The White Tiger

A Novel

By: Aravind Adiga

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

British Book Awards, Author of the Year, 2009.

Man Booker Prize, Fiction, 2008.

No saris. No scents. No spices. No music. No lyricism. No illusions.

This is India now.

Balram Halwai is a complicated man. Servant. Philosopher. Entrepreneur. Murderer. Over the course of seven nights, by the scattered light of a preposterous chandelier, Balram tells us the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in life - having nothing but his own wits to help him along. Born in a village in the dark heart of India, Balram gets a break when he is hired as a driver for a wealthy man, two Pomeranians (Puddles and Cuddles), and the rich man's (very unlucky) son.

Through Balram's eyes, we see India as we've never seen it before: the cockroaches and the call centers, the prostitutes and the worshippers, the water buffalo and, trapped in so many kinds of cages that escape is (almost) impossible, the white tiger.

With a charisma as undeniable as it is unexpected, Balram teaches us that religion doesn't create morality and money doesn't solve every problem - but decency can still be found in a corrupt world, and you can get what you want out of life if you eavesdrop on the right conversations.

©2008 Aravind Adiga (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Balram's evolution from likable village boy to cold-blooded killer is fascinating and believable." ( Library Journal)
"A brutal view of India's class struggles is cunningly presented in Adiga's debut....It's the perfect antidote to lyrical India." ( Publishers Weekly)

An intriguing, unusual tale

It's an interesting picture of India, noveau riche, haves and have nots told in a very creative way. The questions of morality are up for grabs. I like John Lee but, like other readers, I wasn't sure I wanted to hear him imitate an India-English accent though he did a reasonable job of it.

A dark satire of India

The Rat Catcher's Olympics is Colin Cotterill’s 12th book in the 'Dr Siri Paiboun Series'. I’ve reviewed the series as a whole in the past and it is reprinted here, in the final paragraph. The Rat Catcher's Olympics continues along the same vein as the others with the same group of misfit, but lovable characters. In this story "the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos is proud to be competing in its first-ever Olympics. Of course, half the world is boycotting the Moscow Summer Olympic Games to protest the Soviet Union’s recent invasion of Afghanistan, but that has made room for athletes from countries that are usually too small or underfunded to be competitive—like Laos”. Dr Siri and many of the other characters are accompanying the Lao team and everyone is enjoying the competitions. But, when one of the Lao athletes is accused of murder, Dr Siri and his band of oddball friends are on the case; trying to avoid an international incident and to see that justice prevails. Always entertaining and never dull the Rat Catcher’s Olympics continues the fine standards set in the remainder of the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Previous Review: The Dr Siri Paiboun story begins with "The Coroner's Lunch", there are 14 books in the series to date. The series takes place in Laos in the late 1970s - the post Vietnam War era. A mixture of the description of the rich, vibrant detail of the country-side and cities of Laos, as well as the people of Laos, together with its politics of the era, make the stories come to life. Full of fascinating characters, each of whom play an integral part in the stories. The lead character, Dr Siri Paiboun is - reluctantly - the country's one and only coroner. Committed to doing his job and doing it well Siri possesses just the right amount of sensitivity, intelligence, wit and sarcasm to make the story a delightful read. A fun "who-done-it" mystery series full of intrigue with a hint of (almost believable) paranormal, the Dr Siri Paiboun books are one of my favorite series. I would recommend reading the series in order as the story lines, and the characters, build on one another. Cotterill's books do not disappoint. A great audio read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🎧 For more book reviews follow me on Instagram at #emptynestreader and on Goodreads #bookreview #drsidipaiboun #mysteryseries #colincotterill #coroner #laos 🇱🇦 #sohocrime #intrigue #humorous #entertaining #bookstagramalabama #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #greataudiobook #emptynestreaderaudiobooks

Abysmal Fake Indian Accent

I like the story and the book.

However I’m pretty disappointed with the narration. They cast a white British narrator AND had him read in an Indian accent?? Is this 70s Hollywood casting white actors for ethnic roles? And the accent itself isn’t even remotely good - it’s a caricature of an Indian accent like Apu from the Simpsons.

Stick to reading the book!

Well written and good story

Really enjoyed this book and learned a lot. A good complement to Slumdog Millionaire. I believe this won the Booker prize this year. Good story line and well written. Easy to follow if you like to listen while driving.

Unusual tale of rags to riches.

Continuing my education of books that won the Man Booker price, I picked up White Tiger which won the coveted award in 2008. The synopsis of the book and its setting in bustling Bangalore which I visited recently hooked me into this tale. I really wanted to like this book but the central character, Balram Halwai, never seemed likeable or plausible. He is as usual, in these types of Indian novels, the downtrodden poor village boy with no hope. Yet, he is a masterful schemer, learning from his social status and surroundings with a streak of evil to succeed in the long run. Perhaps that is the reason I did not enjoy the story telling. Or perhaps it was the narrator. Either way, I wanted more out of this book than I received.

Very compelling, a captivating listen!

This story enraptures you right from the beginning, you really want to find out why this man has committed this crime. The narration is excellent, the details really brought it to life for me, never having been in India.

I highly recommend this for anyone who likes a drama/mystery that never gets boring!

Wonderful book and wonderful narrator

What made the experience of listening to The White Tiger the most enjoyable?

The language is precise and poetic and the narrator is perfect.

Any additional comments?

This book reminded me of The Invisible Man and Crime and Punishment. The narrator is at once sympathetic and absolutely psychotic. The slow unraveling of the tale is set at a perfect pace and the reader did it full justice.

Surprisingly well done

What did you love best about The White Tiger?

This book succeeds in making a lively novel of a relentlessly dark story about a man with few advantages who "succeeds" in India through utter ruthlessness. It presents the seamy side of modern Indian society in a suprisingly interesting way even though it is presented as a (fictional, I hope) autobiography.

Amazing!

Great book and great narrator! I can not recommend this book enough especially to anyone that is in the business world.

Crude, but alive

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Maybe , Depends on lesson they would learn

Who was your favorite character and why?

The tiger if coarse

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

The accent , and separation of characters by dialect...still a bit dicey.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, the first time....really takes 2 times thru to actually feel like you got it-

Any additional comments?

Language could be offensive, has a rugged roughness, lots of raw 3rd world insight. If you want into the mind set of an India opportunist.