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Date Posted: 16:31:03 09/09/05 Fri
Author: Syl
Subject: Q&A

Here’s a very interesting one, sent in by Astrokath! Thanks, cobber! *G*


TITLE: Q & A

AUTHOR : Vikas Swarup

GENRE: Fiction


The hero of this book is an eighteen year old illiterate Indian waiter who wins the TV show ‘Who Will Win a Billion?’ (we’re talking rupees here *g*). Because the producers of the show cannot believe that he won without cheating, he is arrested for fraud.
He then proceeds to tell his lawyer how he answered the questions, and in doing so we get a glimpse into his life. His multi-religion name, Ram Mohammed Thomas, is due to his being an orphan, and his foster parent not being sure of his ancestry. Throughout the book he thinks of his mother, and this has some bearing on the story.

The book gives an idea of what life in a Indian slum might be like, but Ram is always optimistic and makes the most of his opportunities, meeting along the way characters like an ageing Bollywood actress, an Australian diplomat and his family (and I have to add here that the Aussie ‘accent’ is the best I have read by a non-Aussie author) and Indian train robbers.

Ram’s short life is full of interesting and sometimes scary incidents, and the author has done a great job of showing some of Indian life and educating us a bit too. The end of the book ties up some loose ends and has a couple of surprises that no-one in my family guessed.

The book was written by an Indian diplomat who was left at a bit of a loose end in London when his family had returned to India but he had to stay for another six weeks. I have had the pleasure of meeting him and he is a very shy, self effacing man.

I can thoroughly recommend this book as an interesting and enjoyable read.

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Replies:

[> Sounds good. -- Marg B, 21:29:32 09/09/05 Fri


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[> Oh that is a definite on my 'to get' list. I read another book with an insight into Indian life last year called Brick Lane by Monica Ali, you might like that one too Kath. -- Margy, 13:30:48 09/11/05 Sun


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[> This is doing the rounds in my book club and I am next on the list for it. We have also had Brick Lane througha and that was good too. Thanks Kath -- AmandaW, 18:10:11 09/11/05 Sun


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[> I'm really interested in this book - thanks for the review. -- Tracyg, 10:15:06 09/12/05 Mon


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