elitheleg's review
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
saralynnburnett's review against another edition
4.0
This was free on audible (yay!) so of course I had to give it a listen and it was much better than the westernized movie version of Slumdog Millionaire we all know. The premise of the game show is the same, but the book is far more fleshed out and not told in chronological order like the movie. Plus, some of the questions were different. In the book Ram (movie version Jamal) and Salim are not brothers but friends, and Salim is very different in the book and also younger than Ram. Plus, there wasn't a central love story - Ram does eventually end up with someone (but not telling you who) and a character named Lakita didn't even exist in the book. Though poverty and deprivation abounds in both the film and the book, it felt more real in the book.
The book went from a two star to a four star as I listened and by the end I was cheering for Ram whereas in the beginning it felt a little juvenile (boys will be boys sorta stuff). Definitely worth a read / listen - especially if you liked the movie - it gives you a fuller picture and is more truthful to it's source / not westernized & romanticized.
The book went from a two star to a four star as I listened and by the end I was cheering for Ram whereas in the beginning it felt a little juvenile (boys will be boys sorta stuff). Definitely worth a read / listen - especially if you liked the movie - it gives you a fuller picture and is more truthful to it's source / not westernized & romanticized.
scinfaxi's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
c_salako's review against another edition
3.0
Another English Literature book so prepare for this to be updated after I've examined the shite out of it.
First read round though, I liked it. I liked the set up mixing present and memories, it was well integrated, even the fact it wasn't in chronological order didn't cause any confusion around the story. If you've seen the movie the book will feel familiar, but as usual, be prepared to think of them as separate entities; the novel brings in so much more than the movie, far more twists and turns and complications than the blockbuster leads you to believe. Like the movie though, there is a particular sense of happy ending about it, the retrospective nature of the book softens the tension, you know he does end up safe and winning the game because he's telling the story. Recommended, enjoyed, I'm sure I'll find some criticisms of it to post soon.
First read round though, I liked it. I liked the set up mixing present and memories, it was well integrated, even the fact it wasn't in chronological order didn't cause any confusion around the story. If you've seen the movie the book will feel familiar, but as usual, be prepared to think of them as separate entities; the novel brings in so much more than the movie, far more twists and turns and complications than the blockbuster leads you to believe. Like the movie though, there is a particular sense of happy ending about it, the retrospective nature of the book softens the tension, you know he does end up safe and winning the game because he's telling the story. Recommended, enjoyed, I'm sure I'll find some criticisms of it to post soon.
andzoidberg's review against another edition
2.0
the rare occasion when the movie is ten times better than the book. I like the way the story is structured, back and forth between anecdotes from the main character’s life and how it relates to the questions he answers on the game shows…but not much else is that great. almost every chapter is some variation of abuse/murder/rape and awful stereotypes about Indian people, and the narration is a bit jumpy and doesn’t sound like a cohesive story about his life overall. it also ends so abruptly? like “this happened, then this and then this, okay the end.” ugh! a big letdown.
danhowellstan2's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
ok reallly slay plot i loved this book in many ways and disliked it in a few others but overall slayed
jackalope84's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
dutchtineke's review against another edition
3.0
Finished it last night. I liked it, but the book felt a bit flat, given what happens in the book, there is just not much emotion. Maybe it has something to do with how accepted those things are in India. But I also didn't feel the emotion, when according to the words there should have been emotion. It was a bit dead to me.