Swarup, Vikas. Q & A. New York: Scribner. 2005. Print.
I have been arrested. For winning a quiz show.
Description:
Vikas Swarup in his novel Q & A has created one of the most clever and compelling stories that I can imagine. It is one of my favorite books to recommend to any reader looking for something new, something full of twists and turns, something with great characters and atmosphere, and something completely unpredictable.
Maybe you've already seen the movie Slumdog Millionaire which was based on this book. Don't be fooled. Q & A is far superior to the movie (as are all books compared to their movies), a riveting page-turner that simply cannot be put down from page one to the final irony on the last pages.
Ram Mohammed Thomas, (yes, there is a great story behind how he got that name), is a poor waiter in a small bar in Mumbai, India. Uneducated, he somehow gets to be a contestant on the TV game show Who Wants to be a Billionaire? where he miraculously begins to answers all the questions correctly, gaining more and more money as he goes.
The show's producers are astonished at his success and feel this ignorant young man of the streets must have cheated somehow. They try to beat out of him the trick he used, in order to avoid giving him the winnings and bankrupt the show. Only when Ram is rescued by a lawyer interested in justice and has questions of her own does Ram get to explain his story.
All this happens in the first few pages.
In each ensuing chapter Ram tells the lawyer about a different episode in his life which provides him a morsel of experience that happens to be the exact information needed to answer a specific question on the game show. His knowledge of minutia is seemingly inconceivable, especially since the show's producers have demonstrated Ram does not even know the currency of France, the first man on the moon, the president of the United States, or the location of the pyramids.
Each chapter reveals more of Ram's life which consists of simply his struggles to stay alive using his wits, and from the kindness of people who help him. Often he runs afoul of not-so-nice people, portrayed with the realism and dangers that make their threats and the world they exist in so alive that we wonder how Ram can ever escape. From movie stars to kindly priests to tourists at the Taj Mahal to a special prostitute, the people and events of Ram's life form his education and his chances to win the game show.
The intricacies of each story of Ram's life and the inter-weaving of separate plots all skillfully written by Swarup make Q & A the most delightful and compelling of reads. My highest recommendation for all readers.
Maybe you've already seen the movie Slumdog Millionaire which was based on this book. Don't be fooled. Q & A is far superior to the movie (as are all books compared to their movies), a riveting page-turner that simply cannot be put down from page one to the final irony on the last pages.
Ram Mohammed Thomas, (yes, there is a great story behind how he got that name), is a poor waiter in a small bar in Mumbai, India. Uneducated, he somehow gets to be a contestant on the TV game show Who Wants to be a Billionaire? where he miraculously begins to answers all the questions correctly, gaining more and more money as he goes.
The show's producers are astonished at his success and feel this ignorant young man of the streets must have cheated somehow. They try to beat out of him the trick he used, in order to avoid giving him the winnings and bankrupt the show. Only when Ram is rescued by a lawyer interested in justice and has questions of her own does Ram get to explain his story.
All this happens in the first few pages.
In each ensuing chapter Ram tells the lawyer about a different episode in his life which provides him a morsel of experience that happens to be the exact information needed to answer a specific question on the game show. His knowledge of minutia is seemingly inconceivable, especially since the show's producers have demonstrated Ram does not even know the currency of France, the first man on the moon, the president of the United States, or the location of the pyramids.
Each chapter reveals more of Ram's life which consists of simply his struggles to stay alive using his wits, and from the kindness of people who help him. Often he runs afoul of not-so-nice people, portrayed with the realism and dangers that make their threats and the world they exist in so alive that we wonder how Ram can ever escape. From movie stars to kindly priests to tourists at the Taj Mahal to a special prostitute, the people and events of Ram's life form his education and his chances to win the game show.
The intricacies of each story of Ram's life and the inter-weaving of separate plots all skillfully written by Swarup make Q & A the most delightful and compelling of reads. My highest recommendation for all readers.
Happy reading.
Fred
Fred
(and an Intro to The First Sentence Reader)
____________________
If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
Swarup, Vikas. The Accidental Apprentice
The newest novel from Swarup has a salesgirl seeking to become the next CEO of a major company. All she has to do is believe this is a genuine offer and then pass seven test "from the textbook of life" as devised by the company's founder.
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