The name 'Q & A' doesn't ring a bell, does it??...well, how about 'Slumdog Millionaire'???....with all the Oscar hype, I don't think there is a soul left on this earth who doesn't know about that one!
(Pic from here)Anywho, just finished reading the book by Vikas Swarup yesterday...I had seen the movie before I read the book and was just curious about how the book and the movie matched each other (I am a big believer in 'books 100 times better than the movies' philosophy)...and let me tell you, my philosophy still stands...the book is so much better than the movie...in fact, other than the basic premise about the orphan, poor boy from winning the jackpot..that too based on his memories and life experiences rather than his knowledge, the movie and the book are completely different...a few scenes like the child-begging racket, boy falling in love withe the prostitute are common too...but others like the 'falling into shit' (yuck!!) scene, Salim-the-brother projected as almost a villain and then the local don posing a threat to the young lovebirds is all a part of the movie masala...I personally found the movie 'just okay'..but I definitely like Swarup's version better..its more human, more realistic and gives the lead character, Ram Mohammad Thomas (interesting name, isnt it!!) a fair share of happiness (unlike the movie...which is all about pain and grief).
Must also commend Swarup's writing style..this being his first book, he does wonderfully well to engage the reader..not only is his concept interesting, so is his story telling style...the book moves along two lines...one of the quiz show itself and another about the episodes from RMT's life that help him answer the question...there is even a twist at the end of the story which I didn't see coming!..all in all, I would definitely recommend the book to anyone looking for a witty, interesting read!
Engrossed,
V
4 comments:
Hey thats cool.. i didnt know there was a book on tht movie too! ur review has inspired me to read it too.. :) but i dont know if Vikas Swarup wud get lucky (means if i wud read it) ...loll.... But an excellent review on the book...
i also dint knew that there was a book...
BTW..on what criterias do u pick books? i mean, u manage to get ur hands on good ones always..:)
Hey Aadi, aarti,
ya...a lot of people dont know about the book...I really beleive Swarup deserved more credit than he got!
Aadi, I am so glad you liked the review!
Aarti, my 'book-pick-up' criterion is very simple..if the synopsis at the back appeals to me, I know by instinct that I will end up liking the book...fortunately, this simple selection method had worked for me so far!
By writing such reviews, I think u r bringing back a reader (??) inside me ;-)
N
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