Monday, July 20, 2009

Good reads

I read Arvind Adiga's 'Man Booker Prize' winner book, 'White Tiger' a few weeks ago. I was stunned by the blunt language Adiga uses in describing the hard truth of the 'dark side' of India. It was a compelling read that gave a blow by blow account of the cold reality that exists in the country with no leeway for any distracting narrative. I thought he was dauntless in delivering the message without any pretense, even though it did leave me a little depressed.

His next book 'Between the Assassinations' is not a novel like the first one but a collection of short stories that happen in India. Adiga has sketched a series of characters living in a town at a certain time period while manifesting the predicament of corruption, extreme poverty, caste diversity, discrepancy in the treatment of hindus and muslims, women's plight and other issues. One particular character that haunted me was 'Chenayya' the cycleman, who is just trying to get out of the rat race but in vain.

All in all I thought Adiga's writing is audacious and forthright in conveying the adversities that exist in the country.