Slumdog Millionaire

By: Vikas Swarup

Narrated by: Christopher Simpson

Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Vikas Swarup's spectacular debut novel, the inspiration for the award-winning film, opens in a jail cell in Mumbai, where Ram Mohammad Thomas is being held after correctly answering all 12 questions on India's biggest quiz show, Who Will Win a Billion?

It is hard to believe that a poor orphan who has never read a newspaper or gone to school could win such a contest. But through a series of exhilarating tales, Ram explains to his lawyer how episodes in his life gave him the answer to each question. In his warm-hearted tale lies all the comedy, tragedy, joy and pathos of modern India.

Hear the whole story behind the Academy Award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire!

©2005 Vikas Swarup (P)2009 BBC Audiobooks America

All things yes!

This was spectacular and engaging from start to finish! I loved the storyline and the many characters—all come to life by the narrator which delighted me throughout!

Great Story

What made the experience of listening to Slumdog Millionaire the most enjoyable?

Slumdog Millionaire was easy to follow and the story was entertaining. The dialect of the narrator was spot on and easy to understand.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I felt complete joy when I completed the book. The story really grabs the audience and makes them think and appreciate every situation in life, good and bad. Slumdog Millionaire really shows you that every decision can change your life.

Loved it!

The authors Indian accent, made it very authentic. An amazing Odyssey the authors use of the Gameshow questions to create the chapters was ingenious. I couldn’t stop listening to it once I started.

Powerful

This audiobook is masterfully read by Christopher Simpson, who is absolutely outstanding given his vast array of accents and vocal gymnastics. His reading adds an ingredient that would have been sorely missed without him. Having just visited India, I found I was pulled right into the vivid storyline.

I loved the movie but I found the stories in the book far more moving. It's originally entitled Q&A which is actually the story's format. I haven't been teary-eyed over many stories, but this one really touched my heart. The narrative jumps around a bit, but it all still plays out quite powerfully. The movie is based on the dynamics from this book, but I wish it used a few more of these stories (while politically, I can understand why they didn't). Ram Mohammad Thomas (Jamal in the movie), is still quite unforgettable. Salim and the host of other good and bad guys and all of their stories will stay with me for a long time. Even the charismatic TV show emcee has important history; I loved it. It's heavy at times, but a powerful read.

Highly recommended.

Terrific book and the best narration ever!

I wasn't sure I was going to like this; I tend not to go for much in the way of popular culture, and the movie tie-in made me leery. Thank heavens I got over it! This is a wonderful book with great writing and characters, alternately deeply moving and very funny. There is a lot of depth here; the humanity and compassion of the book's narrator and those who help him through life far outweigh the cruelty of his enemies and the grinding poverty he strives so hard to overcome. It's simply a terrific book. Christopher Simpson does a superb job with the narration. The characters are so vivid and real, and he never hits a wrong note. Please give us more books narrated by this guy!

I can't recommend this highly enough. Go listen to it!

Fantastic

I can sure see why a movie was produced based loosely on this book. Everything about it was brilliant. I was pleasantly surprised at how different the novel was from the movie. I love how the stories within the novel all link so well. The main character, Ram's, honesty, kindness, naivety and obvious intelligence made for an unusual and interesting character and the narrator portrayed all the traits very well. I found myself following Ram around the Indian country side on Google Map and looking up many different things that were referred to in the book. It's one of those books that I'll likely listen to again someday.

Better than I anticipated

What did you love best about Slumdog Millionaire?

I was not expecting to enjoy this story as much as I did. It had a lot of heart, humanity and real-ness. A great read.

Not at all like the movie

What did you love best about Slumdog Millionaire?

I went into this audiobook thinking it would be very similar to the movie. I was incredibly wrong and happy to be that way. Q&A stands up on its own quite well. I truly enjoyed Simpson's performance and Swarup's story.

What about Christopher Simpson’s performance did you like?

His ability to manage a convincing Indian accent along with an Indian with a thick accent imitating an Australian voice. He has a very impressive range of voices.

better and more heartbreaking than the movie

truly enjoyable heartbreak. the narration was captivating, making it a short "read." i will freely admit that i sometimes listened a little longer than i had intended to, just to prevent the characters from being stuck in whatever bad situation they were in. it was easy to fall for the characters, and honestly want well for them.

Loved This Book

If you could sum up Slumdog Millionaire in three words, what would they be?

Keeps you involved.

What did you like best about this story?

The complexity of the plot. I love flashbacks. Love the characters.

What does Christopher Simpson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His accent brings the Indian culture alive.

If you could rename Slumdog Millionaire, what would you call it?

Slumdog Billionaire. Didn't he win a billion rupees?