That said, Arvind Adiga bashes India where it has to be bashed. If you are the sort of person who gets all worked up when any aspect of India is criticised, this book is not for you. Even though I do not think it will spoil your reading experience, I am putting the warning here because one reader pointed it out.īefore I begin my review, a statutory warning to all my patriotic Indian brothers and sisters. This review contains what may be spoilers. Amoral, irreverent, deeply endearing, and utterly contemporary, this novel is an international publishing sensation -and a startling, provocative debut. The White Tiger recalls The Death of Vishnu and Bangkok 8 in ambition, scope, and narrative genius, with a mischief and personality all its own. And with a charisma as undeniable as it is unexpected, Balram teaches us that religion doesn't create virtue, and money doesn't solve every problem - but decency can still be found in a corrupt world, and you can get what you want out of life if you eavesdrop on the right conversations. He also finds a way out of the Coop that no one else inside it can perceive.īalram's eyes penetrate India as few outsiders can: the cockroaches and the call centers the prostitutes and the worshippers the ancient and Internet cultures the water buffalo and, trapped in so many kinds of cages that escape is (almost) impossible, the white tiger. Balram learns how to siphon gas, deal with corrupt mechanics, and refill and resell Johnnie Walker Black Label bottles (all but one).

While his peers flip through the pages of Murder Weekly ('Love - Rape - Revenge!'), barter for girls, drink liquor (Thunderbolt), and perpetuate the Great Rooster Coop of Indian society, Balram watches his employers bribe foreign ministers for tax breaks, barter for girls, drink liquor (single-malt whiskey), and play their own role in the Rooster Coop.

From behind the wheel of their Honda City car, Balram's new world is a revelation. Over the course of seven nights, by the scattered light of a preposterous chandelier, Balram tells us the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in life-having nothing but his own wits to help him along.īorn in the dark heart of India, Balram gets a break when he is hired as a driver for his village's wealthiest man, two house Pomeranians (Puddles and Cuddles), and the rich man's (very unlucky) son. Introducing a major literary talent, The White Tiger offers a story of coruscating wit, blistering suspense, and questionable morality, told by the most volatile, captivating, and utterly inimitable narrator that this millennium has yet seen.īalram Halwai is a complicated man.

The white tiger book by aravind adiga