White Tiger

The Book
White Tiger, by Aravind Avida

Synopsis
In the form of a letter dictated for a visiting Chinese premier, a self described Indian entrepreneur bares his soul, sharing the story of his life and rise to success as a story of modern India. As his tale unfolds, it becomes clear that the protagonist is witty, ambitious and sly. He has mastered the art of presenting a perfectly subservient face to mask an internal outrage.

What I thought
Presented as an entertaining story of Balram Halwai, a poor kid from “the Darkness” of India, who succeeds in a new, leveling age of business, this is certainly a social protest.

There are reams of reviews praising this book, that’s how I first learned about it on NPR.com. One reviewer’s comment, displayed on the front cover, compares the book to Richard Wright’s Native Son, which I happened to read recently. For a while, I was puzzled by the comparison.

Following the inevitable outcome of a character like Wright’s Bigger Thomas in recent, white society was like receiving a beating, brutally rough the whole way through. White Tiger, however, is told in a voice that’s light, eccentric, and almost unbelievable. The tone of protest seemed more similar to that of the sardonic Catch 22.

In the end though, I began to see the reviewer’s point, though Balram’s conclusion is outwardly less violent than Bigger’s. This story describes a clash of a rare kind of man with uncalled for ambition and the society that wants him to be grateful for the little he has. It’s a critical social commentary from the underbelly looking up.

White Tiger twisted my American sense of pride in the underdog’s achievement. The story is terrifically entertaining. But I finished unsettled, feeling the usual standards of judgment failed me in the case of Balram Halwai.

Times Online Review

What is the What

The Book
What is the What, by Dave Eggers

Synopsis
The novel is based on the life of Valentino Achak Deng, one of the Sudanese “lost boys” displaced by war in Southern Sudan to Ethiopia, then Kenya, and finally the US. This is a graphic, humanized narrative of a tragedy that’s become familiar in the news.

The story of Valentino’s life is told in the space of one difficult day in Atlanta, GA. He reminisces about the events of his life, directing his story silently at the people around him. While they only see his silence, the reader shares his vivid recollection of the steps, people, and emotions that brought him to this day.

What I thought
Without Valentino, this story would be too brutal and dense for me to get beyond the first few chapters. Somwhere in those first chapters though, I was captured by his personality. Then I kept reading to make sure he would make it. When I consider, his life seems to include too much suffering for one person to endure, and certainly a reader of their own volition. Yet, the horror in his life does not maim Valentino; when happiness or love arrive, he is still free to be happy and love in return. His life is also something of an Odyssic journey, and while his circumstances are unique and far from my experience, his quest to understand his path feels universal.

The New York Times Sunday Book Review