startling banals

He really deserved the Booker for his book! The protagonist of 'The White Tiger', Balram Halwai will get the recognition he deserves. I hope everyone reads this book. It is the best critique of Indian society! And a dark and hilarious one. Makes sharp fun of all our contradictions and hypocrisies. The story is completely contemporary and we don't have to strain our imagination at all. The scenes and people described are the ones we meet everyday. The book is Balram's smooth narration of his life-story, his rise from tea-shop helper to businessman, addressed to the Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao who is about to visit Bangalore to learn about entrepreunership. It is full of wit - a straight-faced report of incidents that is tragic, humourous and saddening at the same time. How can stark realism be full of so much light-heartedness? How can it burn us as we read it and still make us happy? As the chairman of the Booker Prize judges, Mr Portillo said, "..this one knocked my socks off"

Thank you Aravind Adiga for writing this book!