be whosoever he aspires to be ?

The Stork, the Buffalo, the Wild Boar, the Raven, Ashok, Pinky Madam, etc - they are from the economically and socially privileged classes, and though each of them is better or worse than the other by degrees, fact is, they are finally the same. They are selfish, beastly, lacking in moral courage, and yet able to get away with the most loathsome and unconscionable acts (eg, getting a servant to admit to a crime committed by his master) only because the unwritten rules of society allow them to. The "rooster coop" is the symbol the author uses to define the numbed mindset of the underprivileged - it is invisible yet unrelenting in its reach. It is up to Balram to prove to himself and those like him that it is indeed possible to redefine one's own destiny. The murder he commits is dastardly, but isn't it entirely conceivable that our Balram could, with a bit of bad luck, be the one rotting away in jail or even executed, for his social superior's crime and wouldn't it just be an ordinary day in the park for everybody else ?

Presented as a series of late night penned letters to the visiting Chinese premier, WT offers a clever and sly critique of modern India and is chockfull of ironies mercilessly rendered in wonderfully humorous prose. It was great fun to read and the fact that it is still high on the bestsellers list more than a year after its publication suggests that it has struck a resounding chord with the reading public. At long last, a truly worthy Booker winner !

You've probably heard the praise. On my book can be found the following blurbs:

"One of the most powerful books I've read in decades. No hyperbole."

"Fresh, funny, different."

"...unsettling."

"...an original voice and vision."

"The future of the novel..."

"...as compelling as it is persuasive..."

Before I go off on a rant, let me say the following:

Decent story. Well-drawn protagonist. Textbook story arc with your standard complications leading to a climax that would be predictable if it wasn't already spelled out for you in chapter one. Clear, concise writing that is sometimes uneven; the narrator is the "white tiger," Balram Halwai, a self-made Indian entrepreneur who got where he is with just a little education and a whole lot of betrayal. In the midst of his tale-telling, Balram occasionally uses words and phrases that don't jive with his working class voice, but these moments are rare. Not altogether rewarding or disappointing, this is the kind of book you'd expect to be produced by one of those learn-by-mail writing programs.

THE RANT: Of the adjectives listed in the quotes above (or among the two dozen others in my book), the only one that I think comes close is "funny." There are amusing moments in the story, but nothing side-splitting. The humor is mostly sardonic. So why is this book getting such praise?

Virtually every glowing review mentions how the book is an "eye-opener." One review calls it the "perfect antidote to lyrical India." First of all, does lyrical India NEED an antidote? Before I ever heard of this book, I assumed India was rife with corruption and social shackles (hello, caste system). Am I the only reader who already knew this sort of thing went on there? Perhaps I'm jaded. I should stop reading the news. And teaching history.

And that's the other thing: is it possible there's a country where there isn't corruption or social abuse? If so, that's a book worth writing about. How does such a place exist, and can it be duplicated anywhere else? I'm not suggesting that India's corruption is not as bad as Africa's, Russia's, China's, Korea's, Central America's, South America's, the US's. Nor am I suggesting that the corruption in India (or ANYWHERE) isn't worthy of a book.

All I'm suggesting is that the book isn't amazing by virtue of its subject matter alone. If you pretend for a moment that rigged elections, foreign-funded civil wars, and an indentured lower class is old news, this book isn't anything special. It's a paint-by-numbers plot told with very few frills and too much foreshadowing. There is no real tension or conclusion to the tale. If the narrator had been omniscient, most of the book would've sounded like the script for a newscast.

Adiga has potential, since even getting the fundamentals of writing down isn't something most people are capable of. But let's hope his next book earns praise not for his subject matter, but for how he portrays that subject matter. This white tiger just didn't have enough stripes for me.

This is a fine tale told in a simple and direct narrative, first person, our narrator being the white tiger himself. It's written in the vernacular, and comes off as a kind of Indian Charles Bukowski, minus the lascivious assaults on the feminine and the alcohol, but reminiscent of Bukowski by its raw honesty. I wonder how they award the Booker. One year it's Yan Martel for a fable, another year it's this fictive journalism, and make no mistake about it; this is a form of journalism. In fact, literature has become one of the best forms of journalism in the modern world. That in and of itself is a sad fact, that the truth is being told by fiction. I spent a month in Delhi in 2011 with my 13 year old son. We were there for a wedding up north, in Sikh country, and I can assure you, Delhi is dirtier and more corrupt than the novel depicts. It is the most naked expression of the human condition I have ever seen in my life, and I am very grateful for the experience. Whatever this country was in the past, holy land or what have you, it is a trash heap now, another victim of the "catch-the-west" mentality that has sacked China as well. Hint to social planners: if your water is undrinkable and your air is unbreathable then you are not a progressive country, no matter what your central bank and economists are telling you.

I read this book while I was in India for 2 weeks. At first I didn't understand why the font looked smeared in some pages, until I realized the book was actually pirated, which confirmed one of the main tenets described in The White Tiger: How corrosive corruption can be.

One of the most humorous, realistic and humane books I've ever read. If you read A Fine Balance by Mistry, which is in itself a master piece, you'll find a perfect complement on this novel. Mistry's dark reading can make you cry. Adiga will get your eyes -and your pants- wet.

A very ad-hoc novel that shades some light on the life and problems of India, on the challenges of democracy in poor countries... and on human nature.

P.S. Of course I bought the book after reading the pirated copy, which my daughter forbade me from destroying because in her words: You never destroy a book.

"Every day millions wake up at dawn -- stand in dirty, crowded buses -- get off at their masters' posh houses -- and then clean the floors, wash the dishes, weed the garden, feed their children, press their feet -- all for a pittance. How does the Rooster Coop work? How does it trap so many millions of men and women so effectively? Can a man break out of the coop? WHat if one day, a driver took his employer's money and ran? What would his life be like?"

These are the questions posed by Aravind Adiga in his savage and riveting book, a book that deservedly took the Booker Prize this year. The book centers on the servant Balram Halwai, a man who comes from the Darkness where his fate is to work for corrupt masters who never truly "see" him or recognize him as anything other than "the driver" or "the servant."

But Balram is complicated. He's had an early education. He aspires to be a man with a "big belly", not a "small belly". He has a resolve not to end up in a mound of indistinguishable bodies that rot in the black mud of Mother Ganga. He wishes to live up to his early nomenclature of the White Tiger -- that rare beast that stands out among the pack.

There is much animal imagery in The White Tiger; the author wishes to show that in the end, we are all animals, struggling to survive in The Rooster Coop of life. There is also an inside look at the most corrupt part of Delhi, where money speaks volumes, where decency is difficult to find, where any "problem" can be solved for a price, and where the value of a human life is cheap if that life is from a lower caste.

The economies of Mr. Adiga's language -- the vividness of his prose -- kept me spellbound throughout this novel. For those who enjoy it, I also recommend Mohsin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist or even better, Moth Smoke, as well as Paul Theroux's The Elephanta Suite. I will eagerly await more work by this author.

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.

This is an eye opening novel of corruption and oppression in modern day India. The protagonist cannot free himself from bondage of class and station without committing crimes, so even then (to my way of thinking) he is not free. Somehow this book is both a fast-paced entertaining read, and a deeply challenging one the more you contemplate it. It would stimulate a wonderful book-club discussion, since there are many metaphorical layers to consider and questions to plumb.

This peak into Indian society made me grateful for the moral fiber of our nation; we spotlight exceptions to this norm, but mostly we take it for granted. Even though we no longer live so close to the law of the jungle - eat or be eaten - we need to be reminded not to become soft and myopic. How can life dictated by ethical principle maintain the cutting edge? If we refuse to kill or bribe, can we continue to rule?

I give this book only 4 stars, but I'm glad I read it and am still thrashing it around in my thought. And now I'm praying about the insidious nature corruption again, which, other than Monsanto, I have let slip off my radar since no longer working with NYC contractors...

This is a clever story about modern India by a debut author with a rich background. It has been a best seller and the beneficiary of cascades of praise from reviewers. "White Tiger" is the name bestowed upon the protagonist, and narrative voice in letters to the Chinese Premier who will be visiting Bangalore, in school. The young man's actual name is Baltran.

The White Tiger explains in a series of letters to the Premier the evolution of Baltran from rickshaw driver to prominent entrepreneur, including a thoughtful exposition of the life of a low caste servant in modern India. From that vantage, India is presented as a culture in which business success is a function of bribery and collusion. The upper castes are presented as feckless rich people. Reviewers were delighted with the story because it did not present Indian culture with the Ballywood flourishes of saffron and colorful saris.

In these respects, the story is rather the reverse journey told in the redoubtable Siddahartha by Herman Hess, in which a rich boy goes out into the world to experience a rather amazing range of financial and love experiences, settling ultimately to be a barge operator on a river ferrying people from here to there. Siddahartha also evoked emotional feeling of the emptiness of a life of privilege.

In The White Tiger, Baltran is presented as an honest, hard working laborer who defies the wishes of his grandmother to be married off in usual fashion. In due course, Baltran stops sending money home to support his family. He then proceeds to murder his employer and steal a red bag full of money intended to be bribes. He then surfaces in Bangalore to become an entrepreneur practicing what he overheard of the ways and means of Indian business learned from the employer whose skull he collapsed with a broken bottle of Johnnie Walker Black. The story does not evoke the emotional self-examination of a Siddahartha.

I enjoyed reading this story. As usual, I read it before reading any reviews or other commentary. I find the largely fawning reviews to provide an interesting commentary on the literary joy to be derived from the evolution of an appealing young man into murderer into successful operator in a corrupt system. In this sense, the book has the same type of feeling as the Afghan story of The Kite Runner, involving the path of a cowardly rich boy to go back to his roots to overcome the consequences of his cowardice.

As a subject for a literature class, it would be illucidating to read The White Tiger and Siddahartha.

I know this book has generated tons of controversy, and after reading it, I feel like much of the criticism (undermining literature on India Shining, lackluster prose, rude, simplistic, undeserving of the Booker) was spurred by jealousy. True it's not an uber literary book, and the narration is so irreverent, the characters so plainly drawn, that I couldn't always connect. But I loved the subject. Mr. Adiga fearlessly plows through the life of a village boy turned city entrepreneur, with nary a pitying glance. "The White Tiger" is structured and paced well, the story is engaging, but mostly it was the commitment to outlining the Indian class divide, to the struggle of the poor and the darkness against the rich and the light, that got me. Even though they're stark and caricatured at times, these themes make this an important book.

This is the best insight into the realities of life in the Sub-continent. The analogies used in the book are witty and powerful at the same time and perhaps the one that appeals to the reader the most is that of the chicken coop. This book is brutal, detailed, witty and an absolutely brilliant piece of literature. To me it has become a classic in modern literature and puts to shame the previous winners of the Booker Prize like the rather insipid "The Gathering". It will not take you long to read this book but you will, through its course, traverse both the glitzy roads of a fast developing India and its much-less-talked-about under belly. The novel is written in the form of a letter composed by the proverbial Indian villager. The narrative is full of sharp wit, emotion and brutal honesty that moves you to the edge of your seat. This has to be one of the finest books to come out in the last few years.

When "The White Tiger" won the Man Booker Prize this year more than a few of the world's literati were shocked that this dark horse of a novel triumphed over the work of other, better known writers. More than a few reviewers questioned whether "The White Tiger" was worthy of the honor that had been bestowed upon it. Although I haven't read the other novels that were shortlisted for the prize, so I can't say how it compares, I can say that this is one of the best novels I've read this year. And I read a lot of novels.

Among this novel's many favorable attributes is one that I prize above all others in fiction: honesty. "The White Tiger" is unfailingly, brutally honest as it casts a gimlet eye upon Indian society, politics, capitalism, and its characters. And honesty is, I think, the primary responsibility of a novelist.

I won't summarize the novel because many others have already done that and I see no sense in covering familiar ground. Those who say that the characters are more caricature than flesh and blood humans may be right, but characterization is not the best reason to read "The White Tiger."

The best reason to read this novel is the insight it will give you into a social, political and economic system that relentlessly seeks to keep the poor in their predetermined places. Balram Halwai, the main character, comes from a social and economic background so impoverished that when he rises to level of driver for a rich landlord's son, it seems to him a stroke of unbelievable good fortune. A roach infested room is paradise in a country where entire families live on the sidewalks. Gradually, however, Balram's eyes begin to open to the realities of the world around him, like the Buddha, he awakens. But what he does once he is awake is a whole different thing. Think Manil Suri meets Jim Thompson.

This novel has a lot to offer the thoughtful reader: lively writing, trenchant wit, a page-turning story, and a charming, but deadly anti-hero in Balram. Its shortcomings are minor by comparison. Congratulations to Aravind Adiga. I look forward to reading his next novel.

This book was the 2008 winner of the Man Booker Prize, and its black, sardonic humor belies the shocking theme: that of a lowly servant who murders his employer and runs away with his money (not a spoiler; that's the book jacket's synopsis).

The story is told in the first person as Balram Halwai writes a series of letters, each titled "The First Night", "The Second Night", etc., to the Premier of China, whose much-publicized upcoming visit to India inspires Balram to spill his guts to someone he thinks might appreciate what he's been through. Balram calls himself a "social entrepreneur", having taken his destiny into his own hands by a violence he himself deplores and is struggling to explain to himself as much as to the Premier.

Adiga's detailed description of the caste system in India is profoundly disturbing, all the more so for its continued existence today. The poor are so shockingly so that they live in conditions far worse than any animal, their fates laid out for them in a predestined, hellish cycle of poverty and misery. In Balram's caste and family, the very best a man can hope for is to live as an enslaved servant to a richer family. One wonders how any human being can even maintain the will to live in the environment Adiga describes.

As dark as it sounds, it's not depressing. Adiga tells the story with such darkly comedic talent that you tend to forget the underlying outcome, although the abysmal conditions of Balram's life are never far from the surface. But what a talent this writer is! I really felt as if I were reading a firsthand account of Balram's life; that I'd picked these letters up somewhere and become privy to one man's unique, incredible story. Balram himself is such an intriguing, humorous and yes, even endearing character that you can't help but like him even though you know what he's going to do.

I had trouble putting it down once I started it, and will definitely read it again. It's a rich and unsettling tale that made such an impression on me that I dreamed about it two nights in a row!

The conceit of Adiga's "White Tiger" -- told in the form of letters from Balram, a successful Indian entrepreneur, writing to the President of China to explain how he rose from poverty and became successful -- has been discussed by other reviewers on the store and I doubt I could add much to their description. Suffice to say that "White Tiger" is indeed an excellent novel, notable as much for the compactness of its prose as it is for the author's skill in braiding humor and pain in order to deliver an extraordinary affecting read.

What stands out in the novel beyond the story is how Adiga succeeds in taking the vast subject of the rapid development of the world's second most populous nation and encapsulates it in this very personal story, drawing it down to a size to which the average reader can relate. Thus readers come to recognize the vast contrasts of a society where so many are gaining so much wealth even as the vast majority continues to languish in poverty, barely surviving at standards of living little changed for centuries. Adiga makes no effort to sugar coat their existence in the "Darkness" as he describes rural India, but even more impressive, he never pulls it down to a maudlin level. The same could be said of his narrator -- at once clever, self effacing, confident, and fully admitting of his faults - never allowed to become less than complex or more than human.

There has been some debate about this novel's selection to win the much coveted Mann Booker Prize. While I was cheering for another novel - Toltz's likewise extraordinary debut "A Fraction of the Whole" - I cannot imagine why anyone would consider Adiga less than deserving of this prestigious award. By any measure, "White Tiger" stands out as a successful work, at once thoughtful, provocative, and endlessly clever. Adiga's immense skills make one curious as to what he will next produce and wonder why any reader wouldn't want to grab the tail of the "White Tiger" and hold on for this superb ride.

The White Tiger is funny enough, at times very funny indeed, but isn't as nourishing as I would expect from a Booker winner. Balram Halwai's journey from the Darkness to his life as a successful (albeit corrupt) entrepreneur is filled with pithy observations about the foibles of the rich and poor. Balram purports to adhere to sacred values, including "family comes first," but he deserts his family at every opportunity and eventually becomes an unrepentant killer. Perhaps (as the novel's text suggests) this is a commentary on the "new morality" in India, but it ultimately makes Balram a difficult character to like. Still, it is possible to like a novel without liking its characters. The novel works well as light humor, a bit less well (for me, at least) as social commentary. I would give it 3 1/2 stars if I could.

Indian society and it's contrast between rich and poor is well documented in fiction. Books such as Midnight's Children and A Fine Balance portray it well.

Adiga refers to the contrast as the darkness and the light. He outlines the progression from the darkness to respectability of Balram. Where Adiga differs from others is that he balances humor and tragedy well.

Balram's perspective is both simple and profound. He tries to be a good man but is not above wickedness as he sees this behaviour from the elite. He portays the elite in a very clownish way.

I enjoyed the novel and especially enjoyed it's direct approach and humor. This is a very good first effort by Adiga.

This is definitely more accessible than most Booker fare and some have hypothesized that it won the Booker as a compromise choice. That may be so but I definitely recommend The White Tiger.

Balram Halwai, the son of a rickshaw-puller in India, is feisty and ambitious. He succeeds in his quest to get a job as a rich man's chauffeur, and we know from the beginning that he kills his boss and becomes an entrepreneur. This set me up to want to find out why he did it and how he got away with it. Balram tells his story in the form of a (very long) letter to the premier of China who is coming to visit Balram's city of Bangalore, ostensibly to find out how to bring technology and entrepreneurship to China. Balram begins by describing the paradox that is India--the high-tech outsourcing companies surrounded by slums with open sewers and contaminated drinking water. Then he proceeds with the story of his life, including his father's death from TB at a public hospital with no doctor. This sounds incredibly bleak, and it gets worse, but Balram's voice is laced with dark humor and sarcasm, and I found myself ashamed to be laughing. I love that Balram justifies the murder of his boss by observing that we often honor our murderous leaders with statues. The author seems to enjoy pointing up all the dichotomies that exist in India. For example, graft and election fixing are rampant in a country that considers itself a democracy. The rich are corrupt, while their poor servants are scrupulously honest to avoid the wrath of their masters. Sadly, the book offers no hope that India will ever be able to dig itself out of this situation, and certainly the author is not suggesting that the country needs more Balrams. The irony is that Balram escapes poverty by emulating the every-man-for-himself attitude of the men in power.

What a fascinating, page-turning, train wreck watching gem of a book! It's Dickensian in its almost casual description of the most horrendous physical and social conditions and is a stunner from the first page. The White Tiger of the title is Balram, so called because of the rareness of the promise he showed in primary school. Because of corruption in the system (which Balram attributes to Ghandi's abolition of castes)and his family's poverty, he must leave school to work in a tea shop, horrible work. He soon loses his innocence and faith in justice and learns to watch for opportunities to better his circumstances. Rather than victim, Balram sees himself as merely disadvantaged, and realizes that the only chance for him is to beat his tormentors at their own game. He is endearingly optimistic that there are better days ahead, and he takes us with him on his amoral way.

Aravind Adiga's depiction of the soul numbing grubbing for survival of India's lower class as well as the sniggering snobbery of the comparatively wealthy, themselves fearful and desperate, is amazing. He packs volumes of information into Balram's drily humorous observations, written as letters to the Chinese premier. This is not a novel of good vs. evil--there is no good, the hero is anything but, and the very fabric of the society is evil--but we root for Balram every step of the way. We exult at his triumphs achieved at the expense of some very dispicable characters and revel when the victimizer becomes victim because we know Balram's actions come out of a desire to achieve what we Westerners take for granted. Had Balram been born in the West he would have become a doctor, lawyer or university professor, but because of an accident of geography he becomes a murderer.

The White Tiger is a compelling story of the human cost of injustice and I highly recomend it.

Young Balram Halwai, describing himself as "The White Tiger, A Thinking Man, And an Entrepreneur" in Bangalore, has decided to tell the story of his short life to Premier Wen Jiabao of China, who is about to visit the city. In a long letter to Jiabao, written over the course of a week, Balram describes his childhood, his escape from rural Darkness to the city, his slow journey from poverty into a servitude which pays him enough to survive, and ultimately his successful entrepreneurship in Bangalore. He is also a wanted man, with his face on posters.

A black-humored study of India from the point of view of an undereducated boy who yearns to be free, Balram's narrative explores the class divides: "These days, there are just two castes: Men with Big Bellies, and Men with Small Bellies." The Big-Belly class includes all public officials, large business owners, and judges, all of whom (in this novel) enhance their salaries by extortion, the private sale of public property, and/or the acceptance of bribes. Dealing harsh and sometimes fatal penalties to the Small-Bellies who cross them, these criminals are among the most successful "entrepreneurs" in the country.

Though a promising student, Balram must give up a scholarship and drop out of school to work, breaking coals at a tea shop to help pay a money-lender for his sister's wedding. When he eventually hears that taxi drivers can earn a good living in the city, he persuades his grandmother to help finance a driving course and moves to the city, where he works for Mr. Ashok and his wife Pinky Madam, as the second driver and servant. He receives a salary, his meals, and a place to live in exchange. He has few complaints about his treatment. His crime against Mr. Ashok, his employer, which we learn in the first few pages of the novel, seems inexplicable, at first, but Adiga has cleverly organized the novel to parallel Balram's increasing awareness of how he is being used, along with his growing understanding of what he needs to do to become a Big-Belly. Working for Mr. Ashok, Balram keeps his eyes and ears open, does what he is told, and looks for a way to escape his servitude.

Adiga creates a unique look at Indian society, one in which the poor Balram, is suddenly exposed to the world of the wealthy, having virtually no contact with the middle-class now burgeoning in India. This creates dramatic contrasts in description and characterization, which the author emphasizes through his dark humor, and as suspense builds throughout the novel about how and why Balram commits his crime, the reader sees that Balram recognizes that such a crime offers him his only chance at freedom. Though Balram has been a lovable rogue for much of the book, no one will empathize with him as he commits his crime. And therein lies the greatest strength of the book. Because Balram has elicited our sympathy for most of the book, our shock is increased by his actions, and that, in turn, re-emphasizes the hopelessness of the poor in the face of widespread corruption by the Big Bellies in control. n Mary Whipple

Add Aravind Adiga to the long list of talented writers of Indian (Rohinton Mistry, Arundhati Roy), Pakistani (Mohsim Hamid) or Sri Lankan (Michael Ondaatje) ethnicity who have enriched the English literary scene. "The White Tiger" was the 2008 Man Booker award winner and deservedly so. Energetic, off beat, amoral yet moral at the same time, it captures the poverty, energy and graft of modern day India better than any newspaper report, better than any travel guide. Adiga's clever story structure and his breezy conversational tone make this a joy to read even though his hero's crime is decapitating his kind and considerate master. I look forward to reading his other books.

I listened to this book as an audio book rented through my local library and I absolutely loved this story. I keep thinking of it. I wonder what my experience would be reading the book vs listening to the audio that I listened to. I absolutely recommend

Adiga's "White Tiger" is compelling and extremely well-written. For some reason, I had a hard time getting involved at first, but the quality of the prose eventually pulled me in. I blame the initial hurdle on myself rather than on Adiga, however, as this isn't normally the type of book I read. In fact, I bumped my initial four-star review up to five, because I was won over despite my own reluctance. Looking back, this is almost entirely because the writing itself drew me in, and captivated me despite my own initial disinterest in the topic. No wonder it won a Booker :-)

The bittersweet transition from dark to light, which is the escape of familial and cultural oppression into the grip of class oppression is powerful and well portrayed. The protagonist and grows as he transitions from villager to the driver of a powerful boss, and then again as he discovers corruption and disgrace in his new position. For a first time author, this is exceptional. I'm deliberately keeping this review short, because I don't want to give away too many of the nuances of the story by talking about them here: suffice it to say that White Tiger is enjoyable as both a character study, a cultural study, and as a novel - especially towards the end when (again, not to give anything away) things turn a bit darker, and more exciting.

I liked writing style of the author, but there is nothing special or moving in his story. And all through the story we hate this Balram Halwai. There is nothing positive. It is like to be an entrepreneur you have to kill someone, bribe (he bribes sooooooooooooooo easily), and bribe more and more. Getting away with murder is soooooooooo easy, and that too when you are just a stupid driver and not even a person with power. I am not convinced with the story. And at the end what he does... runs a cab service.... no twists... no turns... Some incidents are repetitive like visits to malls, politicians, visits of Ashok's brother, the mention of throwing off potatoes filling from dosa, etc. At some places I really liked the way words are used. Following are the quotes I liked from this book:

1) Now, if you visit any train station in India, you will see, as you stand waiting for your train, a row of bizarre-looking machines with red lightbulbs, kaleidoscopic wheels, and whirling yellow circles. These are your-fortune-and-weight-for-one-rupee machines that stand on every rail platform in the country.

They work like this. You put your bags down to the side. You stand on them. Then you insert a one-rupee coin into the slot.

The machine comes to life; levers start to move inside, things go clankety-clank, and the lights flash like crazy. Then there is a loud noise, and a small stiff chit of cardboard colored either green or yellow will pop out of the machine. The lights and noise calm down. On this chit will be written your fortune, and your weight in kilograms.

Two kinds of people use these machines: the children of the rich, or the fully grown adults of the poorer class, who remain all their lives children.

2) We walked for half an hour, from cage to cage. The lion and the lioness were apart from each other and not talking, like a true city couple. The hippo was lying in a giant pond full of mud; Dharam wanted to do what others were doing—throw a stone at the hippo to stir it up—but I told him that would be a cruel thing. Hippos lie in mud and do nothing—that's their nature. Let animals live like animals; let humans live like humans. That's my whole philosophy in a sentence.

3) A White Tiger keeps no friends. It's too dangerous.

This novel is leveled on a completely different spectrum of mood enhancing tone, and vivid imagery, dialogue, and characters. Adiga masterfully initiates a connection with the narrator and the reader through simple means of familiarity with emotions that the cunning, ignorant, and curious character Balram Halwai/ The White Tiger/Ashok Sharma. Full of delightful doubts, doleful satires, and a journey in which one man discovers the path to his own freedom and successfulness, this story engages you from the very start. Memorable in style, and meaning, there would not be a better piece of sophisticated narrative literature to enjoy yourself.

Balram Halwai was born in the dark country of India. He is dubbed "White Tiger" by a teacher who doesn't teach because the government isn't paying him his salary. Instead, the teacher steals the money sent for the students' uniforms and sleeps on the job. This is only the first of many corrupt situations Balram recognizes and confronts.

Balram is originally the "white tiger" because he is rare - a student who can read. Throughout the book Balram's actions are unusual for his station and position, letting him still refer to himself as that rare animal, the white tiger. Is he really different from the others?

I never knew where this book was going. The more I think about it, the more I like it. This book won the Man Booker Prize.

This is one of those shocking novels that give a new dimension to issues of: race, class and cultural prejudices. It is a darkly humorous book about new Indian culture only a writer from India can write about. It requires knowledge of Indian culture and its shortcomings and boldness of writing about it that the outsider would not dare. Main character is Balram Halwai, man with no education who has never left his village and misery until the opportunity came along to become a servant to a family of a higher caste. Although written in a plain and easy to read manner, this book is shocking in its raw power to describe how even in a modern times, one man can be a slave to another that will drive him to a point of murder. Book is describing ways of modern Indian enterprenership where ministers and political allies get paid off, rich can get away with anything and poor are dispensable. Humanity gets defined differently. To be human means to become rich at any price and under any circumstances with no regrets. I found this book both shocking and eye opening. Once you read it, you will have an entirely different view on the world of outourcing, riche nouveau and notion of climbing up the social ladder. Fascinating topic presented in easy to read and entertaining style. Great start for the first time published writer.

Scathing, sobering social commentary, from an unusual first-person fictional narrative, of a 'half-baked' - mostly uneducated but still literate, Indian villager who relates the tale of his ascent from out of India's rural 'Darkness' up into the light of Delhi and Bangalore. Adiga's clever and catchy narrative device is to frame his story in a letter that the protagonist writes to now-former Chinese Premier, Wen Jiaobao, about what it takes to make a successful entrepreneur in India - avarice, bribery, incredible ambition, hard work, determination, and sometimes theft, and even murder. That a product of the Indian middle or upper class could speak in the language, or convey the hardships, of the rural poor of India is astounding. In the ebook's end pages the author relates that when he returns to visit India, he often likes to hang around the rail stations and other seedier environs where the underclass, the truly working poor, work, live, eat and die. Sure, this little tome won the Man-Booker Prize - it reminds all of us who have had a reasonably good education, a mostly non-dysfunctional family upbringing, a roof over our heads, healthy food in our bellies and the opportunities to work in dignified professional settings, of our very fortunate we are. And it makes you much more aware that there are many hundreds of millions of our fellow human beings who struggle in the Darkness in every one of our nations, trying to rise out of poverty and social injustice. A new classic work of fiction, for sure.

Aravind Adiga's THE WHITE TIGER is a compelling novel that never gets lost in the details of India. To put a finer point on it -- the story remains the main focus and the main character Balram's narrative voice is the entire reason that Adiga can keep politics and story balanced so well. Despite Balram's flaws as a person, he has a worldview that keeps the reader fascinated.

This is a novel that has something to say, but only after Balram completes his journey from young, naive sweets-maker to murderous entrepreneur. The entire time I wanted to know exactly what would become of Balram -- what business would he start, what would he decide about his family, what would cause him to murder his boss/surrogate Father Ashok (this is not a spoiler, as Balram reveals the murder early on).

The novel's use of letters as the narrative engine does get a bit lost in the middle. The letters seem unfocused during the third and fourth day, although they ultimately do get to the main events that Balram promises to discuss. The narrative feels more like a journal at these points than a series of focused letters written to the Premier of China and designed to illustrate the entrepreneurial spirit of Indians. Still, that doesn't harm the overall thrill of the novel and an argument can be made that Balram is writing a confession of sorts.

I look forward to more from Adiga.

The White Tiger is an entertaining, but imperfect look at life in modern India. Imperfect because Adiga suggests that the only way to escape life in the chicken coop, which is how he describes the fate of India's poor, is murder. In the case of Balram, The White Tiger's protagonist, he murders the man for whom he is a servant and goes on to become an "entrepreneur."

Early on a different solution holds a glimmer of hope. Balram is an excellent student, but instead of being allowed to go to a good school, he is forced to go to work at the bottom rung--a "spider" in his village tea shop. Later he becomes a driver for a rich family, but even that privileged position is not far enough above the bottom rung for Balram. Instead of enjoying the benefits which include driving the rich family around in a fancy car and sending money home to his grandmother, he chafes under the yoke of servitude which leads him to his violent solution.

The White Tiger is imperfect because the author isn't sure he wants his protagonist to get away with murder, but he sees no other way for him to escape the chicken coop. That's a sad, dead-end outlook, and if it was widely held, India's murder rate would be a hundred times what it is today. Adiga's protagonist believes himself unique. He thinks he's the only one who sees what he sees and therefore is able to take the steps he takes to free himself with impunity. He mocks the Indian police by hiding in plain site and using bribes to stay free.

The White Tiger is a rare breed. Balram's life offers no lessons for others. His story reflects the author's anger at his country for everything that is wrong with it, but it does not offer hope for change or solutions for individuals wishing to escape the Darkness.

Firstly, let me tell you that 'White Tiger' is a satirical take on the Indian democracy. The book is written in the form of a letter to the Chinese Premier where the protagonist 'Balram' explains the story of his life over seven night sessions. His aim is to give some free lessons in entrepreneurship to Mr. Jiabao the Premier. The humor is pitch dark, clever and quirky.

If you visit the smaller cities in India, you will find thousands of these people that the author explains as 'stuck in a coup'. I can tell you that while parts of the book may seem a little over the top, but are in fact extremely close to the reality of the Indian lower middle class lifestyle. There were several laugh out loud moments in the book, a) the one where Balram attempts to fulfill his desires to 'dip his beak' into the golden haired woman b) where he tries to explain to the Premiere a thing or two about democracy, c) He shows his multi-taking abilities while driving his master's car and many more.

The plot has its twists and doesn't fail to entertain at all segments. If you are an Indian or if you've ever tried to look at India a little closely, you are bound to enjoy this book.

The White Tiger has three main strengths. For a start, as mentioned by other reviewers, it's short. The author doesn't waste a lot of ink and paper getting to the point. Also, behind the superficially radical idea of the novel being a series of emails from its narrator to the Chinese Premier, it's really a traditional novel with a plot. There's nothing clever like magic realism happening here - thank goodness - just a story with a beginning, middle and ending. It's also obvious that the author is familiar with contemporary India and comfortable about talking about its underbelly.

Beyond this, I struggled to see why this novel won the Booker Prize (UK equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction). The plot is not particularly original - think "The talented Mr Ripley" in India with added social comment - and I found myself starting to lose interest in the anti-hero narrator and his flawed master well before the final denoulement. One of the plot's major turning points - a road accident fuelled by alcohol - felt like a cliché.

When I think of some of the great books that have been short-listed for the Booker prize in the past and haven't won - eg Empire of the Sun, I can only assume that 2009 was a fallow year for fiction.

This book is quite good - but not a classic. It could make a good film, though, and in the right director's hands may even end up as one of those rare films which is legitimately better than its source novel. Hollywood take note!

Some books very clearly take themselves far too seriously. The navel-gazing novel 'The White Tiger' isn't quite one of those, but it definitely put me in that mindset. It has its moments of insight and genuine humor, but for the most part it seems more interesting in making a point than in telling a story.

The narrator, a driver and self-titled "social entrepreneur" named Balram, strikes a single self-important tone through the whole story - what story there was. It honestly reads more like a travel book than a novel, eager and exaggerated. The story struck me as a simple device to explore a seedy underworld of India.

I understand that this book tells the story of an underdog, someone suffering in unbearable conditions and taking action against it. Frankly, though, I think there are better examples, and the narrator spends far more time complaining and detailing his degradation than he does doing anything about it. His actions, in the end, are rash and predictable, and don't bring anything truly new or unique to the table.

There is far more style than substance to be had in 'The White Tiger,' and unfortunately not enough of either to make it a memorable book for me.

This was such a great book, funny and interesting. Balram Halwai, a complicated man (servant, philosopher, entrepreneur, murderer), tells the reader his story over seven nights. His story, of how he became a success- with only his own wits. I really loved this book. I did. I loved it. Adiga has a really great writing style, so funny but matter-of-fact. This was a much better book than The Great Indian Novel, though with a sort of similar writing style and prupose. I'm even tempted to purchase a copy for myself, though I probably won't...

*You can read all of my reviews at my blog, [...]*

The natural adversaries of the White Tiger are not the other tigers or the sharks, hyenas and crows that the modern Indian landscape is infested with, but the tamed, albeit not tame, Roosters of Rooster Coop heritage.

It is this Rooster Coop that the author so incisively describes in this maiden work. Other works treating modern India, including those by contemporary Indian authors, have focused on social entrepreneurship, the Bottom of the Pyramid paradigm, religious conflict, rural-urban migration, caste conflict, the erosion of local languages, corruption, lack of infrastructure, terrorism, unscrupulous politicians, police brutality, inexplicable prudishness, misplaced patriotism and gender inequality; in short, on the social and economic problems and opportunities that India presents. The author acknowledges these issues and even uses them as devices within his plot. However, he chooses to go further and, bravely, attempts a psychological analysis of the main players. Or of the main player, for perhaps there is only one human type, with various psychological variants.

This epistolary novel sees the protagonist born in very downtrodden circumstances in the hinterland in India, be bereft soon of parents and school education, learn a skill, use his new found status as a driver to learn about life and the economical divide, almost be framed for homicide and almost coerced into marriage, kill his master, adopt a cousin, and become an entrepreneur, which creature he claims India does very well indeed.

"And our nation, though it has no drinking water, electricity, sewage system, public transportation, sense of hygiene, discipline, courtesy , or punctuality, does have entrepreneurs."

There is wit, of the very dry variety, and seemingly incongruous juxtapositions that delight through their absurdity. The artist keeps critical distance from his subject and only once screams directly to the audience: "The book of your revolution sits in the pit of your belly, young Indian ". He immediately recovers his calm and goes back to addressing the Chinese premier. The latter, if he has a sense of humour, should find this book especially entertaining and illuminative.

Is this a path-breaking work? Perhaps this is just a common novel that affords a very safe view of murky marshes, crawling with vermin and inundated with offensive smells. But it can be a turning point, for a work of art is not just an end in itself but also how it engages with and transforms the spectator. No very clear solution is offered - but only perhaps because a solution presented upon a tray would be self-defeating! The protagonist does, however, lucidly bring out the problem of the antiquated hierarchy to which many cling, believing that to stand up and stand out would be a sin against the universe and their ancestors. It is vital not to confuse this hierarchy exclusively with the traditional caste system or with a ranking according to wealth, the support of toughs, academic degree or any other material aspect: it relates to all of them and is consequently inconsistent and vague.

To restate the problem:

An ostensibly moral hierarchy permeates all social interaction in India, justifying the ill-treatment of all those beneath one, and subservience to all those above one, and enjoining upon all the necessity to stay within the structure and to police others attempting to break free.

This novel reveals this hierarchy in all its staggering ugliness. Not just the Premier of China will profit from a reading, but all those who wish to understand modern India.

We can read all the books we can find on the rise of India as the worlds largest democracy tries to leapfrog past the industrial revolution to participation in the global knowledge economy. Somehow, however, we understand that we can never grasp what these changes mean to the vast majority (800 million?) of Indians who are not part of this new elite middle class - but who serve the new elites as cooks, maids, nannies, or drivers. In this novel we learn the story of Balram Halwai (aka the White Tiger) and his move from poor villager to servant and driver for a wealth family in New Delhi. This is a perspective (that of the servant) that we seldom ever hear from as we marvel at India's transformation, a perspective that helps us understand the costs and dislocations as India messily rushes into its new reality. As India goes so will the world. The youngest country with a passion for education and a population ready to do the same jobs we do at much lower wages, we tend to see India through our eyes as threat, opportunity, and economic partner. It is good to spend some time seeing India through another vision.

I love all books written about India. I find it to be a magical, dangerous, romantic, heartbreaking, and exciting place that only exists for me in books (I am dying to go, but who can afford that on a teacher's salary?). Anyways, like my subject states - I absolutely could not put this down. I formed an immediate love-hate relationship with the narrator. He commits despicable acts, but for some reason you find yourself justifying them. Throughout the book I felt such a range of emotions and feelings: disgust, pity, respect, pride, fear, guilt, anticipation, and finally acceptance. I loved this book and would recommend this to anyone interested in an easy read with substance;) I do not share the opinion of the review that stated the novel was too long (and pretty much all other negative comments) - I believe this novel was perfect!

As someone who has spent more time in Delhi than Adiga, I will start by saying that the book will be liked much more by a western reader than Indians themselves.
Its a story of hopelessness and misery that Indians see everyday and choose to look away. So when a novel like this one comes along it amounts to exposure of the elite Indian class in ways that make them very uncomfortable. This is evident from some of the bad reviews and the attached comments.

I will say that I was more impressed by the authenticity of Adiga's writing and the underlying reality we see in India, than by his command of the English language. I can say that the story and settings are very real. I was not impressed by the descriptions and clichéd phrases, but lets keep in mind that the book is written as a narrative seen by the eyes of protagonist who is not known for his literary cred.

For me its important that the western world sees this side of India especially because its not something we see in media. Its a country with nearly 1.3+ Billion people in a space about 1/3 the size of US with more than 60% of the population living on less than $2/day. Thats the life where most of the people like car drivers come from.
While glorifying a murder as emancipation makes me feel uncomfortable, there will not be many drivers in India reading this book getting ideas of their own.

A car driver slits his boss's throat and steals his money to start a new life as an "entrepreneur" in Bangalore. The author presents this brave accomplishment as an attempt by the underdog to free himself from the "rooster coop" (i.e. the constraints Indian society). This philosophical exposition has something in common with Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, in which the main protagonist, Raskolnikov, kills an old lady to break his psychological shackles and start out on the road to greatness. But unlike Raskolnikov who in the end cannot come to terms with the immorality of what he had done (most of the book is in fact about his anguish and remorse), Adiga's character, Balram Halwai, seeks the reader's sympathy and understanding (indeed, who could bear massaging his master's stinking feet, etc, etc.).

We are led to believe that Balram, once out of the rooster coop, is somehow different from the rich and the corrupt of India; he recounts his ambition to build a school, he assumes responsibility for a car accident, and what not - but in the end, what exactly is the difference between Balram and Mr. Ashok, whom he had murdered? There is just no moral to this story, no real message, except for the unclear threat of a "revolution" complete with the lynching of corrupt government officials by the beggars under the bridge for the sake of the bright future. Balram does not believe in the revolution, and finds a shortcut to good life by killing another person, and, indirectly, contributing to the death of his entire family. What a great achievement. Seems a bit shallow, if superficially entertaining. The book just does not make the sort of profound impression one occasionally gets from reading a true masterpiece. I'd stick with Dostoevsky.

I bought this based on a recommendation of a capitalism class. I have little exposure to India, other than a handful of contemporary movies - Slumdog Millionaire and Lunchbox being the last couple I saw. I loved the conceit of the storytelling, the little dropped nuggets about the conspiracy theories that "everyone" knows. The overall concept of the rooster coop, the idea of finding your own version of the matrix and escape from it was well done. I found it insightful, unexpected and highly entertaining.

I really enjoyed "The White Tiger." For me it was very reminiscent of the film, "Slumdog Millionaire" in that it showed a side of India that many westerners to not get to see, as well as the efforts of various people to escape from livesof extreme poverty and violence. While both "The White Tiger" and "Slumdog Millionaire" showed extremes of both bleakness and humor, I found "The White Tiger" to be the more "realistic" and, ultimately, the more satisfying work of art, in that it does not have the artificial "feel good" quality of the film. (And, BTW, I LOVE "Slumdog Millionaire.")

The natural adversaries of the White Tiger are not the other tigers or the sharks, hyenas and crows that the modern Indian landscape is infested with, but the tamed, albeit not tame, Roosters of Rooster Coop heritage.

It is this Rooster Coop that the author so incisively describes in this maiden work. Other works treating modern India, including those by contemporary Indian authors, have focused on social entrepreneurship, the Bottom of the Pyramid paradigm, religious conflict, rural-urban migration, caste conflict, the erosion of local languages, corruption, lack of infrastructure, terrorism, unscrupulous politicians, police brutality, inexplicable prudishness, misplaced patriotism and gender inequality; in short, on the social and economic problems and opportunities that India presents. The author acknowledges these issues and even uses them as devices within his plot. However, he chooses to go further and, bravely, attempts a psychological analysis of the main players. Or of the main player, for perhaps there is only one human type, with various psychological variants.

This epistolary novel sees the protagonist born in very downtrodden circumstances in the hinterland in India, be bereft soon of parents and school education, learn a skill, use his new found status as a driver to learn about life and the economical divide, almost be framed for homicide and almost coerced into marriage, kill his master, adopt a cousin, and become an entrepreneur, which creature he claims India does very well indeed.

"And our nation, though it has no drinking water, electricity, sewage system, public transportation, sense of hygiene, discipline, courtesy , or punctuality, does have entrepreneurs."

There is wit, of the very dry variety, and seemingly incongruous juxtapositions that delight through their absurdity. The artist keeps critical distance from his subject and only once screams directly to the audience: "The book of your revolution sits in the pit of your belly, young Indian ". He immediately recovers his calm and goes back to addressing the Chinese premier. The latter, if he has a sense of humour, should find this book especially entertaining and illuminative.

Is this a path-breaking work? Perhaps this is just a common novel that affords a very safe view of murky marshes, crawling with vermin and inundated with offensive smells. But it can be a turning point, for a work of art is not just an end in itself but also how it engages with and transforms the spectator. No very clear solution is offered - but only perhaps because a solution presented upon a tray would be self-defeating! The protagonist does, however, lucidly bring out the problem of the antiquated hierarchy to which many cling, believing that to stand up and stand out would be a sin against the universe and their ancestors. It is vital not to confuse this hierarchy exclusively with the traditional caste system or with a ranking according to wealth, the support of toughs, academic degree or any other material aspect: it relates to all of them and is consequently inconsistent and vague.

To restate the problem:

An ostensibly moral hierarchy permeates all social interaction in India, justifying the ill-treatment of all those beneath one, and subservience to all those above one, and enjoining upon all the necessity to stay within the structure and to police others attempting to break free.

This novel reveals this hierarchy in all its staggering ugliness. Not just the Premier of China will profit from a reading, but all those who wish to understand modern India.

We can read all the books we can find on the rise of India as the worlds largest democracy tries to leapfrog past the industrial revolution to participation in the global knowledge economy. Somehow, however, we understand that we can never grasp what these changes mean to the vast majority (800 million?) of Indians who are not part of this new elite middle class - but who serve the new elites as cooks, maids, nannies, or drivers. In this novel we learn the story of Balram Halwai (aka the White Tiger) and his move from poor villager to servant and driver for a wealth family in New Delhi. This is a perspective (that of the servant) that we seldom ever hear from as we marvel at India's transformation, a perspective that helps us understand the costs and dislocations as India messily rushes into its new reality. As India goes so will the world. The youngest country with a passion for education and a population ready to do the same jobs we do at much lower wages, we tend to see India through our eyes as threat, opportunity, and economic partner. It is good to spend some time seeing India through another vision.

I love all books written about India. I find it to be a magical, dangerous, romantic, heartbreaking, and exciting place that only exists for me in books (I am dying to go, but who can afford that on a teacher's salary?). Anyways, like my subject states - I absolutely could not put this down. I formed an immediate love-hate relationship with the narrator. He commits despicable acts, but for some reason you find yourself justifying them. Throughout the book I felt such a range of emotions and feelings: disgust, pity, respect, pride, fear, guilt, anticipation, and finally acceptance. I loved this book and would recommend this to anyone interested in an easy read with substance;) I do not share the opinion of the review that stated the novel was too long (and pretty much all other negative comments) - I believe this novel was perfect!

As someone who has spent more time in Delhi than Adiga, I will start by saying that the book will be liked much more by a western reader than Indians themselves.
Its a story of hopelessness and misery that Indians see everyday and choose to look away. So when a novel like this one comes along it amounts to exposure of the elite Indian class in ways that make them very uncomfortable. This is evident from some of the bad reviews and the attached comments.

I will say that I was more impressed by the authenticity of Adiga's writing and the underlying reality we see in India, than by his command of the English language. I can say that the story and settings are very real. I was not impressed by the descriptions and clichéd phrases, but lets keep in mind that the book is written as a narrative seen by the eyes of protagonist who is not known for his literary cred.

For me its important that the western world sees this side of India especially because its not something we see in media. Its a country with nearly 1.3+ Billion people in a space about 1/3 the size of US with more than 60% of the population living on less than $2/day. Thats the life where most of the people like car drivers come from.
While glorifying a murder as emancipation makes me feel uncomfortable, there will not be many drivers in India reading this book getting ideas of their own.

A car driver slits his boss's throat and steals his money to start a new life as an "entrepreneur" in Bangalore. The author presents this brave accomplishment as an attempt by the underdog to free himself from the "rooster coop" (i.e. the constraints Indian society). This philosophical exposition has something in common with Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, in which the main protagonist, Raskolnikov, kills an old lady to break his psychological shackles and start out on the road to greatness. But unlike Raskolnikov who in the end cannot come to terms with the immorality of what he had done (most of the book is in fact about his anguish and remorse), Adiga's character, Balram Halwai, seeks the reader's sympathy and understanding (indeed, who could bear massaging his master's stinking feet, etc, etc.).

We are led to believe that Balram, once out of the rooster coop, is somehow different from the rich and the corrupt of India; he recounts his ambition to build a school, he assumes responsibility for a car accident, and what not - but in the end, what exactly is the difference between Balram and Mr. Ashok, whom he had murdered? There is just no moral to this story, no real message, except for the unclear threat of a "revolution" complete with the lynching of corrupt government officials by the beggars under the bridge for the sake of the bright future. Balram does not believe in the revolution, and finds a shortcut to good life by killing another person, and, indirectly, contributing to the death of his entire family. What a great achievement. Seems a bit shallow, if superficially entertaining. The book just does not make the sort of profound impression one occasionally gets from reading a true masterpiece. I'd stick with Dostoevsky.

I bought this based on a recommendation of a capitalism class. I have little exposure to India, other than a handful of contemporary movies - Slumdog Millionaire and Lunchbox being the last couple I saw. I loved the conceit of the storytelling, the little dropped nuggets about the conspiracy theories that "everyone" knows. The overall concept of the rooster coop, the idea of finding your own version of the matrix and escape from it was well done. I found it insightful, unexpected and highly entertaining.

I really enjoyed "The White Tiger." For me it was very reminiscent of the film, "Slumdog Millionaire" in that it showed a side of India that many westerners to not get to see, as well as the efforts of various people to escape from livesof extreme poverty and violence. While both "The White Tiger" and "Slumdog Millionaire" showed extremes of both bleakness and humor, I found "The White Tiger" to be the more "realistic" and, ultimately, the more satisfying work of art, in that it does not have the artificial "feel good" quality of the film. (And, BTW, I LOVE "Slumdog Millionaire.")

This book carries more brilliance than initially meets the eye. I admit that the story does not grab you from the very beginning, and at times sounds predictable and repetitive, but it delivers, and beautifully so, a simple truth of life from a society most people know little about; a society that only symbolizes many other societies foreign to the Western world. Beyond that, the book transcends good or bad, and forces you to re-evaluate moral standards. A powerful, yet non-pretentious writer, Adiga makes no effort to sell his characters to you, or to convince you to see things a certain way. Characters are presented in all their glory, often to extreme, and the writer gives you, the reader, a unique chance at a totally uncensored human encounter...

I came to a conflict when it came time for me to review The White Tiger. It truly is an excellent book, almost bordering on a masterpiece. And just like any masterpiece it is deeply flawed, some of the characters are not fully developed and at times the dialogue is rigid. But the overall narration and tone of this book is jaw-droppingly amazing.

Adiga's narration of a man trying to overcome the class system and social makeups of a society is relatable on any level and that is where the story gets is push from. It's an unsentimental view of India that Adiga paints that sticks with the reader. So many things are thrown at the reader and so many questions of a changing society, religious upheaval, contempt over money/education any numerous other problems that at times you just have to take a step back and marvel at the utter clarity and precision that Adiga's work has -- not to mention it's his first!

It's a definite read.

Only rarely do readers encounter a literary novel with the grip of a page-turning, escapist thriller. When it happens, the result is truly exhilarating both for the reading experience as well as the discovery of the author who created it. When that author turns out to be a new literary voice, so much the better for the anticipation of future work to come. THE WHITE TIGER is just such a novel. As clichéd as it is to say, "I couldn't put it down," I almost couldn't. Each time I did so, I could hardly wait to get back to Adiga's extraordinary tale of his Indian entrepreneur.

Born the second son of a rickshaw puller in the village of Laxmangarh, Balram Halwai is also a son of what he calls the Darkness, that is, the poverty, ignorance, and subservience endemic to rural India. Balram tells his story in a first person voice, ostensibly in the form of an extended series of letters he is writing to China's premier Wen Jiabao explaining how more Chinese people can become rich, successful entrepreneurs the way he has. Chillingly, though, Balram freely admits from the opening pages of his first missive that he is a criminal, wanted for the murder of his former master. Through the rest of the novel, Adiga's distinctively anti-, anti-hero relates more or less chronologically how his crime and his successful entrance into the Light (the world of choice, influence, and money) came to pass.

Although Balram's family name and caste suggest that he should become a sweets-maker by trade, he has no such intentions. Nevertheless, from his earliest adult days working as a menial in a teashop, Balram is virtually invisible, a non-entity crawling about cleaning the floor like a human spider. He decides to learn how to drive and through effort and luck lands a position as the second driver for a family whose wealth comes from the coal industry. Ultimately, Balram is assigned to a single master, the ineffectual Ashok (recently returned from America with a college education) and his aptly named Western wife, Pinky Madam. His new position as their driver eventually takes him to his master's new home in Delhi. When Balram visits a secondhand book market there one afternoon, a bookseller translates aloud two lines from an Urdu poem that change the White Tiger's life: "You were looking for the key for years, But the door was always open!"

Balram's letters to Wen Jiabao go on to reveal his cold-blooded reasons for brutally killing Ashok and describe his later emergence as a wealthy businessman (having adopted Ashok as the first name of his alias). That he achieves his success in Bangalore, internationally recognized home of India's massive call center industry supporting American businesses, and works so hard to explain entrepreneurial success to a senior Chinese leader lends THE WHITE TIGER its particular relevance to the changing world of the Twenty-First Century.

Images of darkness and light (day/night, dark skin and vitiligo spots, blond versus black hair color) counterpose one another throughout. Animals also figure hugely in THE WHITE TIGER, and not just the vicious animal in the book's title to whom the young Balram is first compared by a school inspector. There are the ever-present buffaloes of his village, as well as lizards (of which he is terrified). The landlords of his family village are known as the Buffalo, the Stork, the Wild Boar, and the Raven; one of their sons is the Mongoose. Early on, Balram compares rural Indian villagers to chickens forever caged in a jam-packed Rooster Coop. Later, mosquitoes and cockroaches surround him every night in his room, and a fellow driver marked by the pink and white spots of vitiligo nicknames him Country-Mouse.

Author Aravind Adiga brilliantly mixes the horrifying realities of the Indian Darkness with a noirish mystery story complete with bloody, Grand Guignol moments. The effect is gripping, the result electrifying, While I have not read all the Man Booker Prize finalists for 2008, THE WHITE TIGER's receipt of that award must be richly deserved. This is a breakthrough novel, an exploration of today's south Asian subcontinent magnificently rendered for Western sensibilities. Balram Halwei, his master Ashok, and the rest of THE WHITE TIGER's many characters will leave a long and lasting impression on everyone who reads this book. It will also leave readers waiting expectantly for Aravind Adiga's next book.

Aravind Adiga creates a character in Balram Halwai who rivals Chichikov in Dead Souls by Gogol. Like the Russian classic, this is a book that sets out to expose current events through social criticism. Like Dead Souls, it relies upon humor and absurdity.

There is a sense of futility in the characters here. The author paints a picture of a country where honesty and integrity are foolish, where popular democracy flourishes but no one has representation, and where many people labor without true opportunity.

The formal structure of the book is as a letter to a fiction Chinese leader who is interested in entrepreneurship. Balram is reviewing his own ascent in life. He believes that he has attained a kind of entrepreneurialism that is uniquely Indian. The reader realizes that his version is largely based upon corruption and malfeasance, and through that lens, I suppose we are to assume that the model Indian economy is actually not as wonderful as it might appear from a distance.

At the start, Balram is a bright young boy from rural India whose nickname, "White Tiger" is given to him because he appears to be so different from his surroundings in "The Darkness." His break comes when he gets a job as a driver for one of the local tycoons. He moves to Delhi and learns to drive. He competes for position among the servants. Balram is content to drive the Honda City Motor Car for a while, but an auspicious event changes his patience for a life as a servant. I will stop there, except to say that he takes things into his own hands.

This is a book that gives some interesting context to a quickly changing society. So much of the literature that comes out of India deals with either expatriates or the upper classes. I guess that Rohinton Mistry is an exception. This book shows how family, caste, and globalization are clashing in the new India.

I liked this book. I have heard people compare it to work by Gary Shteyngart or Augusten Burrounghs. I think that is misplaced. While those authors have their value, this is more rooted in reality. Even if the approach is somewhat fantastic, there is an underlying message that is very serious.

Read it and did not somehow enjoy it. It begins with a nice narration. Apart from China becoming a superpower, little is said about why Balram wrote to Mr. Premier. It is a novel approach, but nothing significant about it. I don't often get disappointed after reading a book, but this one is next to the "Adultery" by Coelho.

Aravand Adiga's debut novel, "White Tiger" won the Man Booker prize in 2008. Protagonist Balram, an Indian driver turned murderer and entrepreneur, provides a fascinating social commentary by discussing corruption, caste and socio-economic inequality in the burgeoning country of India. The novel may have been intended as a satirical exposé of the tragic elements of modern Indian culture, but structurally, the work falls short- the odd letters to the Chinese prime minister, the revelation of the climax so early in the story, and the absence of humanity in the almost unlovable Balram Halwai.
The plot unfolds over seven letters, seven mornings. It is not exactly clear why Balram chooses to write to Chinese premier Wen Jiabao in advance of his publicized visit to India. Early on, it is obvious that Balram thinks very highly of himself, almost narcissistic, and that clearly, he has much to say about the "century. . .of the yellow and the brown man" (Adiga, p. 4). Under the guise of providing entrepreneurial advice to Jiabao, Balram weaves his story with blunt, simple language; he flits from topic to topic. The reader, even with little background knowledge of India's current situation, is hopeful that tales of success and overcoming obstacles will emerge throughout the narrative. After all, Balram is now a successful entrepreneur, one proudly "made from half-baked clay" (p. 9), as his schooling was never completed. However, in the end, there is little to learn from Balram's depictions, unless his sole intent was for Jiabao to steer clear from the corrupt, almost dehumanized country. One must think, was that his goal? Or, perhaps it was intended as an instruction manual of sorts for the Chinese, that only on the backs of the poor can the country's affluent thrive?
It is apparent very early on in the story that Balram is not only an entrepreneur, but one with a very dark story; born into a life of halwai poverty and restricted by his caste. If that were not enough material for an introductory letter, Balram outs himself as a murderer; thus emerges the climax of the work. However, knowing the end state before the "why" is actually confusing, as there is actually a lot to like about Balram's employer Ashok; he is a gentler, less corrupt man than many of the other men depicted in "White Tiger". Adiga puts a lot of effort into the character development of Ashok when compared to some of the other, flatter characters like Pinky Madam. By the time the murder actually occurs, the reader may well care more for Ashok than Balram. Truth be told, Balram had been given many opportunities and he appears ungrateful, cunning, and only thinking of himself.
The character Balram is certainly complex-he has many endearing qualities, his hope to persevere being one of the best; however, he takes an unexpected, dark turn, when he discusses his pride in the poster the police had made about him, the one where he is not only suspected of taking a bag filled with money, but in which he also is wanted for the murder of his employer. Balram has no remorse:
"Oh, I could go on and on about myself, sir. I could gloat that I am not just any murderer, but one who killed his own employer (who is a kind of second father), and also contributed to the probable death of all his family members. A virtual mass murderer" (p. 37).
He then follows this with, "But I don't want to go on and on about myself" (p. 37), but proceeds to do exactly that for the rest of the story. He is strangely proud of his outcome, which is not at all admirable; he rose up from the Darkness into the Light by way of theft, murder, lies, and the same corruption that he detested as a younger man. Balram is no success story. A product of the world around him, perhaps, as he is woefully mistreated because of his caste; however, in the end he returns to the ways of those who tormented and oppressed him. He is a hard character to cheer for, in the end.
While "White Tiger" had glimmers of greatness, such as the depiction of a land where the richer castes are the "men with big bellies" and the poorer castes "men with small bellies", overall the work was a disappointing, nearly one-sided account of a man who in the end, became nothing to be proud of in any culture. By mid-point, it was almost predictable and unfunny; by the end, the reader is tired of hearing about a murderer's entrepreneurial prowess peppered with his attempt at conversational comedy.

Is this novel bitter, acid, sardonic, mocking, disillusioned, scornful, disrespectful, satirical, witty, or ironic? It displays, by turns, all of those qualities. The narrator's style perfectly captures the way that my Indian friends describe how government and personal privilege work in that country. While reading, I felt like I was sitting across from one of them having a cup of tea in a friendly Indian restaurant, and that reaction made me smile.

From this element, a false note creeps into this book. The people I know who express such views are highly educated Indians who have spent a lot of time outside of India. To make the book work, however, we have to believe that the writer is intelligent but has little education and experience outside of being a servant and driver.

Why did this debut novel win the prestigious Man Booker prize? I can only attribute the basis for that award to the obvious allusions to Crime and Punishment as Aravind Adiga explores how an impoverished Indian develops the consciousness to perform a great crime in a memoir-style novel filled with unrestrained humor. I've certainly read more humorous books by Indian authors in recent years.

As the book opens, we read a letter addressed "For the Desk of: His Excellency Wen Jiabao, The Premier's Office, Beijing, Capital of the Freedom-loving Nation of China From the Desk of: 'The White Tiger,' A Thinking Man, And an Entrepreneur, Living in the world's center of Technology and Outsourcing, Electronics City Phase I (just off Hosur Main Road, Bangalore, India." It begins, "Neither you nor I speak English, but there are some things that can be said only in English." The epistle is sent off in responses to the news that the premier is scheduled to arrive in Bangalore the following week. The White Tiger has been told on the radio that the premier wants to learn the truth about Bangalore, and the White Tiger is willing to fill him in.

As you will quickly spot in the first few pages, China and India come in for their fair share of satire in this work as well . . . providing contextual humor to keep the book from becoming too serious in its focus on India and its corrupt democracy that pretends to offer more.

The nightly letters continue for a week as The White Tiger (aka Balram Halwai) explains how he became an entrepreneur and how he conducts his business. If the humor starts to weigh on you, stick with it. The final part expresses a view that the new entrepreneurial class can choose to behave better than the old ownership class did. It's that hope that makes this book rise above the kind of satire that we all enjoy in newspaper columns about government corruption.

The book's great strength is that Mr. Adiga is able to pull together so many different aspects of Indian society into one novel. It's an imaginative concept backed up by solid writing underpinned by deep insight into this complex and interesting nation that presents so many apparent contradictions to those who aren't Indian.

One of the things I liked a lot about the book is that I could imagine The White Tiger living in Washington, D.C. and talking about the politicians there. That thought added a lot to my delight.

Have fun!

My favorite books are the ones that transport me from my world into someone else's and by that criteria, The White Tiger is 100% successful. It also happens to be an exceptionally well written novel. Mr. Adiga has had the advantage of living both in and out of India and although his book is written from the more limited perspective of a character from the "Darkness" of rural India, the writing is informed by an intimacy with the West. Because the novelist knows all about our world he can better show us the one he is from and reveal its curious details. The plot was highly unpredictable.

The novel succeeds on multiple levels and it is obvious why it has been of great interest to readers everywhere. This is a dark, dark novel made somewhat more palatable by its gallows humor. It is not a flattering picture of a nation emerging from what Westerners condescendingly refer to as The Third World -- the author's perceptions of his homeland are as harsh as the conditions he describes. I'm interested to learn what the response was in Mr. Adiga's home country, if he angered many people or was seen as treasonous. It is obvious in America, with the number of Indian scientists, technicians and doctors working here, that India offers the world an unending flow of brilliant minds, but this book is further proof that many of our greatest writers in the English language are Indians.

This novel has been out since 2008 and I don't know why I didn't read it sooner.

When I got this book, a notation on the cover said "Short listed for the Man Booker Prize." I was not surprised at all to hear that this enjoyable novel won the prize. I have to disagree with the reviewers who said the author was simply pandering to Western prejudice; frankly, I didn't think the portrayal of Western culture was all that flattering, either! (And I honestly laughed out loud when he attributed part of the problem to Westerners' addiction to cell phones.)

I work for a company that uses India-based subcontractors for some of its work, and I often train these employees via the Internet, rising especially early in the morning to catch them at the end of their work day (just as described by the book's white tiger, Balram). For better or for worse, I will assuredly never look at these training sessions quite the same way after reading "The White Tiger." A readable, entertaining, thought-provoking book.

On a superficial level, reading the work The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga will introduce readers to a side of India that's much different than the usual glamour of contrived gurus and opulent Bollywood. The White Tiger is portrayal of the lingering, residual effects of India's caste system on its slow yet inevitable push toward technological modernity.

Adiga's novel focuses on one man's breakthrough from "the Darkness" of backward rural poverty to "the Light" of urban entrepreneurship and what americans would probably describe as middle class luxury. The story centers on Balram Halwai's struggle to accept more of life than his caste will allow. Born without a true name, Balram progresses from lowly sweet-shop worker to personal driver and servant to becoming a "respectable" businessman of Bangalore. As with all good stories, the plot advances with the rationalization of one's choices and sacrifices. Sacrifices and choices involving losing one's family, one's humility, and murder.

Adiga adds several layers of philosophical complexity throughout the novel. One the one hand, this a work outlining the persistence of slavery, not only in Indian culture, but modern culture as well. Balram is an aberration, an Indian who defies his culture not only in the pursuit of "entrepreneurship" but also the pursuit of being a free and true man. Adiga compares most Indians living in the lower castes to being chickens suffocating in a great coop, unable and even unwilling and perhaps proud of it, to better their lot in life. It is only when Balram finally realizes in his anger that the rich always get the best in life and the poor always get the leftovers that he makes the choices that cannot be reversed.

The greater psychological slavery realized by Balram is perhaps akin to something Nietzsche may have said regarding god being dead. Adiga certainly puts it to the reader to decide whether Balram's choices are truly necessary to become a free man in a highly corrupt India. Whether they are or not, such is the plight in the darkest corners of India, for those truly grasping for a better life. It is certainly compelling, a story with choices that multitudes are facing every day. Excellent read.

This book talks about all the things about India that everybody knows about but nobody wants to talk about. Afterall it is much easier and safe to be politically correct (or "culturally sensitive") to talk about its ancient spirituality and new age abrstract, and to avoid the topics of the filth, social and domestic violence, corruption, and miserable conditions of the poor and women, condoned by religion and "traditions". The metaphors of "rooster coop" and "the caged tigers" are appropriate for the conditions of the under-previleged, trapped in the rigid caste system and sense of helplessness. It is a well written book with important message, very dark, depressing and hilarious at the same time. I am giving only 3 stars because I have read many books by English-speaking Indian authors, Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry by far the best, and they all seem so similar. I guess I expected this one to be radically different, but it wasn't.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Hmmm, well, I happened to get this book from the library on the Saturday before the Booker Prize was announced "just in case." When The White Tiger was revealed as the winner, I was really surprised. Not only did it have the longest odds to win, but I had recently read The Secret Scripture and not-so-secretly hoped it would win. In fact, the committee admitted these two were the main contenders and that the decision was not unanimous.

To be honest, I kind of groaned when I heard Adiga's book was the winner. I don't have a love affair at all with the Booker prize winners that I've read, so I was a little skeptical that I would enjoy this one. But, being the trooper that I am, I thought I'd give it at least 40 or so pages to see if it could capture my interest.

Surprise, surprise; it did. Not only is it a scathing indictment against India's treatment of its poorest citizens, it also manages to be a clever black comedy. This is exactly what the prize committee chairman revealed as the reason behind its decision. So which book did I like better, The White Tiger or The Secret Scripture? It's really comparing apples to oranges. They're just not the same type of book at all. They both are worthy social commentaries on the authors' home countries, but just written in a totally different style. While Sebastian Barry's prose is lyrical, Adiga's is biting (and comical). They both work spectacularly, just in different ways. I can definitely see why the committee had a difficult decision on its hands, and either one would have been a winner in my book.

Aravind Adiga's "The White Tiger" manages to hit just about every emotion possible within its 270+ pages. The story is told in first person narrative in the form of a letter from Balram Halwai (The White Tiger) to the Chinese Premier, who is due to visit Halwai's India. There is quite a bit at play in this novel, but in essence it's a story about Halwai's humble beginnings as a poor, but hardworking member of India's "Darkness" (lower caste), his transformation to driver for one of the most wealthy landlords, and ultimately his actions in response to the repression he is forced to deal with.

Halwai has a powerfully intelligent and amusing voice and despite the fact we know early in the novel (or from the back cover) he's committed murder it's hard not to like (or at least root for) him. While some of the things Halwai says (or the way he says them) are humorous--and I did laugh out loud on several occasions--this is not a comedy. Rather, this is a novel that really gets at the human condition and what things transform both the low and upper class of society. Despite the setting--and the India of this tale is well rendered--the lessons brought out in Adiga's novel are universal.

This is a fairly quick read, but there's plenty to think about, lots to chuckle at (Halwai is often very amusing in his observations), and much to be amazed or disgusted at. A terrific and thoughtful novel and one well worth reading.

Aravind Adiga was born in Madras in 1974. Although he has written for Time Magazine, and has had articles printed in the Independent and the Sunday Times, "The White Tiger" is his debut novel. Impressively for a debut, it won the Man Booker Prize in 2008.

The book takes the form of a letter - dictated by Balram Halwai over seven nights, and intended for the desk of China's Premier, Wen Jiabao. Premier Jiabao, apparently, wants to discover the truth about Bangalore and meet some genuine Indian entrepreneurs. As Balram believes he ticks both boxes, he figures he can help the Premier out. However, since his firm won't figure on the politicians' lists, he decides to contact the Premier's office directly. His plan is simple : by telling the Premier his own life story, the Premier will learn the truth about Bangalore. While he admits to being somewhat lacking in his education, he seems convinced that his methods are the way forward and believes the 21st Century will be the Century of the Yellow and the Brown Man.

Balram's life hasn't been entirely easy : he was born into poverty, in Laxmangarh - a one street village with no sanitation, no electricity, broken water taps and where the most important family member was the water buffalo. People from the lowest classes are expected to serve their masters with absolute devotion and loyalty and, in return, are abused and blamed. Corruption and bribery are widespread, with (naturally) only the rich and the powerful benefitting. Laxmangarh had four exceptionally rich landlords : the Stork, the Buffalo, the Raven and the Wild Boar - and they taxed the villagers according to their livelihoods. Balram's father, Vickram, was a rickshaw driver and he had to pay the Buffalo for using the roads. However, it's the Stork's family who have the greatest impact on Balram's life.

Balram has had several names over his lifetime. He was originally called "Munna" at home, but - as Munna means "boy" - it was his schoolteacher that chose Balram as his "official" name. The book's title, "The White Tiger", also refers to Balram - it was something of a nickname for Balram, chosen by a school inspector. A white tiger is something special, something that only comes along once every generation. Although Balram's education was incomplete, he had been the best reader and writer in his class. The inspector figured Balram was an intelligent, honest, vivacious fellow" surrounded by a "crowd of thugs and idiots." Given that - by the end of the book's first chapter - Balram has admitted to cutting his boss' throat and stealing a bag of cash, his honesty obviously didn't last. In fact, while he introduced himself to the Premier as one of Bangalore's most successful but least known businessmen, that claim wasn't entirely true. Three years before the book opens, his wanted poster had been pasted the length and breadth of India.

Overall, "The White Tiger" is certainly worth reading...it just wasn't quite the book I'd hoped for. If it was good enough to win the Booker Prize, I honestly can't understand why Kazuo Ishiguro has only won it once. (I thought "Never Le Me Go", especially - which was shortlisted in 2005 - was much better than this).

I have never been to India. I will claim no knowledge of the 'authenticity' of the India described. I notice some people hated this book, perhaps because they were offended on the part of India. I believe they miss the point, though, as the two stories here are 1) the journey the narrator has undertaken - grippingly told, forcing me to read into the late hours and 2) the description of a world were there is no black or white (even though the narrator tries to portray it as either), something I think is true for any country on the planet.
That this was a debut really impress me, this man can tell a story!

Much of the criticism surrounding The White Tiger centers around its poor depiction of reality; or its "exoticization" of India. And I wonder when did these things become criteria for evaluating a work of 'fiction'. I would argue that the novel told a story that is more real than reality itself. And that is possibly why some have been moved to respond; it touched something deep within everyone who claims to know India.

Adiga told a story that is gripping, deep, and a page turner. One can either invest in it by paying close attention to its intricate social and emotional nuances, or stick to its bare surface and would still come out satisfied with a highly entertaining read. And I just don't understand why 'entertaining' is a frowned upon quality among literary critics (not the Booker Prize ones!). As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said "Criticism is infested with a cant of materialism, which assumes that manual skill and activity is the first merit of all men [and women], and disparages such as say and do not". All of these critics should be arrested for hazing, in my opinion.

This novel is in my top 10 list of favorites. But I somehow feel that one should know at least a little bit about India before they can appreciate as much as I did.

Aravind Adiga truly portrays the real India. Though there are many books selling on the tag of 'realistic approach towards India', this book exactly hits the point. The author chose this form of story telling to make us understand the real meaning of what he meant through his text. How he portrays the hidden 'entrepreneurship' in an unfortunate yet impassioned India poor man is the best part of his approach. Though I am from India, I was having very meager exposure to the Indian caste based society. But as I came to know more about the caste system and binding of the people to it either by force or fate, I got more interested in reading this book. This book not only exposes the problems but also the causes which are creating them. Take the instance of the scene where the book's main character Balram goes to the government hospital for a treatment to his father suffering from Tuberculosis. The hospital conditions, the ward boy's recklessness and the doctor's approach towards treating the patients are shown in an utterly realistic way. The scene where balram's mother dies in the initial pages of the book almost left me with tears and tender heart. A must read if you are looking for something like exactly what it is to be an Indian, a poor Indian and yet having entrepreneurship qualities and the consequences he wld face.

Anyone who has ever had just five dollars left in their bank account, worked a dead-end job and lacks faith in the spiritual but abandons to its ritual out of frustration might connect with Munnan. He's the lead character in this exquisite piece of writing of Brechtian proportions by Aravind Adiga.

Immediately one is caught in the meandering thoughts of an e-mail written by Munnan (aka Hindi for boy ) to the Premier of China. Reading the first pages I experienced the writing as my own e-mail. The letter could be addressed to anyone and feels somewhat impersonal and self-servicing. Munnan begins to sound a bit off and his comments are enriched with details of a caste system unknown by so many but slightly familiar in those fleeting moments of financial whoa. I'm enamored with claims of inauthenticity because that's the point. That's Munnan, he's a hack a sociopathic hack who is aware of his lack of compassion hiding beneath the gentle illusion of service. This man and the story is told in a manor that touches on popularized use of information, of misinformation.

Without giving away too much of the story which uses a traditional narrative as a way to reinforce the paradox of post-humanism and its relationship to colonialism by sharing a horrific tale of servitude. The "letter" calls into question the function of morality, work etiquette and idealism in cultures of poverty (everyone) by explaining each day of Munnan's life as a driver and soon to be murder. Each passage seems to draw attention to the loss of individualism and the dangerous lives of those who seek compassion or reject it. Eventually it becomes apparent the author is the reader's master. Put on trial will we sign the disclosure for a cost? Can you find compassion for Munnan?

I didn't love the story. Actually, I think I liked the story, but didn't necessarily like the novel if that makes sense. It lacked whatever it is that classifies a book as "great" in my mind.

It's the story of Balram Halwi. He is telling his story (which is one thing that always makes an audiobook translation work well for me) in the form of a letter to a dignitary who will be visiting India. He wants him to know the story of the real India -- his India. Because of this, I'm glad that I read it for the purposes of the challenge, because it did a great job of portraying the current poverty, class struggle, and obstacles and opportunities presented to Indians today.

It's described as being "darkly comic," and I agree with that.

So in summary, I liked the story and the way the information was presented, but as a "great novel" it fell short.

The White Tiger was well written and whoever the edtitor was helped as the text was tight and clear and easy to get through. As a person who has lived in India I knew the characters and their minds. Two different worlds and two classes. The book explores some great themes and also how India is rapidly changing. I loved the feeling of the entrepreneurial spirit. Corruption is extreme in India and people there find it more offensive that you question it. The cost of a life is brought into question and I like how the author leaves it hanging in the air. Not enough writers leave the reader take the story further in imagination or in terms of morality. However I found the book lacking in practices of Hindus asking their Gods for a whole plethora of things, the India Princess complex which is blatent narcisism, how Indians living in the UK and the USA are in a different time reality and the indigenous part of India to also be fair. I found it odd something so neat won the Man Booker Prize but hey good luck to the author I hope his next book explores themes more deeply and teases them out a bit more.

Winner of the 2008 Booker Prize, Aravind Adiga's debut novel "The White Tiger" offers a biting, wickedly humorous look at contemporary -- but, in Adiga's estimation, hardly modern -- India, a place where the majority of people live in "the Darkness." The incredibly fast-paced story follows Balram Halwai, an underprivileged Indian who becomes a driver to an upper-caste businessman and then, through an act of cold-blooded murder, rises to the top of the heap. Just don't call Balram a killer; he prefers the title "social entrepreneur." The thrust of the story follows Balram's misadventures in some of India's biggest cities, but "The White Tiger" is finally a deeply cynical look at what Adiga's narrator calls the "Rooster Coop" of the subcontinent. Like chickens, Indians are "packed as tightly as worms in a belly, pecking each other." The cruelest part is that "they do not rebel. They do not try to get out of the coop." Indeed, Adiga's stand-in writes, "A handful of men in this country have trained the remaining 99.9 percent -- as strong, as talented, as intelligent in every way -- to exist in perpetual servitude."

Hysterically funny read, and a well crafted story, too. I listened to it on CD in the car and couldn't WAIT to get back to driving.

The White Tiger is a letter written to the Prime Minister of Japan (?) on the eve of his visit dictated by the protagonist, Balram. He introduces the Prime Minister to Indian ways with the story of his rags-to-riches life, then offers to be his driver.

The story is a darkly comical statement about the Indian economy, culture, and religious differences. A worthy read by a great new author.

"The White Tiger" describes the sordid and pathetic lives of the poor in India through a series of letters written by the main character in anticipation of a visit to India by a Chinese premier. The epistolary premise is at times unapproachable, although it facilitates the author's amusing comparisons between China and India. The rags-to-riches tale has its funny, dark, smug, violent and disgusting moments. It provides interesting insights into the workings of government and society in India, and how the rich, the powerful and the poor live with their preordained destinies and how a few daring individuals attempt to break out of them. The main character's plan for escaping his fate as a servant for life seems somewhat unbelievable, given the consequences. If it is believable, then it would be frightening on a wider scale.

With all of that said, "The White Tiger" did not engage me from beginning to end. Too often, I put it down without reflecting on what I had just read, and at times it was a struggle to finish. Aravind Adiga's writing is not on the level of past winners of the Booker Prize in the same genre, such as Kiran Desai, Arundhati Roy and Salman Rushdie. However, it is nevertheless a competent first novel, and I look forward to future works by this author.

It's a good book. I don't know whether all the hype is justified though. I like how it's structured as a series of letters to the Chinese Premier. It's a novel way to write a... novel. The main character is an interesting guy/sociopath with a penchant for learning from his "masters" and he learns very well how to work the corrupt system. I think the key point to the story is when he decides that what happens to his family as a result of his actions doesn't matter to him. That's the part that left me chilled - more than the murder of his boss. The murder is often cited as the high point, or most exciting part of the book, but I think it's more telling about the character that he knows his family will be killed/tortured as a result and he does it anyway. Good book, but not quite enough for five stars.

This is a witty, fun read that reminded me a lot of "Lord of the Flies." Just as that book challenged the popular idea that children left alone on an island would develop a utopian civilization, "Tiger" goes after the idea that someone can win wealth through merit ala "Slumdog Millionaire." In "Tiger," the protagonist gradually realizes the price he must pay to win his freedom from poverty, and then pays it. The black humor in the book helps us grow fond of the protagonist despite his foul deeds, and makes it a far more entertaining read than LOF.

I paid no attention to Aravind Adiga's debut novel, The White Tiger, until it won the Man Booker prize, and then I decided to read it. Adiga is imaginative and clever in the way he has structured the novel, and in how he explores the levels of darkness in a society polarized by wealth. The narrator and protagonist is Balram Halwai, who rose from poverty in a villiage in India to become the driver for a wealthy man in Delhi, and then the owner of a fleet of cars serving Bangalore. His path to wealth was through murder and theft. The novel is structured as letters from Balram to the premier of China who is about to visit India, and wants to learn how to apply the entrepreunership of India for China. Adiga presents wealth in India as corrupt, and the wealthy as venal and abusive to those who work for them. While the darkness can be comic at times, the starkness of the contrast between wealth and poverty, and the triumph of evil makes The White Tiger a stark tale with characters who are more caricature than authentic.

Rating: Two-star (Mildly Recommended)

A really great book. I had to read it for my politics and literature course and enjoyed it. The main character is witty and fun to follow although the use of "beak" is a little odd (you have to read it to see what I mean). I liked the author's use of irony and sarcasm throughout the story. I would recommend this book very much.

This book is written from the perspective of a barely educated man who has grown up in the poor section of India which he calls The Darkness. He was forced out of school and sent to work in the city aka The Light where he manages to convince a rich family of hiring him as a servant. The story begins with him telling his tale after he has risen to heights he never thought imaginable and is now a business owner.
The book tells the tale of his struggle and gives insights and philosophical observations about Indian politics and the corruption surrounding it, as seen through a poor man's eyes. All in all a good story that boasts a simplistic writing style and witty comments. Not the best i have read but definitely a good, light read.

Aravind Adiga's debut novel weaves a tale of life as seen through the eyes of a criminal.Here we encounter the struggle between the classes;the poor against the rich;the lower against the upper caste.We are exposed to the real India-beneath all the television adverts,democratic ideals and somewhat inchoate industrialisation,crime,theft,nepotism and thuggery hold sway.At times one cannot help but feel sorry for the main protagonist and the circumstance in which he has found himself.The beauty of this book is in its telling.Mr Adiga's acerbic wit exposes itself in every line and at times even the most unpleasant aspects of the story are made bearable.Here there is no linguistic sophistication or redudandancy of words.Leaving us with a book that takes us through the journey of a man's life and the choices he had to make to become a success.

This book is barely a novel, although it is certainly fiction. Rather, it attempts to be a cynical expose of the deep ineradicable corruption at every level of Indian life. In the guise of an extended communication to the Premier of China regarding the value of entrepreneurs, the narrator tells his tale of how he became a driver for a member of a landlord family whose main job duty was to deliver bribe money to government ministers. And then, how he murdered his employer and stole some of that bribe money and thus became an entrepreneur himself. Just what China needs!

There are no sympathetic characters in this book -- even the narrator's grandmother tries to exploit him. And there are is no love interest and, really, no love. Written by a native of India, the book reeks of contempt for Indian culture with no hope or redemption in sight. I kept asking myself: what could be the purpose of this book? As other reviewers, mainly Indians, have made clear, as an expose, the book is light years from fair or accurate. For a balanced view of India's economic development, I would recommend Nandan Nilekani"s "Imagining India: the idea of a renewed nation". If pushed to name a redeeming value, I guess I would say I learned something about hardness of life in India's rural villages, assuming the account can be trusted.

The title :The White Tiger" is catchy and marketable but turns out to be a metaphor for something or somebody unusual and has nothing to do with tigers or even tiger-like qualities. Stripped of its corruption expose core and the spurious advice to the Chinese Premier, the book is simply the tawdry tale of a scoundrel's progress, corruption layered upon corruption. Thin gruel indeed.

I had read very positive reviews before reading this book, but have to disagree with the herd-type of rave reviews that now proliferate. Yes, this is a new view of India for readers who have little prior knowledge, the sardonic tone is somewhat disconcerting at first, and the mounting tension acts as a page-turner.

Nevertheless, the fact that so many reviewers claim to have "laughed out loud" must have been in response to reading a different book. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I think my discomfort is more in reaction to the loud and often unthinking acclaim given to this novel which, in reality, is much more modest in its achievements than its status as a Booker prize-winner would lead one to expect.

The protagonist is delusional, paranoid, and finally psychotic, committing a cold-blooded murder that was not strictly necessary in order to accomplish his life goal of getting rich quickly. (he could have just stolen the car.) Thus, I am mystified that so many readers should have focused on the so-called humor and overlooked the depraved morality of this survival story of doing whatever it takes to get ahead in modern India. really not so funny.

A good book, an interesting read, but certainly not a classic.

Quite an engrossing novel, narrated by low caste Balram from the slums of the 'Darkness' (poor rural India in contrast to the 21st century 'Light').
Having gained the position of Chauffeur to a wealthy family, he is torn by his feelings towards his employers...Increasingly aware of the corruption, both political and personal, of his 'superiors', Balram determines to break out of the chicken coop in which the poorer classes are kept down...

This is my first time at reading any Indian literature, and it was a successful first try. I really enjoyed the book for a number of reasons: it was sarcastic -- dark comedy they call it. Still, it was surprisingly informative and eye-opening.

The author makes fun of the cruel reality of the societal aspects in today's India (at least the way he shows it which he says at the end of the book that such reality isn't fiction; he has seen and interacted with people similar to those whom he describes). Everything in there seems completely and utterly unbelievable to be happening in our modern world -- it is like another world and another time. The life experience that is represented in the book by all characters and descriptions is absolutely shocking; political corruption, personal depravity, money worship, lack of values and principles, lack of human decency and transparency, human rights extreme violations, immorality and incivility in human interactions, and many others that are otherwise worth mentioning in more detail, all of which give the impression that normal people under rather normal conditions (i.e. no wars or occupation) truly suffer in a place like that.

Where I live I see many Indian laborers; they are not necessarily treated very well, and they're low-waged for the most part. I've always wondered why they came all the way from their homeland to take on such professions. I always said: wouldn't it have been better for them if they had stayed home? At least they'd be home!

After reading this book, I realized this isn't entirely true. At least they have more rights abroad; they have a place to sleep, hygiene, and money of course.

But anyway, I've seen other kinds of bad by other "humans".

Now for the fiction part: the character of Balram Halwai. Putting aside his immorality, criminality and cynicism, he is actually a rare breed, a white tiger indeed. Though under brutal circumstances, he has developed self-respect, appreciation and value to humanity. He tried to break the vicious circle taken place in what seems to be a jungle. It is all wrong; the society that begot him and how he reacted to it - murdering his "master". He is not excused of course, but he tried his best. And it is fiction after all.

All in all, it has been a good read.

Hope things get better in India and the whole world.

Peace out.

a boy from the caste of sweet-makers is screwed out of his scholarship but cunningly manages to become a driver for a wealthy landlord. He watches and learns the system, from the Rooster Coop of the serving class to the bribery of the ruling class and, when the time is right, he makes an opportunity, takes the money and runs. A look at modern India from the bottom-up, one that excludes the incense and romance of so much Indian fiction and focuses on the feces in the rivers and streams of society. Darwin-esque. Probably not for everyone.

In his debut novel, Aravind Adiga takes on some hefty issues: the unhappy division of social classes into haves and have-nots, the cultural imperialism of the First World, the powder-kegged anger that seethes among the world's dispossessed, and entrapment. But his skills as an author protect the novel from becoming one of those horrible didactic stories in which characters and plot are little more than mouthpieces and vehicle for delivering Great Truths. The White Tiger entertains and gives pause for thought. This is a good combination.

The plot centers around Balram Halwai, a laborer born and raised in a small village utterly controlled by crooked and feudally powerful landlords. The village is located in 'the Darkness,' a particularly backward region of India. Balram is eventually taken to Delhi as a driver for one of the landlord's westernized sons, Ashok. It's in Delhi that Balram comes to the realization that there's a new caste system at work in both India and the world, and it has only two groups: those who are eaten, and those who eat, prey and predators. Balram decides he wants to be an eater, someone with a big belly, and the novel tracks the way in which this ambition plays out.

A key metaphor in the novel is the rooster coop. Balram recognizes that those who are eaten are trapped inside a small and closed cage--the rooster coop--that limits their opportunities. Even worse, they begin to internalize the limitations and indignities of the coop, so that after awhile they're unable to imagine they deserve any other world than the cramped one in which they exist. Balram's dream is to break free of his coop, to shed his feathers and become what for him is a symbol of individualism, power, and freedom: a white tiger. But as he discovers, white tigers have their own cages, too.

Of course, it's not simply the Balram's of the world caught in the rooster coop. Adiga's point seems to be that even the world's most privileged suffer from a cultural and class myopia that limits perspective and distorts self-understanding. The White Tiger is a good tonic with which to clear one's vision and spread one's wings.

Regardless of your opinion of the final text, you can't help admiring Aravind Adiga the almost insane ambition of his first novel. To begin with, it's epistolary, a form that hasn't been in style since the turn of the 18th century. Next, the letters are written by a classic "unreliable narrator," summoning immediate comparison's to Nabokov's Pale Fire [and John Lanchester's tragically underrated Debt to Pleasure.] Then, as if that wasn't biting off enough, Mr. Adiga makes his protagonist the poor driver of a rich family, one member of which he ends up killing, invoking quite intentional comparison to Richard Wright's Native Son. Okay, okay, I hear you saying, that's already more than he could possibly chew. But, wait! There's more! Beyond all the formal and stylistic choices, Mr. Adiga apparently intends the book to be an incisive social criticism of modern India's chaotically entrepenuerial culture, a la Dickens or Zola. Got all that?

The resulting book has been widely praised in the West and won the Man Booker prize. But it has been less welcome in India where the author, though a native son himself, is considered something of an outsider these days, his family having emigrated to Australia, where he went to high school, and having then gone off to both Columbia and Oxford for his subsequent education.

When we gather all these various strands together we can begin to see why the novel is ultimately a tad too incoherent for its own good. The letters that make up the chapters of the book are written over the course of seven nights by Balram Halwai, a Bangalore businessman who--for no discernible reason--has decided to relate the story of his rise from poverty to Wen Jiabao, the premier of the People's Republic of China. You'll hardly need reminding that the addressee is the first among equals in a dictatorial regime that oppresses a billion people. Balram's stated identification with such a monster might be said to be less appalling because he's so ignorant about what life in China is actually like, but that leaves us with a choice between a narrator who's a Maoist or a dunce.

Meanwhile, as is generally the case where an unreliable narrator is involved, Balram is a murderer and a psychopath. As Scientific American informs us:

First described systematically by Medical College of Georgia psychiatrist Hervey M. Cleckley in 1941, psychopathy consists of a specific set of personality traits and behaviors. Superficially charming, psychopaths tend to make a good first impression on others and often strike observers as remarkably normal. Yet they are self-centered, dishonest and undependable, and at times they engage in irresponsible behavior for no apparent reason other than the sheer fun of it. Largely devoid of guilt, empathy and love, they have casual and callous interpersonal and romantic relationships. Psychopaths routinely offer excuses for their reckless and often outrageous actions, placing blame on others instead. They rarely learn from their mistakes or benefit from negative feedback, and they have difficulty inhibiting their impulses.

So what are we left with here? A novelist whose personal knowledge of daily life in India we have reason to question, and a narrator who not only would be uninterested in the society around him anyway, but who is either a communist or an imbecile to boot. And yet we're supposed to take seriously the indictment of Indian culture that follows? I don't think so.

Balram is an amusing enough guide that the book is enjoyable for awhile, but such an unpleasant creature under the veneer that he wears thin. The psychopath may fool you initially, but when you figure him out you ought to bail on the relationship. And when tells you that it was all the fault of others that he is what he is, you ought not necessarily believe him. Especially when there are a billion Indians who aren't killing their bosses to get rich quick.

Fittingly enough, there is an alternative reading available to us which reconciles these problems and effectively squares the circle. Just as Pale Fire offers a hilarious send-up of Literary Criticism (see link to review above), so could White Tiger be read as a brilliant parody of the anti-globalization Left. After all, when you put people's words in the mouths of psychopaths, you are suggesting something about the quality of the ideas, are you not?

Arvind Adiga's first novel is a well written and short read that is an excellent first person commentary on modern Indian society. What makes it so believable is the fact that its an Indian writer, who is very well rooted with the ins and outs of the Indian society.

The optimist in me enjoyed the book a lot, just like I enjoyed the movie Slumdog millionaire. Both in their own way celebrate the success of the survivor. While some may question the protogonist's morality in achieving this success, the author through that sidenote on the hit and run incident towards the end, shows his compassionate and human side. The commentary here is not so much as to the state of affairs in modern India, but how adept people have become at surviving and thriving in these situations. There is a lesson to be learned here. India is a country of survivors and fighters. If they had to go through hell and back to get to where they are now, imagine what they can do now they have the power.

The short length of the book is definitely a point against this book, especially the last chapter seemed like a rushed job, as if the author had run out of words.

All in all a good read, and a nice complement to this year's blockbuster.

I've yet to read a summary of this book that really does it justice. The New Yorker review made a valiant effort, but its a bit dishonest to describe this as a story of a good hardworking boy turning into a violent killer. Everyone in the narrator's life is seen at a psychological remove. He is disgusted by them, or pities them, or is generally indifferent to them. He is entirely a product of his surroundings and upbringing, but he also comes to see the cages and disparities of India.

It may be fair to say the message is heavyhanded, but it is not so heavy handed that it is easily dismissed. I felt uncomfortable at times - such as the section of the book where they are going to make him take the blame for killing a child that his mistress ran over and his family rejoicing that he can provide such a service. Also the immense network of bribery and election manipulation. Does every country have problems? Sure. The difference between "every country" and Balram's India is the depth and breadth of both the problems themselves, and the coverup and blind eyes turned by those in power.

"The White Tiger", by the debutante novelist Aravind Adiga, is a story of a self-named Indian entrepreneur, Bikram Halwai (a.k.a. Munna,, a.k.a. The White Tiger, a.k.a Ashok Sharma), told by the protagonist himself in a form of letters to the Prime Minister of China, Wen Jiabao. During the seven nights, Bikram, like Scheherazade, weaves the story of his life, and how he came "per aspera ad astra" (at least, in his own opinion).

Bikram, born in a small village of Laxmangarh, in the district of Gaya in Northern India, is considered an intelligent boy, quickly learns to read and write, which is considered a progress in his family, where the men work hard for meager money in mundane jobs (his father is a rickshaw driver), and then have to hand the money to the women to support the extended family. Everyone works only for the family and the dream of most (Bikram included) is to become a driver of a car. Pulled out of school, Bikram is apprenticed in the tea-shop, but he learns to drive and finds a job as a driver in a wealthy family in Dhabad, a district town. His ambitions, however, only grow, when he sees how the rich live and is introduced to the worldly ways of Delhi, where he is sent with his master, Ashok, who has to solve some income tax issues with the corrupt government. Bikram's aspirations result in the murder of Ashok... (not a spoiler - Bikram reveals it at the beginning, admitting this was a beginning of his financial independence, and the rest of the novel concentrates on the events leading to the killing).

This fresh and funny novel offers a contemporary perspective of the Indian society, something new and different from most of the Indian novels, mostly because of the fact that it is told in a voice of a member of a lower caste, a "half-baked", uneducated Indian, who worms his way into some money, sacrificing his family and name. However, the observations are not very deep, somehow schematic and not new to most of the people who know anything about India. Adiga, as a journalist, manages to tackle the important social issues.

The author skillfully uses stereotypes, playing with the mix of literary influences - one can find here the echoes of many great writers, from Francis Scott Fitzgerald (the accident from "Great Gatsby" and taking the blame is reproduced with very slight changes) to George Orwell (the animal names of the village bosses). Unfortunately, these borrowings may display the author's literacy, but the novel's originality of concept suffers. This is probably the most important shortcoming; other that that, I have no criticism. Still, I think that Ghosh's novel deserved the Man Booker Prize more, but Adiga's debut shows promise and it is a good read.

The White Tiger didn't blow me away, but it is an enjoyable read. The characters are interesting and the story is engrossing. It gives the reader a personal look into what it means to be wealthy or poor in India. It also delves into the corruption that exists in the government and the influence of other cultures on India, while examining the prospect of India's rise in the world economy. I would recommend it to anyone who is in between books and is looking for a good piece of fiction.

I am not much of a book reader but I opted to purchase this at the suggestion of a friend who sang it's praises. The book is easy to read and a page-turner.

The author grips you from the first chapter with the story wanting you to keep reading to find out what happens next.

This is one of those books that you can read after every year or two to re-live the story and the characters.

A powerful book packaged in a short, fast read. Adiga's novel gives you a glimpse of a smaller, meaner India than you might be used to from other Indian literature. India is such a large country, with many distinct cultures, it's nice to get away from the setting of Bombay/Mumbai. With this novel Adiga explores the themes of social subjugation, economic classism, and human value. Your "lessers" may often be forgotten and ignored, and yet they are every bit as complexly human as you. Adiga also shines a light on the underbelly of the Indian "economic miracle", showing that it's not all saffron and roses in the emerging superpower state. This book belongs alongside Roy's THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS, Mistry's A FINE BALANCE, and Rushdie's MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN in the cannon of great Indian literature.

I can't remember exactly why I purchased this book but I am glad I did, as "The White Tiger" is an enjoyable and in many ways eye opening book. One hears so much about India these days about the growing middle class and all the opportunities. This novel shows India how it probably really is at street level, forgetting all of the mystical, yoga, spiritual things you hear and read about India. The White Tiger is a fast, easy to follow read and will probably lead the reader to look for more opportunities to read Indian fiction.

I read this novel a couple of years ago and I still look back, savor the experience and recall this as one of the best books I have in recent years. It has everything I am looking for in reading fiction: strong narrative voice, gritty and realistic descriptions and characterizations, wonderful insight into a culture and place which are unknown to me. I thought the author used a magnificiently original first person presentation. Highly recommended, no melodrama here, witty and insightful.

Wonderfully written and insightful read, this was between 4 and 5 stars for me. I liked how the author gave a no-holds-barred perspective on modern India and the caste system. I would have liked a longer book with more details on what happened after the pivotal event towards the end of the story. The ending made me feel like there was still more to understand.

The format of this novel through the narrator sending emails to Premier Jiabao of China I found gratuitously contrived and cloying in tone. The result was I found the novel extremely irritating to read. Furthermore, it read like an outsider looking in on modern India and although I did not know until I had finished the novel I was not surprised to find out that the author did not grow up in India. The rapid changes to India's society in recent years are the focus of this novel. The price list of different whisky's depicting the new pecking order of where in the new social hierarchy an Indian stood was not that relevatory as any observant tourist would notice this. The description where the young narrator watched as his mother's funeral pyre burnt was another example of where it read like a dispassionate outsider watching an Indian funeral for the first time. The corruption and bribery also seemed to be very poorly sketched and inserted for a reader's expectations rather than integral to a flowing narrative. There are numerous novels written about contemporary India and I recommend looking around for another rather than choosing this one.

The book had a plausible story line. The author did a good job of keeping it interesting and having the reader involved. Some of the descriptions of Balram's rural life were very realistic.
But, in what world is he living? The India he is talking of, no doubt exists to a certain degree, but the darkness and socialist party references were a little too much. I feel that maybe the author left India about 30 years ago and still has the image of the time he left with him. I do not mean to discredit his description of the rural life, because little no change has occurred in that field. However I did find the big picture a little stale. It almost felt like he wrote the book for a certain type of reader. The kind of reader who is looking for mystery or mysticism in India, the land of snake charmers and yogis. The book had a very stereotypical feel to it, enhancing and embellishing the poverty, death decay etc.

This book was simply amazing. Adiga put together a fascinating portrait of a city, some beautiful dark comedy, but what absolutely made me unable to put down this book was the voice of the main character.

This is a "told" story. In a letter to a Chinese official coming to visit Bangalore, Balram unfolds the story of his life, and it is just utterly perfect. I generally don't prefer this kind of story-telling, but Aravind Adiga did it without a single misstep, and the book reads so smoothly. This book was dark, it was funny, it addressed both great truths and small lies, and it offered the reader a peek at a different world. I can't recommend this book enough.

Just because NPR talks up a book and just because it was "shortlisted" for a prize does not make a book good. Perhaps my expectations were higher because of these things, but I still didn't find anything great between the covers.

Balram is a poor Indian man who happens to get a good job as a driver for the son of a local landlord-mafia-type character. The mafia son seems to have more of a conscience than those he associates with and, in fact, seems to be the nicest person in the story. And at the very beginning of the story, Balram announces that there are "wanted" posters all over India with his face on it because he killed his nice boss and his family in the worst way you can imagine.

So here we have this build up at the beginning of the story to this awful murder that's supposed to have taken place. And you continue to read and read and read trying to find out why the main character is so awful. You don't actually encounter the murder of his boss until 30 pages from the end. And he only assumes his family has been killed by the landlord-mafia-group as a result of him murdering his boss. The murder isn't a grisly one and all the story leading up to it is quite mundane.

The only thing I can imagine that people are enamored by in this story is that it shows how a poor man in India (at least in this case) is only able to rise to greatness by killing a nice rich man. And it seems that Balram has learned not to let the little guy take the blame. Apparently, money can buy anything ... even reprieve from murder.

What rubbish. I listen to this book on audio. The narrator mispronunced key words and names, but that is not what makes this novel so awful. The author's self loathing is very evident through the story. I have met many Indians who are uncomfortable with the inequalities in India. This discomfort turns into a cynical, "we rich get what we deserve" attitude. It is an attitude that unmines the richly descriptive writing. The author paints a richly detailed landscape. As an outsider, the picture of India's highly nuanced society is lost in ridiculous characters. It was wholly unsatisfying read. There are many other who capture India much better than this one.

Narration of the story is really catchy. It explains about how a driver becomes the master of drivers. But it gives a picture of betrayal in each character such as his Kusum, Stork, Mongoose, Pinky madam and of course Mr. Ashok. Balram becomes entrepreneur by murdering his master. There are two sides of good and bad things. Good thing is that the driver leads a successful life and Bad thing is that he murders his master which is more highlighted boldly. It is not a good example of inspiring people though the story is really a bold act of the main character Balram.

The reviews on this book so far reveal just how sharp Avind's pen is: the lowest star rating seems to come from Indian readers.

Right on the first page, I realised that this was going to be a roller-coaster ride and all the conventions, institutions and traditions that Indians hold holy would be mercilessly attacked.

The success of the book lies in the consistency of language, and the frankness with which the narrator dissects the rotten mess that is India today: the stifling extended family relationships, pervasive corruption, urban apathy and decadence, and the stench of uncontrolled urbanization.

I can understand how an Indian in the "fat belly" caste or aspirations of joining it would take great offense at this book. However, the author succeeds very well in depicting the India of the "darkness" that the sanitized films, cookbooks, travel brochures and sponsored CNN ads so effectively mask to outsiders. It is a necessary counterbalance, and thoroughly entertaining too.

Having visited both North and South India, I found the descriptions in this book accurate! I could even smell the acrid smoke that seems to cover Northern India in the winter.... Written as a novel, this book gives the visitor an inside look at the workings of India. It is an amazing country, yet when you visit you have to wonder how India will work it's way out of all the problems. No drinkable water, intermittent electricity, no sewage treatment, ghastly air pollution, mind boggling poverty - and yet, India fights against the world's efforts to curtail these problems. Again and again we read in the papers (following the Copenhagen Climate Conference, 2009) that the US has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of India.... The problem with that argument is that India's pollution (air, water, poverty) has an impact on all the world. Heaven help us if India's environmental and social standards were to become World standards! This book is an excellent introduction to India. I highly recommend it for anyone who has been there (it will bring back memories!), as well as preparation for those who plan to visit.

Jonieta

A blistering story bound to cause some self-examination - not a better understanding of poverty, but of desperation and ethics. Found myself laughing out loud and a few moments later horrified. Read this a few months after reading "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman and found myself thinking about both for a long time afterwards. Blunt commentary about modern life, global business, and the human condition. Very highly recommended.

"White Tiger" is rich and colorful. Reading it is total immersion in Indian culture, straight off the high dive into the deep water. You soak in the details--the ooze, the muck, the politics and cultural tics of India. But, two cautions. First, there isn't much tension. Second, the theme isn't subtle; it pops up at every turn. The main character is a taxi driver so there are many turns. "The dreams of the rich and the dreams of the poor--they never overlap, do they?" asks Balram Halwai.

The ending is not only foreshadowed, it's spelled out in detail long before it happens. But enough of the cautions. The book works because of powerful, low-grade seething that Adiga brings to Halwai's point of view. At times biting and at times perplexed, Halwai has analyzed his position in the world system, or at least in India, and has developed a razor-sharp justification for his actions. "My way of living is all wrong but I don't have the courage to change it," he proclaims somewhat matter-of-factly.

The details of "White Tiger" are wonderful. The half-ripe guavas, water buffalo lore, Indian income taxes, face masks, air pollution, roaches, skin diseases, social hierarchy, imported wine, liquor casts, traffic, "Murder Weekly," footwear, burning cellophane, curries, urban growth, traffic, "the great Indian rooster coop," blonde prostitutes, the perfect driver, dye jobs, red puddles of spit, fortune machines, poems and poetry, stray dogs, zoos, Johnny Walker Black, geckos.

"White Tiger" is about being caged, about being stuck in the station of life to which you were born. It's about "what it means not to be a servant" and all the opportunity that making such a change could bring. This is an amazing book--a delicious moral tale in a rich and powerful setting (in more ways than one).

The White Tiger was recommended to me by a friend who read it with her book club. I am so happy she lent me the book, because it was such an entertaining and quick read that I almost want to read it again to catch anything I may have missed.
The book itself is not complicated, but the implications it makes are. Following the life of a self-described murderer-on-the-run turned entrepreneur, the reader is given a look into the mind of this boy from the slums of India, who is given the "lucky" break of becoming a driver for a wealthy man. Adiga masterfully employs the art of exaggeration and minimalizing simultaneously, as death and murder is dealt with in lighter terms, but the experience of buying liquor for oneself is a transcendental life-changing moment. It is all rationalized in the mind of "the white tiger," who manages to be a voice that the reader interprets as psychotic, endearing, pitiful and selfish, all in the span of one page.
The book itself manages commentary on the current injustice that occurs in India, without being preachy. While I can't say I am walking away from finishing this and still pondering everything within the story, I would still recommend it to everyone I know as a quick, enjoyable and very well-written read.

Let me start by saying that this book is certainly an above-average debut in what has now become quite a crowded and competitive space for novels about the sub-continent. Prose is beautiful, energetic and certainly works well to drive the story along. It makes the novel a swift read; there were hardly any passages that I felt like skipping or skimming over.

However, when I think of a Booker's prize winner, I think of a work of fiction that astounds in its depth of thought, with a style of prose that does not just deliver the plot line with sprinkles of humor but rather slaps you out of a lulling stupor and sends electric shocks up your spine. If it does not do that, then it should not be a Booker's winner.

I felt the same way about 'The reluctant fundamentalist' by Mohsin Hamid. That was another novel that received big praise from the western media but seemed rather bland to me, lacking even in material and original ideas. Perhaps it is because I am from the sub-continent myself and the ideas presented are not so original or out of the ordinary to me. Even then, I believe that the prose should take care of that and for me, Adiga's words did not cut it in White Tiger.

A very enjoyable and entertaining book which very cleverly reveals the dark and grubby underbelly of Indian society. Even though it has had some criticism for lacking in depth or being superficial but it very cleverly peels away the layers to give a clear indication of the range of characters (and even caricatures) which we encounter along the way. The humour and off handed way of dealing with heavy issues is quite accurate because life does feel cheap a lot of the time in India, and the friendliness and cunning are everywhere in abundance, and sometimes in the same person at the same time. Adiga takes us by surprise on each page, and just as we start to feel that we understand, something is said to disarm us and take our breathe away a little. The story flows well and Adiga proves himself to be a superb story teller.

a very strong story as it usually is with booke prize runners and winners. the story of real India, not of alluring Goa, from an Indian's eyes. his cunning journey from the coal black Darkness to the Light of N. Delhi. from the north to the south. a very symbolic, very dark humor. not an easy read but still hard to put down.

Pity the gullible intellectual of the West who is so stunned by the tales of misery and malfeasance in the other world--the world of five billion people who drift along the waves of crime and corruption everyday only to stay afloat. This is India--one of a hundred or so nations whose inhabitants maze through decadence and debauchery everyday as a way of going around. To them, what's so spectacular in passing a politician a few lakhs to get income tax "adjusted?" To them, what's so special about "serving" an employer with the last remaining fiber in your body, and yet offer your ribs whenever he feels like kicking them? They see nothing wrong cherishing killer "entrepreneur" dispositions, when the only way left to move forward is off the cliff. These references quoted here are not in jest. They simply employ alternative definitions in the local vernacular. This is just how the society is set up, irrespective of the statutes of morality or common law. Displaying a flabbergast for such commonplace matters amounts to, either living the life of solitary confinement, or at best, a sheer disregard for the plight of the two thirds of the world population. Stupefied must have been the judges of The Man Booker Prize, when pondering Aravind Adiga's `The White Tiger' for this ultimate prize in literary fiction. The Man Booker Prize is venerated for appreciating eonian themes and unequalled literary value of the submitted manuscripts. Little did they know in 2008 that the theme of class warfare, recounted through the fictional letters of Blaram Halwai to the Chinese Premier, is antiquated and banal in the other world, unworthy of any special mention, the least of which would be by an entity, as august as The Man Booker. For the literary device, Aravind borrows clichéd ciphers of cages and coops for the serving classes, and mongoose and snakes for the served; the metaphors so overused, they are not heard any more. For the occasional odd one in the society, who somehow unshackles himself from the manacles of status quo, the author uses the worn-out reference to a tiger, only white though--hence the title, The White Tiger. Notwithstanding a truer depiction of the appalling socio-economic milieu of the twenty-first century India, and for that matter, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and almost every other underdeveloped society, the turbidity of this book has palled the brilliance of the award. It's not the first time that an author of Indian descent has ranked among the likes of Ian McEwan, Howard Jacobson, Hillary Mantel, or Salman Rushdie; it's just the first time perhaps in the award's history that mediocrity has been mistaken for excellence. Neither the motifs of simmering revulsion to the status quo in the corrupt societies, nor the maneuverings of the rich and powerful to maintain it would stir the torpor of a common man. At best, they might earn a shrug and a laugh, topped with an expletive. That's the real value of the subject matter in this novel. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the entertaining Tamil accented English of the narrator in the audio version of the book. This alone must have helped me get through the entire book, without losing myself into the surrounding scenery on my usual long commute. Were it only for the insipid subject mater, I would have ranked it by `The Finkler Question' of Howard Jacobson, but it failed to meet even the language standard that is a hallmark of all such noteworthy publications. The text complexity should measure for a sixth grade reader by the literacy standards of Indian education, which is pretty high among the English-speaking countries. There is hardly any humor worthy of a chuckle, which the author occasionally takes pain to extract from his readers. It's an old Bollywood movie rewritten in the early 21st century India. Aravind should go read Life of Pi by Yann Martel to learn how to tell a good Indian story.

(Two Stars Out of Five)

From my priviledged existence in a fully first world country, it's a little frightening to think about how people live and work and succeed in other parts of the world. It would be much easier NOT to read books like this, but we'd be much less enlightened too. I found some of the text a bit plodding and the characters not always very likeable, but overall, i'm glad to have read this. The premise seems to be interesting at first, the letter writer and the audience, but in the end, it doesn't seem to have added much value to the storytelling. It's not exactly refreshing or uplifing, but falls more into the "good for you" category.

If I only have one word to describe this book, it would be confusing. The storyline isn’t the confusing part, but the main character himself. Why in the world did the author make us love Balram, the servant who kills his master and likes to fight everything he sees? He had no moral compass, in order to escape The Darkness and bring himself into The Light, even if it means crushing his family in the process. This book is a compelling story if you like a heartless satire about the Indian caste system and the corrupt government within India.

In this cynical `from rags to riches' story, Aravind Adiga brushes in big strokes a bleak picture of his homeland India. The outcome of the alternative `eat or get eaten up' does not depend there on what you can or what you know, but on what you can give or who you know. In one word, corruption (bribes) is the key factor: `To be called a murderer by the police! What a f... joke.'

The democratic process is fake: `A handful of men in this country have trained the remaining 99.9 per cent - as strong, as talented, as intelligent in every way - to exist in perpetual servitude; a servitude so strong that you can put the key of his emancipation in a man's hand and he will throw it back at you with a curse.'
The main character in this book is a `white tiger' and escapes his fate, because he `was corrupted from a sweet, innocent village fool into a citified fellow full of debauchery, depravity, and wickedness.'
He becomes a Bangalore entrepreneur `straight and crooked, mocking and believing, sly and sincere, at the same time'. His prerogative now is `to break the law of his land.'

In his colorful, hilarious, obscene, `straight from the heart' language, Aravind Adiga depicts a ferocious battle between religions, castes, races, nationalities, colonial forces, haves and have-nots in a human jungle without pity.

Highly recommended.

The dark/light metaphor used to differentiate the haves from the have-nots in India in this novel can be used for any country, but because this is India with its multitudes and incredible distances, has the ability to allow one person formerly of the Darkness to assimilate himself into the Light in a big way. There is one quibble I have with this, but cannot reveal it without revealing a key plot point. Here's hoping this auspicious debut will prove more fruitful for its young writer, unlike other Booker winning debuts of the past decade, whose authors have stalled and not produced other excellent works.

I love-love-loved this book! His voice is at once humourous and tragic. I feel I understood India better having read this. I want to read whatever else the author writes! I don't, however, want to have to drive a car in India. Ever. (That's because of a scene in the book, by the way. I'm not trying to insult India!)

For more reviews, please visit my blog, CozyLittleBookJournal.

Do you want to better understand the Mumbai siege? Would you like to increase your understanding of contemporary India? Have you wondered how this outsourcing thing has come to pass? Then pick up this page-turning Man Booker Prize winner. The White Tiger is part Confederacy of Dunces and part Life of Pi, with a touch of Machiavelli's The Prince and a little bit of Atlas Shrugged thrown in for good measure.

Our tale is dictated and recorded by the protagonist, Balram Halwai. Given no name but "boy" because his family worked too hard to think up a real name, Balram is the prototypical Indian entrepreneur.

Upon hearing on the radio that Mr. Jiabao, the Premier of China, will be visiting India to learn about the sub-continent's tremendous entrepreneurial spirit, Balram decides that, for the Premier's sake, he must intervene. Knowing that the official guides will give China's Premier a false account of what is happening in India, Balram takes it upon himself to record his own life story as a means toward understanding the true India.

Told as a collection of spoken recordings, made each night for a week in the wee hours of the morning and addressed directly to Mr. Jiabao, our Bangalore entrepreneur guides the reader, along with the Premier, through modern India as experienced by someone who started out among the poorest of the poor and wound up a wealthy man.

Inspired wit and ignorance, lust and greed, corruption and murder, reason and pride, cunning and madness, luck and careful planning. All play a role in this allegorical work.

On the cover of my edition is a winning recommendation from a USA Today reviewer: "One of the most powerful books I've read in decades. No hyperbole. This debut novel to me is like a kick in the head - the same effect of Richard Wright's, The Native Son and Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man had." Really? I'd like to know the name of that reviewer so I could ask why they thought to include "no hyperbole" which their too rosy opinion of the book clearly was. I thought I was going to be reading a new World Lit Classic! I wish it were true. I did enjoy parts of the book; Adiga's description of the poverty of India's lower class was both stunning and repulsive. He also does a handy job of describing the utter corruption and turmoil that India faces from the lower castes to the highest. Yet I found the device of letter writing annoying and as the story unfolded, it just didn't seem plausible for the character to choose a foreign Prime Minister to confess to via letter. I think that is my main problem with the story. The way Adiga has painted the quiet, albeit internally grumbling, and subservient Balram make his choices that move the novel forward seem out of character. Particularly the turning point in his life from servant to master. Balram is a character who is constantly on the verge of two extremes, and as such, we never get to know him or even to like him. His reversal of fortune lacks depth and ends with a too neat little bow - when his whole life has been anything but. None of the characters have any redeeming qualities - and maybe that's the point - but then what is reading for if not to receive some enlightenment? Ellison or Wright, anyone?

This book is hilarious. It is witty, with the narrator using contemporay language to make fun of rich people, politics, urban life and even Muslims (who I hope will take no offense). The book is a quick read because it is easier to understand than other Booker award-winning books. The book has no plot as such, with no twists in the story that will surprise you. The only unsatisfying element of the book is the murder of Mr Ashok (don't worry, this is not a spoiler as the author reveals it right at the start of the book) because he is such a likeable character who is polite, and treats the narrator so well inspite of him being the servant.

Adiga has done us a favour by writing this book. My first reaction was that it's brilliant in conception, and it brings out a lot that the Indian media tends to sweep under the carpet. It's not flashy, and it's a simple tale.

On the other hand, this is a book written to shock a Western audience - and does it succeed! Nothing wrong with that, except that the author should have put in more effort to get all his facts right. There weren't too many Punjabi farmers in Gurgaon, for example. Most drivers live in squalid conditions , yes, but they don't live in the same complexes as their "masters". They live in separate ghettos.

What's a more serious flaw is that the book portrays a "darkness" vs "light" angle, which is very common in Mumbai, which I understand is where the author lives. It's true that Bihar - the state Adiga doesn't name - is worse off than the rest of India. On the other hand, there is enough poverty in Mumbai to write about. IMHO, it's a typically urban Indian stereotype that Bihar is the pits but Mumbai is the New York or Shanghai of India.

I would have loved it if it didn't have these flaws.

Fantastically written book. Acidly funny, compelling and beautifully dark. I found it difficult to put the book down as I was fascinated to see how Balram would fillet his next upper-class victim. Adiga has a talent of describing in very plain language the struggles of growing up poor in India. He also does an excellent job of ripping religion, and confronting some of the new truths being defined by an increasingly global economy. Corruption is another theme omnipresent in this novel and Adiga's treatment is raw and in your face. Follow Balram as he leaves behind the Darkness through a web of lies, murder and deceit...the Light is not only for the politically connected, it is also for those willing to break a few heads.

Aravind Adiga's "The White Tiger" questions the boundaries between pragmatism and idealism in the world's largest self-proclaimed democracy: India, a nation where people are socially gagged by the strict traditions of a millenary caste system at birth. For Balram, the protagonist, self-value is an extrinsic value which does not necessarily align with socially acceptable moral conventions. In this world of conflicting ideas, Balram explains how the social protocol impacted his life, how he managed to stand in dissent and how he, throughout the story, metamorphosed into a new identity with in order to evade several levels of social punishment.

While reading this book, and obviously missing the point, I realized that Mr. Adiga has really found the formula for winning British literary awards. First, make your Western readers feel better about themselves with the depictions of India put together in a "certain way," much like the poster of Balram. And second, make those same readers believe as if they are truly getting a sneak peek into the previously hidden lives of poor people in India. Mr. Adiga would surely be admired by his protagonist, Balram, for his "entrepreneurship." I gave this book 5 stars simply for the joke the author has played upon his readers.

I have finished this book in four days! Don't know if I am having a reading spurt but this book went fast. I enjoyed most of it the parts I didn't like was his cheap shots at people of a different religion. Otherwise this book is hilarious it is set in india and is story of murder, and hope. I rarely read books like this and it has opened my mind to some other possibilities.

This was yet another Booker Prize winner that left me scratching my head: where was the "greatness" in this novel? I didn't find it especially well written, certainly not gripping or suspenseful, and not very funny either. The language isn't high-brow or flowery, just run-of-the-mill ordinary. I suppose that I missed some satirical point the writer was trying to make, or some other aspect of genius escaped me. I managed to finish this novel, but not with any joy or admiration.

I've lived in India (Mumbai) for 14 months. This is by far the best and most moving book about modern India that I've read, be it fiction or non-fiction. Every sentence rings true. There are some other wonderful modern Indian novels such as Mistry's "A Fine Balance" and Rushdie's "Midnight's Children." But this book speaks in the voice of the great oppressed mass of Indian people who are striving and struggling to survive and maybe, somehow, thrive. It's a compact and powerful statement of one man's refusal to stay in the Darkness, and his insistence that he too is worthy of the Light, no matter what the cost. Read this book if you want to know about the real India that 75% of its people actually live in. Highest recommendation.

This book gives me insight into modern Indian society. The progression of the character from a boy in the "darkness" to the person he is now is believable. However, I did not give this 5 stars because I did not get caught up in this book. It lacks compelling elements... I enjoyed it but I could easily put it down to do other things. A good read.

I've read other Indian authors - Salman Rushdie, Rohinton Mistry, Vijay Singh, Manil Suri - and this guy is not in their league at all so I cannot understand why he won the Booker Prize. Yes, he has the modern-snarkiness down pat and while it was an interesting read, and the character's voice was clear and fully realized, he lost me when he had his character remark that "..only four men in history have led successful revolutions to free the slaves and kill their masters...: Alexander the Great. Abraham Lincoln of America. Mao of your country. And a fourth man. It may have been Hitler, I can't remember.

Hitler? Thrown out as a comic aside? Not cool - even from a snarky guy. And this, "White men will be finished within my lifetime. There are blacks and reds, too, but I have no idea what they're up to - the radio never talks about them. My humble prediction: in twenty years' time, it will be just us yellow men and brown men at the top of the pyramid, and we'll rule the whole world."

Funny - the Indian writers here do not like this book so much, but the English do - irony is dead? Long live snark.

I loved this book. It was wonderfully written and gave me a lot to think about. I actually tried to read it a few years ago but couldn't get into it and I'm glad I gave it another try this time. It was almost as good as A Fine Balance, which is saying a lot. Wonderful book!

Oh my goodness! This is a magnificent book. Had to applaud at the end of it.
Enough reviews have been written about this story, but I was especially impressed by the way the author engrosses one into the story, and the way that both servant and master change with time; one on his journey from the "Darkness to the Light", and the latter from his initial "America-returned ideals" to the real world.
Very impressive debut. Well deserving of the prestigious award, Mr.Adiga!!!
Must-read!

Judging from the other reviews, I was prepared for The White Tiger to be an anticapitalist screed, or to at least have a hard-leftist bent. Ha! Nothing could be further from the truth.

First of all, the novel is well-written an entertaining. It is dictated in the form of a letter written by the protagonist ("The White Tiger") to a soon-to-be-visiting Chinese dignitary. The letter recounts the protagonist's ascendancy from the slums ("the darkness") to success as an entrepreneur. Along the way, he shines a light on the corruption of the Indian political system and the horrible conditions under which the poor of the country live. But does this make the novel anticapitalist? Only if you think what we have in America is anything remotely resembling capitalism.

In reality, the novel is anti-"democracy," and rightfully so. It shows what a joke democracy is in India, where elections can be bought and sold "not like in America" -- which I took as being tongue-in-cheek. The political figures mentioned are all hard-leftists: socialists, communists, etc. They claim to be "for the poor," but really they are servants of the rich. Just like the political parties in the United States.

But what allows the protagonist to rise above it all? His personal ambition and ability to find a niche within the developing capitalist economy of India. He moves to Bangalore and starts his own company, servicing the many outsourcing firms in that city. This way, he becomes rich, and turns the corrupt political system around so that it is in his favor. Of course, there's a lot more to the book than that (including a few murders), but if you think this book is projecting an anticapitalist message, then my guess is you're just seeing what you want to see. I don't think any fan of the free market could possibly get a leftist message from this excellent book.

Not your usual Indian novel resplendent with jasmine, bougainvillea, and lyricism outweighing poverty and violence. This is slum India, and call-center India circa 2008. This is the India of servants and their bourgeois masters where geography and caste are destiny. It's not pretty, and it gives me a new perspective for reflecting on the time I spent there with my cooks, housekeepers, and drivers. Highly recommended for a look from the bottom up - comic, violent, sad.

Aptly named, this book pounces upon its subject, the two Indias: one a land of "Darkness" where farmers and servants are not free, where corrupt politicians, police and capitalists feed upon the poor; the other a country of "Light" situated in bright, modern sections of cities and inhabited by people whose children enjoy entitlements that allow them to become the type of characters conjured-up in (wonderful) Jhumpa Lahiri stories. The entertainingly comic central character claws his way out of the cage, becoming a successful entrepreneur . . . by murder. This uneducated, brown Indian creature of the dark achieves enlightenment (as did the Buddha, who achieved enlightenment near the central character's birthplace) freeing himself from servitude and quoting a famous Muslim poet, whose birthday is a national holiday in Pakistan, "I was looking for the key for years, but the door was always open." The morality of murder as means for obtaining a "Big Belly" in a corrupt society seriously must be contemplated, since the white tiger closes with the murderer handling an accident in a far more moral way than the person he murdered. Thus, Adiga provides a good-read much in the movie manner of Slumdog Millionaire, perhaps, with more emphasis on India's dark underbelly.

John D Rothschild ©2009The White Tiger: A Novel (Man Booker Prize)The White TigerThe White Tiger: Library EditionThe White Tiger [AUDIOBOOK] [CD]

The nicest thing about this book is that it is real. The book tells us how a servant or labourer feels. Thats how they stay inside the rut and find it hard to break out. Thats the kind of effort it takes to break out.

The device used - as a first person dialog in a letter is slightly gimmicky. But it works reasonably well. Also interesting is the feudal streak of most landlords and people who rule the ruled.

Nice effort. I don't understand why the reception in India has been so underwhelming. Its perhaps guilt. Its perhaps negative portrayal of the Indian way of life. No one seems to like ugly images. Especially if its of them.

I have read a few books now with India as a backdrop and I must say that they are wonderful (highly recommend Shantaram).
This book I found very raw and just so interesting. I was in it from the get-go and I highly recommend it.
I started reading the author's following book but couldn't keep interested. But The White Tiger is fantastic. READ IT.

One of the recent book that I completed within few days.
I liked the story flow which is like an Indian masala movie with a lot of reality touch.
Some of the analogy like "rooster coop"
and comments like "My humble prediction: in twenty years' time, it will be just us yellow men and brown men at the top of the pyramid and we'll rule the whole world. And God save everyone else." were interesting.
Also liked the comments of south Indian Coffee drinking and North Indian tea drinking.
In the story the way Balram Halwai's raise to the economical level is not so uncommon in India, but it is a smaller percentage like in any other country & society. But the caste system and the reference in all the places is very prevalent, and no one can deny it.
Some of the review comments in this forum is in both the extremes, I feel this is a book of fiction, so it has to be taken in that way and I don't think every writer has to have only a positive opinion on his nativity especially in their creative art.

This is Balram Halwai's story written as an ongoing letter to the Premier of China to advise him about the real India; the one he probably won't see on his forthcoming visit. In fact, it is Balram's own story of how he overcame poverty and became an `entrepreneur'. If this sounds like a story of poor boy does well, forget it. This is a story of dog eat dog, "straight and crooked, mocking and believing, sly and sincere". It's very funny, yet as you laugh, you realise there is more truth than fiction although you're left wondering how much.

Called "Munna" (boy) by his parents, his father a rickshaw-puller and his mother ill and dying, he is given the name Balram on his first day of school. Learning how to fend for himself became Balram's best education; listening and eavesdropping on others taught him the rest. Working in a tea room, and then managing to become a taxi-driver and from there chauffeur, he kept his ear to the ground, listened, learned, manipulated and schemed. From small village to seething city of Delhi, Balram yearns to escape the yoke of `nobody'. From his nickname "White Tiger", he starts to realise just how long he and those like him have been captives of India's political system. How will it ever be possible for him escape the cage of poverty? All the other chauffeurs with whom he associates spend their time reading Murder Weekly; will the White Tiger have to resort to this level, or will blood be spilt and the cage doors open? All is revealed as Balram continues writing to the Chinese Premier. This is a book you won't forget in a hurry.

A fascinating insight into the desperate survival choices that impoverished Indians make behind the affluence of India's rising stars. We must of course remind ourselves that "The plural of anecdote is not data." (Roger Brinner) and explicitly imaginary anecdotes at that. Nevertheless, we find it hard to resist the power of the story to stand as an explanation for what we then subsequently read in the news. Novels are indeed one of the powerful shaping forces behind our world view and philosophy.
A passionate and exiciting read.

I managed to complete reading The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga last week. I normally do not read non-technical books especially fictions. So, I am not the right person to review it either. However, I am trying a hand at it. I got a copy of this book to just see why there is such a hype around that book. It was an easy read for me as the context of the story was quite familiar to me. Let me provide review of this famous Man Booker prize winner of this year.

This novel is nothing but a letter to Chinese Premier from a successful entrepreneur called Balram Halwai aka The White Tiger. I can observe that the motivation to write this novel was to show how this person becomes an entrepreneur in Bangalore. He comes from a remote Village near Dhanbad which the author frequently refers as 'Darkness'. He joins as a driver cum servant to a person called Mr Ashok in Dhanbad. The incidents which lead him to murder his boss and migrate to Bangalore in a new avatar of an entrepreneur forms the crux of this novel.

This story is quite straight-forward. But the brilliance of the author comes out in stitching lot of interesting incidents together, though there is something artificial in each of those. There is a sense of repetition as the author tries to make fun of each and every system in India. The novel sounds like a typical Manirathnam movie in which he usually would analyze lot of sensitive issues only to conclude the movie without suggesting any proper solution.

I have some particular queries once I completed reading the novel. I am not sure if the author tries to convey that settling in a city from a village is the only solution to problems in India. In my opinion this is just an escape from the core problem. Also, I am not sure if the author is supportive of the corporate life in cities which blatantly copy the culture from the west. I would have been satisfied if he had made more fun of urban guys as well.

On the whole, I do not see this novel to be a path-breaking one and I am not sure if this novel is worth the hype around it. I agree that there are abundant funny moments in the novel which a non-indian would enjoy. Indian citizens may not like them as they are being shown in bad light.

I am certain that, now onwards, high-class people would be very much wary of drivers and servants after knowing the fate of Mr Ashok in this novel. If this is the only change, if any, the author intended to achieve with this novel, he has achieved it with considerable success!

The topics tackled in this book are worth the thought. Both the stars are for writing about the topics that are dear to my heart as an Indian.

But book is crap. This is what I call a Pseudo-Fiction. It exemplifies "Truthiness", overly simplifying the Indian society in terms of its social divides, family values, religious/social tolerances and corruption, without any sort of research or understanding of the Indian society. Many reviewers have criticized the negative reviews because ultimately this is a fiction so nothing should be treated as a fact. The sad part is the fictional part should be the story line. e.g.

"It is an ancient and venerated custom of people in my country to start a story by praying to a Higher Power.
I guess, Your Excellency, that I too should start off by kissing some god's arse...we Hindus have 36,000,000 gods... Making a grand total of 36,000,004 divine arses for me to choose from." and "Now, there are some, and I don't just mean Communists like you, but thinking men of all political parties, who think that not many of these gods actually exist."

So where does the fiction end and facts begin (and vice versa.)

The parts about India and its culture are so distorted that somehow only western reviewers feel connected while the Indian readers don't.

I googled the author and was not at all surprised that the author is a completely western educated person who happens to be born in India.

To give due credit where it belongs, authors has superficially touched on key search terms such as IT, Bangalore, outsourcing, China, everything our western readers be concerned about India. and yes, amazing thoughts of the author that I have no doubts will be defended by other western or western minded reviewers as fiction:

"...all the Muslims you meet are illiterate or covered head to toe in black burkas or looking for buildings to blow up? It's a puzzle, isn't it?.." (Fact: India is proud of its Muslims population that contributes tremendously in its film, cricket, science , governance and almost all the other important areas. )

The picture you get after reading this book is that people in India have no conscience, their family values are like a prison, there is no law, you can get away with anything and sometimes murder is justified as a tool for social emanancipation. All in all, you can write a novel like this based on your understanding of India from merely reading the "sensational news" in western media.

It is like forming your opinion of USA based only on reading Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin.

Although I defend the author's right to write anything for his livelihood, I am not sure about the standards of the Man Booker prize committee after reading this book.

You can read this one inside of a day and those who want to still read it, I request you to borrow it from your library and donate the money you were to waste on this book to any organization that works for uplifting people from Darkness in India or anywhere for that matter!

The White Tiger is a fun book - enjoyable to read, entertaining, with clever plot twists and an engaging story. This book may not hold a candle to other Booker prize winners, such as Midnight's Children, but hey - what does? In the end, a solid, thoroughly good book. Worth the time.

Excellent book. Humorous, sad and thought provoking description of the life of an Indian business entrepreneur. Well written and hard to put down. I would recommend the Audible version for a long car trip. The narrator's voice and tone add much to the richness of the book.

Aravind Adiga's The White Tiger is a terrific novel with a terrific story. Balram Halwai, the complicated narrator, recounts his life story, telling the reader of his rise from poverty and all of the horrors he has lived through, the murder he had to commit. This novel is witty and sharp while at the same time it is heartbreaking and sad. Adiga is a clever writer, sharing much of the sufferings of the Indian people without ever preaching. Balram is a pragmatic narrator who tells it as he sees it, with no sentimentality, even when recounting his own mother's funeral. Enjoy.

As a story it was very poorly spun and was much worse on rendering it. I agree there are a few good observations in the story.Other than that, not a lot to appreciate as much as i would like to.

My disappointment primarily stems from the fact that objective of this book either did not come out very well or it was too thinly spread or got digressed more on other facets.

Also, in my opinion, it also conveys a wrong impression to outsiders (Non-indians) about the country. Incidents observed/narrated in this book are exceptions and are not the rules. I would think these darker sides of countries are not unique to india and has roots in other countries too.

I only wish, some of these things were atleast put in perspective for the neutral readers to get it right.

An interesting read. I loaned the book from my local library and finished it in a couple of sittings. The style of story telling keeps you wanting to read more. The detailed description of each character, their behavior and habits should be very interesting to westerners. This novel offers a glimpse into the "other" India much like the movie Slumdog did. The author is quite successful in portraying a character with gray moral shades who you want to root for.

I wouldn't be surprised if most Indians find the material unoriginal. There are countless Indian Bollywood movies which show similar gray characters and have similar plots.

I liked this novel more for its refreshing style of storytelling than the story itself. The story is the everyday reality in India so no surprises there. I couldn't help comparing this to The Inhetitance of Loss, which also tries to depicts a class divide (among other things). TWT wins hands down.

Aravind Adiga takes the reader on a chauffeured ride with driver Balram Halwai through India's divided social classes and the entrapment felt at all levels of his social hierarchy. His rooster coop metaphor humanizes the reality of a "chicken eat chicken" existence that "flies" the coop and pervades his society. Everyone Balram interacts with is exchanging their moral integrity for the opportunity to gain a perceived higher position. Even clever Balram, a white tiger in his own mind, lives in a cage. The reader can easily see similar situations in their own society and the self justifications that feed the social coop mentality.

Well, What can I say? I am non fiction person but convinced by my wife that its worth a read.

I was born and raised in India. Now I am in Chicago reading this book but I would have to say that different demensions thats covered by this book is very realistic and very keen on observation.

Caste system--Discussed amazingly well
North and South-- North and South Indian differentiation A + (I grew up around Mumbai and went to college in Mangalore Area, Same state that
Arvind talks about)
Rich Indian and Poor Indian-- Very trasperant explination.
India in Current economy and IT Boom-- Just perfect scenario
Political Corruption-- Can't believe how well its done..

This could be good future Hollywood Movie on Globalization.

I was somewhat skeptical when I decided to buy this book because some of the reports I had read said that it wasn't worthy of the Booker Prize, and that even Indian newspapers were saying that the book was overrated. It took about 5 pages into the book to see why. "The White Tiger" does not paint a very positive picture of India, but a rather negative image full of corruption, violence, and murder.
Once I finally started reading I was drawn in and all of the preconceptions I had vanished. This book is exactly what I look for in a Booker Prize winner: fresh, different, and completely riveting. Aravind Adiga did a great job for a first time novelist, and I will be anxiously awaiting his future work. I am proud to have "The White Tiger" on my bookshelf and see it as an instant classic to be enjoyed for many years to come.

Firstly, I highly recommend this book for the simple fact it is a good novel. Plain and simple.

Secondly, the people who give this a negative review are ignoring the fact it is a work of fiction, told from a character's perspective. The author doesn't necessarily believe what he is writing, which he states in his author interview in the back of the novel.

Give it a chance, there are some real deeper messages in this novel. Read the Bhagavad Gita first, then see what you think about The White Tiger.

Skillfully written, provacative, and irreverent, Aravind Adiga's novel focuses on the great divide between India's rich and poor and the mistrust and corruption that runs like a poison through all levels of society. In a first person narrative, Adiga unfolds the story of Balram, a servant driver, and his ascension from the darkness (the poor underbelly of Indian society) to the light (the self-serving wealthy who hold all the strings). The story is relayed with a wit and candor that are hilarious at times, but are just as often uncomfortable to read as Balram becomes harden to societal injustices and uses them to justify his own maniacal actions. The book has received criticism for being a "caricature" of India; though, this IS the intended goal of the author. The novel is a satirical comedy, one that nonetheless deftly describes the raw side of a sector of society that functions through exploitation and corruption. Adiga's contemporary style of writing offers a fresh alternative to readers who would like a deeper look at such strugges within Indian society, poltics, and culture.

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!

This is one of those books that sneakily hooks your interest with a very engaging start but becomes steadily duller the further you read. The narrator is humorous and a forceful personality but I found him difficult to like. The novel lags a little in places and is quite bleak. I know a lot of people really enjoyed this book, but unfortunately I was not among them. I think it was well written but I was relieved when I'd finished it.

The unusual first person voice drew me right in. Balram is a self-made man, and while some of his deeds would unquestionably be characterized as immoral, in other respects he is one of the most compassionate and mindful characters in the book. He likely is not an entirely reliable narrator, yet his story does raise provocative questions of what it means to live like a man and under what conditions such a human life becomes possible.

One questio ran through my head through this book: How much does this story have in common with the real Bangalore? Although I'm sensitive to the criticisms that this book cast India in an overly harsh light, I believe there must be some nucleus of truth that "The White Tiger" is built around.

The book is a quick read, but the style didn't strike me as particularly inspired or nuanced. And I'm not sure whether or not burying the story inside a letter to Wen Jiabao added much.

I'd recommend reading this for one perspective on India, China, and the U.S. in the 21st century, but don't expect too engaging of a story.

I read it with great anticipation and was thoroughly disappointed. It was entertaining and I will give it that. But beyond that I don't think it had anything redeeming.

Frankly I am quite taken aback that this received the Booker Prize. The Man Booker prize has slipped a few notches in my esteem purely for this one wrong choice. ["The Sea of Poppies" (Amitava Ghosh) was vastly superior to this book in all aspects - the sweep of the novel, the quality of writing and the enagagement level it creates as well as its ability to bring alive a bygone time so vividly.[

The gist of "The White Tiger" has been described by various reviewers so I will leave that aspect.

What I am really fuming about is the utter callousness with which a wrong picture is painted about India and its citizenry. Every character is a cardboard character and completely stereotypical and I must say fully out of touch with reality.

Why 2 stars then? It was an entertaining read, that's all.

Most of the negative reviews about this book stem from East Indians. There is an answer to that. Most East Indians do not like a book, movie or article that makes middle to upper class Indians look bad. They are only interested in keeping the status quo in India. Retaining 50% poverty rate, 67% illiteracy rate, poor educational system, poor health care etc, etc. Any book that disparages middle or upper class Indians from India, they will surely attack. Don't believe the hype. This is a very entertaining and insightful book, do yourself a favor and purchase one!

Great fiction writing is like acting and directing at the same time. The novelist needs to create believable personalities, original voices, and plot. The character that Adiga created here, Balram the servant cum businessman, speaks in an original voice that sounds lyrical, devilish, believable.

On the surface, the novel is a 250+ page letter from Balram to a visiting Chinese diplomat. On the micro-level of words and sentences, Adiga comes up with original character development that convinces the reader we have blood and flesh. Yet it's fiction. The story is a study in character, and character development seems to be Adiga's main strength. The story's plot and setting rests on Adiga's firm background as a journalist covering India for Time magazine. Adiga is familiar with both the poor and new India, and in the novel he contrasts the two societies to great effect. In the end, it's the conflict between these two societies that is the crux of the story: "Dark" and "Light" India are constantly at war, yet the two extremes also seem to share certain values. In the novel, both the rich and the poor are corrupt, resort to bribery, sleep with prostitutes, cheat, lie, steal -- and even murder -- to get to the top. In the end, this comparing and contrasting of values is what this book is about.

As an aid to character development, Adiga gives animal nicknames to the rich landlords that serve as supporting characters. Given that the poor in India tend to be illiterate and relate to people and things according to their environment more than through academic means, animal nicknames seemed like an ingenious character development ploy. The novel is filled with little elements like this that work well.

At the end of the novel (after Balram kills his master and becomes the narrating entrepreneur of the story) the plot tends to wrap up rather quickly (I will not give it away here); however, although it wraps up quickly, it is a satisfying ending because it completes the theme of the book, which is the contrast and similarities in values between the rich and poor in India.

It's more about the misery and the suppressed state of the poor in general (every corner of the world) than India alone...of course for some perverse reasons such societal problems are much more protruding in India than anywhere else (as until now the world is still puzzled and sometimes astonished by some absurd on-going social-ill in India)...but the protagonist here could be anyone...anyone at all...struggling (I would say...wholeheartedly) to break the almost unbreakable shield that PROTECTS the RICH from the POOR...the shield that murders humanity...and sometimes humans.

I was expecting more. The language is so bad in places and the story line so sketchy and jumpy that I had to force myself to finish this book.

The tone of the whole book is negative and gloomy with everyone sad and dishonest. India has a lot more to offer than this.

This book gives a picture of India but, if you read it, look for another book to give the other side. India isn't all bad, just as it isn't all good - no country is.

I have been waiting to read this book ever since I heard the Booker buzz and I was not disappointed. Although there are many books written by Indian authors showcasing the great divide that is India, this novel struck a cord like no other. Maybe it was the dark humor or the simplicity of the narration or the undeniable audience the protagonist commands. The chasm in the lives of the rich and the poor not just intrigues and captivates readers of the west but unsettles the heart of those who are from the subcontinent. This is evident in the number of critical reviews this book has received from many Indian readers.

Adiga has written a unique novel which is at times wonderfully funny and at times disturbing. His tale of the lowly born Balram (i.e. The White Tiger) is on the whole entertaining. The book charts Balram's desire to rise above his lowly status and the treachery he commits to do so. I think this book falls short of a 'great' read - because the wit and humour in the main character falter as the book goes on. At times the author wallows in brutal realism. However the perspective is wonderfully refreshing, and the material thought provoking. Well worth a read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this humorous expose' of the society in India. The main
character is both likeable and his story telling is engaging. I found the book both interesting and funny and would highly recommend it.

White Tiger by Aravind Adiga is the compelling story of an Indian man trying to break free of societal chains and expectations. Balram Halwai lived in the Darkness, a small village, in India under the thumb of his grandmother and the rules of his culture, until he is hired as the driver for a landlord who brings him into the Light of Delhi. The story is told through a letter Balram is writing to a Chinese official to show him entrepreneurial spirit. Balram is intelligent, which gains him the nickname White Tiger in his home town, but because of his family name and no education, he can expect nothing greater than being a virtual slave to his boss. He has dreams of something, anything different than the life laid out in front of him, but they only begin to take root when his boss changes. As long as his boss is honorable in his actions to Balram, he can accept his lot in life, but when the man starts abusing him and sleeping with prostitutes, Balram sees that he is just as corrupt as the rest of the system and decides to break free, utilizing violence to do so. Despite Balram's deplorable behavior, you can't help but root for him and want him to break the cycle of back-breaking labor and destitute poverty that has followed his family for generations. He's a funny narrator whose descriptions of both monetary and moral poverty alternately make you laugh and cry. Adiga is a fresh voice and a stellar writer.

don't let the fact this book won a booker prize put you off - this is a gem, the best book ive read in ages.
it is HIGHLY readable, verry fresh, a great writing talent, and pitched perfectly.
a five star no holds barred look at india, and at ourselves, the race, within an engrossing story. .... I have actively been reccomending people to read this one.
(well done aravind - can imagine you blew away some james rouse ag students!)

I really enjoyed this book. The Booker Prize winners tend to be "odd" books in my opinion, but interesting all the same. This one will not disappoint. It paints a view of modern day India from the point of one of the poor servants (who are pretty much slaves). I both identified with and was appalled by the actions taken by the narrator. This book really made me think. It would be a good book for a book group because it raises some interesting questions about loyalty to oneself vs. one's family as well as many other ethical questions. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thus we take ourselves too seriously....humor on display to tackle very real social issues of caste and how do we break down and out of those "rooster coops". One man's rather different journey to breaking out of the coop illustrates the depth and gravity of the challenge unto itself for those living in this caste driven society. The real satisfaction with those that feel they have made it out...
Great and enjoyable read!

We are told the story of Balram, the son of a poor rickshaw puller from an Indian village.The story is narrated by Balram as he recites his story to send to the prime minister of China who is supposed to pay a visit to India. Balram would like to to help the prime minister understand the real India. The story takes us and shows us different aspects of the Indian society. The way Balram sees the world around him and tries to make sense of life is fascinating.

This book is a bit unusual but worth it. It is very intriguing. It portrays a view of India that may seem angry. Other than the relevance to the history, culture, and politics of modern day India, there are some interesting themes of the mind of a servant and the motives and rationale for murder. It was a memorable experience.

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, uses the device of a long letter to a stranger over 7 days to tell the life story of a poor man in India who ends up a driver for a wealthy man.
In it Adiga reveals the struggles of those in the "darkness" (the poor) trying to serve those in the "light" and survive. It's a clever way to tell a tale of modern India through the point of view of the driver.
This is not meant to be the only story of India, but like the film "Slumdog Millionaire" it's an eye opener.

Picked up the book after its Booker Prize and am deeply disappointed with the judges! Finished the book in one sitting.. There was not much there.. The main character, Balram Halvai's voice lacks authenticity. I have seen many Balram's (some from Heart of "Darkness" - Bihar) and none came close to using the language and idiom that the book uses.

The author falls into the trap of making Balram "exotic" and misses a great opportunity to capture the changing India. The novel is weakest when describing Laxmangarh in "Darkness" (Read Pankaj Mishra for more accurate description of "Darkness"), calling to question if the author ever stepped into "Darkness" or just relied on descriptions of "Darkness" from periodicals!

Novel's premise, in the hands of a more disciplined and subtle author, definitely had the potential for greatness (read Ellison or Dostoyevsky, for contrast!). Instead what we got was one pretentious and "well marketed" (playing up the "exotic Indian" stereotypes) novel. Only thing missing is a scene of "An Arranged Marriage" with dowry!

Comparisons to Ellison's "Invisible Man" and to Dostoyevsky are far fetched. Doubt if anyone will remember this book in 5 years!

I loved this book. It was completely engaging and heartrending and human. And -- although I really wouldn't know -- I suspect it gives you a pretty good idea about what life is like for a lot of people in India: including the endemic corruption that is part of absolutely everything.
I'd bet that if you read this along with Ondaatje's "A Fine Balance" (even more disturbing and great), you would have a basic understanding of how things work in India.

I don't have any literary insight to offer on the book as honestly I'm not that big a reader. However, I do like uniquely written and engaging stories to read. This book made an otherwise awful layover in the Denver Airport disappear. I was so captivated that a gate attendant had to remind me the plane was now starting to board......false alarm it was further delayed.

As my $1.75 worth of political commentary on the book, I was completely enthralled at the description of Indian culture master & servant relationship and family dynamics.

More importantly, the book rocked and you should read it. If you don't completely love it I'll buy you a car (no I'm lying, I won't buy you anything).

To begin with the book, it repeats itself once and again. How many times can you read of derelict or poor persons? And then they have enough money to spend to teach a boy to drive? How many times can you hear that the servants buy for the master whatever they need expensive or lavish and the servants don't have any greed on it? I know there are destitute all over the world -most of them in the third world, but they don't do what their masters want with no hesitation. If you really want to get depressed read this book.

For the desk of:
Lloyd Craig Blankfein
Goldman Sachs holding company,
Somewhere in Manhattan

Dear Mr. Blankfein ,
Allow me to introduce myself- I am Aravind Adiga, author of the Booker Prize winning "The white Tiger". As the CEO of the profit making investment bank that survived the sub-prime downturn, I salute you ! You may not have heard of me, but you and I are alike, as shall be seen in this letter.

You see Mr. CEO, we both are in the same line of business essentially- in your case of taking cheap, unworthy credit and packaging it as a high end financial product, and in my case, doing a shallow study of the lives of the poor in India, and packaging it into a novel that sounds deep enough to fool the Booker crowd.

Mr. CEO, both you and I know that this is a game. My book shows little genuine empathy for the people I write about. I don't care about them really- only that the story should sell in the right market. So I take some news items of hit and run cases in the media,take the poverty of Bihar,everyday life in Delhi, and the hope of Bangalore and spin a story around it.

Who cares if my characters are so shallow ? Sometimes the dialog between Mr. Ashok and Pinky madam is so banal, I think even the Mumbai film scripts can do better. There is more depth in a Chekov short story than in this whole 319 page novel. Yes, even I know- the place where a man dies of a car accident is so poorly written to be credible.

We are not talking about depth, are we ? Its all about the packaging. Its all about publicity! Just like you sell your funds! I have reviewers writing about it in the west. There are only two types of people in the world, Mr. CEO. The ones with fat wallets and the one's without. As long as the book appeals to the one with the fat wallets, and they think it is some exotic story of the "real India", I really don't care about the one's with the small wallets.

yours respectfully,
The White tiger
Some fancy apartment complex,
Mumbai

Probably the last time, I will ever use the MAN Booker as a reference for good books. Apart from the anti - muslim snippets (which also shows up in his journalistic writings), the author clearly knows how to bask in what western consumers want to hear about eastern cultures like India. Completely immature writing style. What is up with the letter format? That completely killed the story flow.

I am surprised how many positive reviews there are for this book, surely I am failing to see something over here. The only thing I see is that maybe we do need books such as these to put a contrast on the good ones.

This is first rate fiction that is hard to put down once you start. The protagonist narrates his own past to Mr. Wen Jianbao, one of the highest ranking officials of China. It's the story of Balram who is from the lower rungs of the prevalent caste system in India and his determination to make a decent living in spite of all the odds from within his own family, culture, religion, employer, society and government. Eventually he succeeds even if he has to beg, borrow, lie, cheat, blackmail, steal or even kill !. Now, there have been a few books in the past depicting the life of the working poor in India, but none of them succeed in breaking through the system to a better life. What is different about this book is that, the protagonist does succeed !.

Aravind Adiga has done a wonderful job of keeping the reader entertained while also stating the truths about global economy, outsourcing, the caste system, democracy and entrepreneurs, communism and lack of entrepreneurs ( remember it is being narrated to Wen Jianbao ! ) and last but not the least the caste system and the servitude drilled into the very souls of people. But I disagree with AA, when he states that until 1947, the different castes were coexisting peacefully like animals caged in a zoo, each in his own place. The caste system had always worked for the people at the top just like slavery in America worked for the plantation owners in the south. As AA states, after circa 1947, the cages were opened and there was chaos and thus began the slow collapse of the hierarchy of the caste system.. As they say, no positive change is possible without chaos. Do yourself a favor and read this wonderful book to have fun and know about human spiders, rooster coop, black egg, master-slave dynamics, the great Indian family, marvels of democracy, the powerful communist nation, the rise of the yellow and brown man, fall of the white masters, the unknown destiny of men of all other colors. We need more White Tigers !.

This book is simplistically written and takes a reader through the journey of Balram from being a 'servant' to a 'social entrepreneur'. It keeps the reader toying with the ideas of sympathizing with the narrator or be contemptuous of his acts. With a backgroud of the India that exists beyond the current Call Center culture and that I believe, few are aware of, internationally, it brings forth the country's long standing cultural schisms. Its an angry, dark and mad page-turner.

Not all books are better on audio, but I think this one may well be. I don't have the info in front of me at the moment to give proper kudos to the fine narrator, but his fabulous reading of the material gave it much more dimension and nuance than I could have imagined had I read it myself. Wonderful accents, each character's voice distinct and easily recognized. I cannot recommend this audiobook highly enough! See other reviews if you want info about the storyline, etc.

I've read quite a few Indian authors over the last couple of years, but there was something about this one that I just didn't connect with. I like the format of writing a letter to tell the story and it flowed well, but it didn't grab me.

In the interests of full disclosure, I've had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Adiga on more than one occasion. His self-deprecatory humour is ever-present in this novel, his personality not so much channelled into a single character, as spread across several to varying levels of thickness. One pet peeve would be the inconsistency of narrative voice: the ill-educated son of a rickshaw puller would not be speaking of 'coruscating waters' and 'the heady scent of honeysuckle', however great his unfurling. That aside, the theme of entrapment is deftly-handled. This is no ordinary 'Indian' novel!

I love books that immerse us into understanding of a place, time, and psychology. This one about Indian society is immensely captivating. So impressed with how a young author would have this level of perceptiveness and such talent to convey harsh realities in such a gripping way.

Ripped from the dark heart of modern-day India, comes debut novelist, Aravind Adiga, a hip Gunga Din for the millennium, blowing a hot, Ornette Cileman riff of a novel, from the top of a dirty golden dome, that is at once visceral, witty, irreverent, bloody, and ultimately, satisfying.
By the first few pages of his book, "The White Tiger," the reader quickly forgets about finding a lyrical, fragrant India, similar to the novels of M.M. Kaye, and Vikram Seth. This is a down and dirty India, much like it's mother of a river, the Ganges. The story, as put down by it's narrator, the complex, Balram Halwai, who has risen from desperate poverty
to become a chauffer for two rich Pomeranians, rails against India's class system, and corruption, with a searing, and damning sarcasm. Adiga's haunting trumpet blast of a literary voice lingers with the reader long after the final page.
Will India be ready for his next book? I know I will.
This is one hell-of-a read.

Read the book and it was entertaining as well as an eye opener. This is not fiction but Facts. This is how the ordinary man in India lives and not necessarily die like Balram but like his brother Kishan.
India is full of corruption and there is no Law & order. In my state, Kerala, the thugs are ruling the state and gangs/mafia is controlling the human lives. For some reason, the people are in the rooster coop and won't react at all !!

I read this book while traveling in India and it really helped open my eyes to a lot of things about the caste system. Not only was it enlightening and educational, it is sharply written and laugh out loud funny at times. As the reader, you really get to know 'Balram' and his life as he fights hard to move up in the chaotic, strange world of class systems, social politics and community. A very good read indeed. I look forward to reading Aravind Adiga's other books.