Book Review: The White Tiger
- Yashika Aneja
- Jul 25, 2015
- 2 min read
Need a break from all those good, mushy love reads?
Suspense, thrill and sense are what you seek? If yes, then this book is for you.
ARAVIND ADIGA in his debut work ‘The white tiger’ manages to woo the hearts of many.
Adiga takes us to a journey through India, past the India we have met in books – the real side…the darker side, hidden to the naked eye!
A perfect blend of reality and fantasy, the novel is wonderfully scripted in the form of letters written over a series of nights.
Through the shared experiences of ‘Balram halwai’ – who makes his way from a man devoid of any identity to being a glorious entrepreneur in the city of Bangalore; as the story headways we come across different shades of our home.
The powerful character of Balram is the voice of the deprived, unfortunately a voice falling on deaf ears of the rich. His ‘life in darkness’ exemplifies the life poor lead in our country; where sufferings come as a birth right to them. However he refuses to meet a fate like that of his father. Courageous enough to fight the fate predestined for him, he manages to get hold of a driver’s job in the city. Luck shines bright upon him when he gets an opportunity to move to Delhi with his masters.
That point in the story where we come across all sorts of sins breeding in the country. A servant as loyal as him, who not just obeyed but worshipped his masters, could not resist becoming a part of the corrupt air of the city; such is shown to be the aura of riches.
Lured by the evil of greed Balram ends up murdering his master and running away with all his money. His easy escape to another city of which nobody takes much notice is however unrealistic. He at last succeeds in all his efforts and we see him living his dream; a dream to be a man of honour.
The story makes perfect sense with every bit of reality beautifully put together. But on the flip side Adiga leaves an unclear message for the readers. Balram rises to heights by imitating dozens of corrupt wealthy class, perhaps giving out a cynical message to the readers. However the author has made a wonderful attempt to bring to light the need to make India a better place to live in!
Altogether "The White Tiger" is an interesting murder mystery that'll keep you engaged till the end.