Slumdog Millionaire (a.k.a. Q&A)

By: Vikas Swarup

Narrated by: Kerry Shale

Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

A small prison cell in India holds an 18-year-old penniless waiter from a Mumbai slum. But Ram Mohammad Thomas isn't a criminal. He is under arrest for correctly answering 12 tricky trivia questions on the show Who Will Win a Billion? Reluctant to part with the jackpot of one billion rupees, the show directors bribe the police to arrest Ram, accusing him of cheating. For how else could a poor, uneducated orphan know so much: the name of the smallest planet, global capitals, and diplomatic policy? Ram is rescued by a lawyer who draws from him the always compelling, touching, and sometimes comic story of his life, explaining the source of his knowledge. An inspired performance by reader Kerry Shale captures the spirit of this off-beat novel, a blend of high comedy and touching melancholy.

This novel was originally published with the title Q&A and is the basis for the movie Slumdog Millionaire.

©2005 Vikas Swarup (P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

Critic reviews

• 2005 Audie Award Winner, Fiction (Abridged)

"Shale's performance is brilliant." (USA Today)
"Reader Kerry Shale captures every nuance and distinction of the many personalities involved." (Boston Globe)
"This production gains much from Shale's excellent and lively performance....Shale makes it sincere, hilarious, heartbreaking, and delightful....His gifted reading, full of emphasis, inflection, and excitement, is a joy to listen to." (Publishers Weekly)

Extraordinary story

and an extraordinary reader...or is it an extraordinary reader with an extraordinary story? either way you can't go wrong. this is a wonderful find that makes listening so, so pleasurable.

Great story

A lovely story of literally going from rags to riches. I was very surprised that this story of how the quirks of one's life can lead to being a star is now a hit movie -- I do hope that the movie kept all the humor and romance that's in the book -- and not just the horrors of the slums. (I also liked the smarmy game show host!)

Great Story, Fantastic Narrator

I downloaded this book with some trepidation; it just didn't sound like the type of story I would typically like. But I'm so glad I listened to the other reviewers and took the chance, this book is an absolute treat! So many emotions are invoked while reading this book that I have found myself thinking about it many times during the weeks since I finished it. Unlike most of the books I download, this one will stay in my ipod so I can listen to it again and again.

Wish it was unabridged.

I don't usually listen to abridged books. My son listened to it and said it was excellent. It was I truly enjoyed it. I would love to hear the unabridged version.

Wonderful story, beautifully read!

This is a book with a main character you really can cheer for. It is very entertaining, despite the very tragic things that happen to our hero. Kerry Shale, who narrates, is wonderful. And the ending is great. I highly recommend this book!

Great story, very entertaining!

This book is well written and expertly narrated. Lots of fun to listen to. I listen while commuting to work, so could hardly wait to get back in the car each day to find out what was going to happen next. Highly recommended.

My first delightful adventure

This was my first audiobook experience-WOW. I started listening at the airport waiting for a flight, then on the flight. I continued to listen through many traffic jams, and then during my breaks at work (instead of smoking). When it was over I felt as if I had been side by side with these wonderful characters. I missed the voice of the narrator like one might miss a distant friend. This was better than a movie- and I am healthier for it too!

awesome!!! I want to start all over again.

This is my new favorite book I think I'll be reading this again and again

Filthy Garbage: I didnt finish

I enjoyed the movie so I thought the book would be interesting. I wish I had known in advance it was a jumble of perverted sex. It might be ok after the first several chapters but I don't intend to find out. I wish audible had a return policy.

not as represented

I looked forward to listening to this book but gave up after the first few chapters. While the story was tragic, every bit of tragedy related to terrible sexually dysfunctional relationships: incest, male rape, and on and on. Not what I was expecting from an "off-beat novel, a blend of high comedy and touching melancholy." The content of the book should have been more clearly described in the review. A waste of a purchase.