Book Recommendation: The White Tiger

This book was published in 2008, and it is written by Aravind Adiga. It centers around the protagonist, Balram Halwai, who is born in a rural village in the "darkness" of India. He eventually becomes the chauffeur of the son of a rich man from his village, Ashok, who lives in New Delhi. While driving Ashok around New Delhi, Balram becomes aware that he too can become rich, but only if he takes the right steps. He eventually fulfills this dream, becoming the owner of a taxi company, coming from the "darkness" into the "light".

While it may seem that the title has no particular significance, it is actually Balrams' nickname, which he earns by being the smartest boy in the village. An education inspector calls him a white tiger, which comes only once a generation. Also, his taxi company is called "The White Tiger Drivers".

I felt that this book gave a lot of insight into the gap between the rich and the poor in India. In few countries can there be such a large gap, where the poor barely survive and the rich lead an extravagant and luxurious lifestyle. The book also addresses the corruption in India, and bribery occurs a lot in the book. I remember one part it is explained how Balrams' father died of tuberculosis because the hospital doctors were corrupted. I especially enjoyed the refreshing way points are told to the audience, for example, when describing the differences between social class in India, Balram says :"In the old days there were 1,000 castes...in India. These days, there are just two castes: Men with Big Bellies, and Men with Small Bellies." While it may be said that this book does not give moral values, with several people getting away with murder, I felt that it added a sense of originality. Why does the criminal have to get caught every time?

Anyway, this is definitely a worthwhile read, and I would rate it 4/5.