The Bottom Line
The White Tiger, Aravind Adiga’s debut novel, won the 2008 Man Booker Prize and has received much critical acclaim. The White Tiger tells the story of a young entrepreneur in India whose childhood nickname was the white tiger. This novel is an original and compelling story about modern India.
Pros
- Adiga’s story and characters are inventive and original.
Cons
- The imagery in 'The White Tiger' feels heavy handed, at times.
Description
- 'The White Tiger' was first published in April 2008. It was released in paperback in October 2008.
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster
- 276 Pages
- 'The White Tiger' won the Man Book Prize in 2008.
Guide Review - 'The White Tiger' by Aravind Adiga - Book Review
The White Tiger won critical praise for its author, first time novelist Aravind Adiga, who won the 2008 Man Booker Prize for his novel. The White Tiger tells the story of a young man, Balram Halwai, who grows up in "the Darkness" of rural India and moves to Delhi as an adult, working as the chauffeur for a wealthy man from his village. The novel is structured as a letter Balmam is writing to the Premier of China, explaining how he came to be an entrepreneur in Bangalore.
One remarkable aspect of The White Tiger is how Adiga weaves such a broad spectrum of aspects of life in India--from local democracy to caste to religion to family duty to the rising technology centers and culture of entrepreneurism. The novel contains multitudes without being a sprawling epic or losing its tight focus.
The White Tiger is a moving story and an eye-opening portrait of Indian society.
