White Tiger by Arvind Adiga - Book Review

“You ask 'Are you a man or a demon?' Neither, I say. I have woken up, and the rest of you are sleeping, and that is the only difference between us.”

― Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger

The white tiger Aka Munna Aka Balram Halwai - That's many names, right? Now don't get me wrong. The book is not about a person who keeps changing their names and identities. In fact, the book is a confession in full. The protagonist talks about his life inside out. Balram Halwai writes to the president of China Mr Jiabao who is going to visit Bangalore soon. In his letter, Balram talks about his entrepreneurial journey. The transformation Balram has gone through is huge, from driver and servant to one of the successful entrepreneurs. Dropped out of school, had worked at a tea shop but he didn't lose hope. All because he did not want to get stuck into the roosters' coop, the miserably poor life. While telling of his transformation, Balram talks of his masters, a rich and corrupt family in Dhanbad, how they exploited him, how he made his way out. This all made him talk about the darker side of India, and how complicated we are as a society. The incredible rags-to-riches story!

The book is extremely fast-paced, if you have time. It can be finished in two sittings even though it's 300 + pages. Things keep happening one after another, but there comes a line or two that just makes you stop and think, Damn! A book written in 2008 is still relevant. The book promptly highlights the economic progression in India, while a part of India still suffers. Classism, casteism, religious wars, politics, it's all there, with two sides of everything. What makes this story worth listening to is the rage behind the voice. It's an angry tale of a working-class man.

The story is very intriguing. It has wit and dark humour. What I think was lacking was the character definitions. Still, I would love to talk about the characters in detail someday. Something like character analysis. There are interesting analogies used in this book that cracked me up some times.

Unfortunately, the book contains some problematic elements. Since it was written in 2008, that might explain a few things, but not all. The book does not exactly endorse those views; they are more a reflection of the character’s mindset. Still, I’d include trigger warnings: Islamophobia, transphobia, misogyny, and abuse. There, I said it. You’ve been warned.

And dear reader, if your sense of patriotism cannot tolerate criticism or confronting the darker sides of your country’s past or present, then this book might not be for you. The farther you stay, the better.