THE WHITE TIGER BY ARVIND ADIGA-BOOK REVIEW

There are books which we forget the moment we read them. There are books which stay fresh in us even after years of reading. There are books which prick your heart from within, even as you are reading them. The White Tiger, by Arvind Adiga, this year's winner of the prestigious Man Booker award belongs to the third divide.

The novel is darkly humorous, witty and paints a brooding picture of our country that will stay with you even after you finish the novel. The story told through the eyes of Balram Halwai, a sweet maker by birth, depicts his rise from the status of a lowly servant to an entrepreneur, the White Tiger. The story winds through the sewage of the village of laxmangarh to the mining town of Dhanbad, and to the smog of Delhi and its dark slums and swanky malls. Throughout the novel Balram refers to his birthplace as the Darkness and you know why as you learn of his plight.

The book that talks about feudal lords who exploit the village, the power crazed politicians who care for nothing but themselves, and family ties that choke out the life may seem to be hugely pessimistic and cynical (and remind of tamil masala movies of 80's) , but the naked truth slaps right across your face. You cannot ignore the truth that Balrams do exist and the raw irony of it.

Arvind Adiga takes the Indian knight out of his shining armour and reveals the ugly, raw sores going deeper. More than anything, its the growing sense of apathy that the novel depicts is what keeps pricking at our insides, after finishing the novel. This is a book, that makes you want to hate it, for the ominous truth that it so shockingly conveys.