Slumdog Millionaire

by Vikas Swarup

Ram Mohammed Thomas, een arme, nauwelijks opgeleide jonge man, doet mee aan een Indiase televisiequiz en is de eerste deelnemer die alle vragen juist beantwoordt. Hij wint het duizelingwekkende bedrag van een miljard roepie. Niemand gelooft dat een zo eenvoudig iemand over zoveel kennis beschikt en hij wordt gearresteerd op verdenking van fraude. Na zijn arrestatie vertelt Ram het meeslepende verhaal van zijn turbulente leven - een verhaal waarin de antwoorden op de quizvragen liggen opgeslagen.

Genres: Fiction, India, Contemporary, Audiobook, Asia, Book Club, Romance

492 pages, Dwarsligger

First published April 1, 2005

About the author

Vikas Swarup was born in Allahabad (India) in a family of lawyers.

After his schooling, Vikas attended Allahabad University and studied History, Psychology and Philosophy. He also made his mark as a champion debater, winning National level competitions. After graduating with distinction, he joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1986, motivated by an interest in international relations and a desire to explore different cultures.

In his diplomatic career, Vikas has been posted to various countries such as Turkey (1987-1990), the United States (1993-1997) Ethiopia (1997-2000) and the United Kingdom (2000-2003). Since August 2006 he has been posted in Pretoria as India’s Deputy High Commissioner.

Vikas has participated in the Oxford Literary Festival, the Turin International Book Fair, the Auckland Writers’ Conference, the Sydney Writers’ Festival, the Kitab Festival in New Delhi, the St. Malo International Book & Film Festival in France, the 'Words on Water' Literary Festival at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and the Jaipur Literature Festival.

Apart from reading, Vikas enjoys listening to music and playing cricket, tennis and table tennis.

His wife Aparna is an artist who has held exhibitions in India and abroad. They have two sons Aditya and Varun.

Reviews

[Megha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should mention that this 1-star review is not at all related to my opinion of the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" which I liked much better than the book. I am glad that the movie-makers smartly retained the only decent thing about this novel that is the game show plot device and tossed almost all of the rest into the trash because that's where this novel truly belongs. This book badly needs some editing or even better, a different author. I read in some review that "Slumdog Millionaire" feels like a juvenile's attempt at writing and I have to agree. It is not even L of literature. It does not take long to get tired of the flat narration.

Anyway, writing style is perhaps not the biggest problem with this novel. The story is so full of cliches. Every episode in the life of the protagonist seems as if it is pulled out of some cheap bollywood masala movie (the episodes in the movie Slumdog are way better). Swarup took all the vices and social issues he could think of and stitched it all together into a story. Child abuse, murder, suicide, incest, prostitution, theft, robbery, corruption, eve-teasing, poverty, riots, religious squabbles, underworld, India-Pak war it's all there. Homophobia and pedophilia is way overdone. Such is the cheap drivel Swarup is selling in the name of realism. He has played out the religion card too and named the hero 'Ram Mohammed Thomas'. With this selling recipe in place Mr.Swarup perhaps didn't think there was any need put an effort into the actual writing anymore.

These are a few snippets of this book's review from Amazon by people outside India:


"Despite heartrending descriptions of sexual abuse, racism, poverty, homeless and much, much, more in modern India, this is an utterly enjoyable picaresque adventure that is one of the best reads of the year."

"..this is an easy and entertaining story that captures much of the essence of this fascinating country. "

"It offers a very good look at several different societies and life-styles in India."

"...an exciting and fascinating glimpse into the life in modern India. Well written and full of both common day-life and historical facts about the densely populated peninsula,..."

"Gives some overview of reality in India."

"...that gives you enough of the misery that exists in India.."

"It is well-written and describes India, as it is today."


Oh, Puhleeze! This ain't modern India (or even India in the older times for that matter). None of the episodes in the book has even a faint resemblance to the life of a common man in India. A common man doesn't spend all his life amidst every imaginable crime and misery. Swarup is pandering to the western audience by giving an impression that abuse, poverty, misery and what not is all there is to Indian way of life. And that too from a person like Vikas Swarup who is an India diplomat and is supposed to represent India to the world outside. At least I think it was pretty clear in the movie that it was just a story of an orphan boy from slums.The depiction of Bombay slum life as a backdrop was perhaps much closer to reality in the movie than Swarup's novel. The movie never seemed to claim that that was the essence of life in India. Swarup, on the other hand, draws his characters from different economic classes, different religions, people ranging from movie stars to diplomats, priests, businessmen, middle-class, slum-dwellers and all. And he presents every possible way of life in India with just a dark side to it.

Swarup himself does not even live in India. And even during his visits to India I am sure he has only experienced the life of rich upper class who form only a small fraction of our population. It is not a surprise that he is completely out of the touch of the reality of common life in India. Someone please tell him that watching a bunch of bollywood movies is not how you get an experience of Indian life.

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original published as 'Q&A' before being converted into a screenplay for Slumdog Millionaire. A wonderful tale of how a waiter appears to win a lot of money on W2B, India's 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' as he explains to lawyer from a police cell how he managed to answer each question by revealing personal, mostly tragic stories from his past. Having never seen the film, I read this with an open mind... and really really enjoyed it! 7 out of 12, strong Three Star read.

Just seeing the GIFs makes me want to watch this!

An obviously romanticised feel-good movie, and set in India, but made for a global audience :)

2011 read

[Tea Jovanović · Rating 5 out of 5]

MUST READ! MUST READ! One of the books I've discovered for Serbia, and I'm very proud of doing it much before the movie is made or won the Oscar... This book has that "something" that makes you instantly fell in love with it from first sentence... And you don't forget it ages later... It took quite a time to catch readers' attention in Serbia... Although this book had many editions in Serbia, his publisher completely ignored his second novel, pitty... :(

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was completely unenchanted with the movie Slumdog Millionaire; the story, I felt, was predictable with characters that were totally uninteresting or completely unlikable. However, much as I was unimpressed with the movie, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was the kernel of a very interesting story there, and that maybe, just maybe, I might have a good experience with the book.

I am pleased to report that I was correct - the book [u:]Q&A[/u:] is far superior to the film. A few things that I preferred in the novel:

1. Not a linear time-frame; in the movie, the progression of questions in Millionaire followed the progress of the boy's life. In the book, this is not the case - the time-line slips around a bit, and answers to certain questions give hints of things not yet revealed that have occurred in the past. It is far more intriguing, I thought, than a simple recitation of "then this happened; then this; and then this."

2. Sunil is not a heartless murderer. One of the main problems I had with the film was the Sunil was detestable from the get-go, locking his brother in the toilet, then selling his hard-won autograph. By contrast, the character of Sunil in the novel is a sweet boy, with no relation to the narrator, who loves films, who doesn't kill anyone, and who does not become hardened by the life around him. Sunil from the book is very much what I imagine what they wanted Jamal from the movie to be, except somehow in the movie Jamal was completely lacking in charisma and was actually kind of creepy.

3. Minimal love story. I am not a person who is opposed to a love story, certainly; however, as soon as Latika was introduced in the film, I groaned inwardly, that such an interesting premise was being wasted on yet another pair of star-crossed lovers. The book, while there is certainly a romance, it does not span the entire book. Which allows Ram Mohammad Thomas (which is the character of Jamal's name in the book) to develop as a character beyond love-sick obsessive. It also allows the story to develop in interesting ways, as not everything is viewed through the lens of a forlorn lover. There are a lot more characters in the book who get their own stories, with more settings and more things happening. The book creates a believable story of how life experiences can prepare a man to win a billion Rupees on a quiz show that is entertaining, funny, tragic, and horrible, that deserves, rather than is cheapened by, its happy ending. The movie just cannot compare.

[Majenta · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's the saying? "You are the sum total of your life's experiences"? This is the book that presents a very young man who has already racked up quite the collection of life experiences, just by experiencing each day of his existence. Luckily and happily, he can put this extraordinary existence to use and win himself a lot of money!

But wait! Here comes yet another unsavory event: he is arrested. For cheating. Nobody can believe that "someone like him" could have known all those answers.

They don't know this young man and what his time in this world has been like. They see a dark-skinned, humble peasant. They don't realize that they're looking at someone who could out-survive "Survivor." Someone who is now challenged with getting someone to sit down with him, listen to him, BELIEVE that he is telling the truth.

Seize your chance to sit down with him and go Behind the Answers.

I loved the chapter names, how the chapters flowed, and getting to know Ram Mohammad Thomas. He endured so much grime, he deserved to have his time to shine!

Whatever your opinion of the SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE film, I humbly suggest that your experience isn't complete without Q & A.

Thanks for reading.

[Daren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I managed to sneak a re-read of this in, having wanted to do so for a couple of years, but I was unable to locate my copy somewhere in the back layer of my bookcases. A shelf overhaul located it for me late last year, so here I am.

I read this circa 2010, but his was before I was on GR. At the time I joined GR I gave it four stars. My re-read has gifted it another star. I like the movie, and have seen it a couple of times. I believe I had seen it before I read the novel originally.

I suppose I should start by saying this is a novel written for a western audience - I don't think it tries to portray a realistic India - this is pure light entertainment - yes it contains plenty of far-fetched occurrences. There are plenty of Indian readers who really don't like it, from what I see in other reviews!

This is a clever format for the book - I assume most are aware. W3B (Who Wants to Win a Billion) is a gameshow based on the British Who Wants to Be a Millionaire gameshow - but given the value of the rupee, a million doesn't cut here.

In the novel, our protagonist Ram Mohammed Thomas has been arrested having just answered all 15 questions correctly. Amidst his torture at the hands of the police a lawyer he has never met enters the fray and removes him from the hands of the police, then in the safety of her apartment asks him to explain how he answered the questions.

Therefore we get a short story - an excerpt from Ram's life if you like, followed by a W3B question. His colourful, but often sad and unfortunate life took him many places, and interacted with many people and stories. These somewhat random events provide him with the knowledge to answer this very specific series of questions.

The story of Ram's life is not told in a linear fashion - that would of course not be in an way plausible - the short episodes of his life are curated in the order of the W3B questions.

So that is the short version of the format. I found the writing engaging, the descriptions created great imagery and the sad events moving. I won't spoil it for others by sharing those events. Ram showed himself to be compassionate beyond the expectations of anyone in the situations he was in. He regularly acted with the welfare of others before his own, and he shared their suffering, if not always their successes.

If you have not read it before, my recommendation would be to find a copy and make up your own mind - great or a mash up of stereotypes?

5 stars

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vikas Swarup's book is not Danny Boyle's film. I first learned of Q&A from an interview with Swarup, in which he criticized the movie that had made his characters into international names. I can see why.

Q&A is an intensely first-person narrative with the details on paper rarely aligning to those that hit celluloid. Swarup leads us into the story through a different scene, plays out the game with different questions, and brings readers to a surprisingly different climax and denouement.

The irony is that Swarup's version, the original, is almost hopelessly consigned to be the object compared, as relatively few will meet this book before they've seen the movie.

Swarup tackles different problems, including gender-based violence and prostitution, that might have tripped up a film rating, but are pulled apart brilliantly by our protagonist, Ram Mohammad Thomas. That's right, not even the names are the same.

For all the differences, both book and movie are ultimately strong role models for their format. We hear a much more Indian internal monologue in Swarup's book than in the westernized Boyle voice-over. The language and evolution of Thomas are much less stereotypical than the slumdog, Jamal Malik, that Boyle portrayed.

Finding these differences and delighting over each new discovery, in what could have been a mimeograph, is much of the pleasure for someone introduced to Swarup's novel through the cinema. It is a pleasure well worth sampling.

[Leigh-ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was torn about how to rate this book. On one hand, I just loved the unusual plot, and could have easily given it 5 stars. On the other hand, wow, I don't remember the last time I read anything so blatantly homophobic. Three different male characters, two of whom are clearly identified as "gay", were predatory pedophiles who abused young boys. A third man was also a pedophile who abused young boys, but at least the author never claimed he was gay. I didn't feel any of these characterizations were necessary elements of the plot, either, so they just seemed gratuitous. It's too bad, because this book could have easily made my list of my favourite novels of all time, but the homophobic overtones sort of ruined it for me.

[Carlo · Rating 4 out of 5]

First ever read of a modern Indian author and what an enjoyable read it was. A well-constructed and pleasantly flowing story towards a predictable, but not trivial, happy ending.
-------
Prima lettura in assoluto di un autore indiano moderno e che lettura piacevole è stata. Una storia ben costruita e piacevolmente scorrevole verso un lieto fine prevedibile, ma non banale.

[Rosie Nguyễn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rất lôi cuốn, rất giật gân, rất dữ dội. Tình tiết nhanh và hấp dẫn. Nhiều thông tin thú vị về lịch sử, xã hội Ấn Độ. Và trên hết là cách cho ra đời quyển sách này của tác giả. Một người viết tận tâm.

[Dagio_maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sono stato arrestato. Per aver vinto a un quiz televisivo.
Sono venuti da me ieri a notte fonda, quando anche i cani randagi erano andati a dormire. Hanno buttato giù̀ la porta, mi hanno ammanettato e condotto fino alla jeep, che mi aspettava fuori con i lampeggianti rossi accesi. "





“Voi poveri non dovreste tentare di fare il passo più lungo della gamba. Rimanete al vostro posto ed eviterete di finire nei guai.”



Ram è il giovane cameriere che, dopo aver vinto, ad un quiz televisivo, un miliardo di rupie viene arrestato con l’accusa di aver imbrogliato.
Come può, infatti, un cameriere diciottenne e senza alcuna cultura conoscere le risposte?
Per spiegare questo deve spiegare la propria vita partendo dalla stranezza dei suoi tre nomi.
Ram Mohammad Thomas: tre nomi che in India riflettono la convivenza (spesso difficile se non sanguinosa) tra religioni e culture diverse.
Orfano accolto da un prete cristiano e poi costretto a scendere nell'arena dove la vita quotidiana di milioni di indiani è una lotta costante per la sopravvivenza.
Tra Delhi, Mumbai ed Agra.
Da un bungalow alla camerata di un riformatorio, da ville occidentali ad puzzolente chawl a Dharavi, uno degli slum più antichi ed estesi di Mumbai (”...un cancro nel cuore della città”) alle baraccopoli di Agra...

” È sempre lo stesso ammasso di pannelli di metallo ondulato camuffati da tetti. Gli stessi bambini nudi con la pancia gonfia che si rotolano nel fango insieme ai maiali, mentre le loro madri lavano le stoviglie nei canali di scolo.”

Una vita in continuo movimento come il mantice di una fisarmonica i cui suoni stridono di fronte alle numerose ingiustizie a cui deve assistere


«Ascolta» mi dice. «Qualsiasi cosa accada fra le quattro mura di una casa sono affari privati, e noi non possiamo interferire. Tu sei un orfano. Non hai visto il mondo. Ma io so che in tutta Mumbai ci sono mogli picchiate e violentate, incesti e abusi. Eppure nessuno fa niente. Noi indiani abbiamo questa sublime capacità di restare indifferenti, malgrado tutto, al dolore e alla miseria che vediamo attorno a noi. Quindi, fa’ come un vero mumbaikar , chiudi gli occhi, chiudi le orecchie, chiudi la bocca, e vivrai felice, come me. Ora vattene, devo dormire.»


” Chi ha tanti soldi vive come un pascia “ cantava nel ’62, Betty Curtis.
E soldi sono il collante tra chi se ne fa incetta senza scrupoli (mercanti di sofferenza) di alcun tipo e chi, invece, li sogna mentre affina l’arte di rovistare tra i rifiuti per nutrirsi perché in fondo:

” È davvero cosı̀ desiderabile un’esistenza senza desideri? La povertà̀ di desideri è davvero migliore della povertà̀ vera e propria?”

[Ana Tijanić · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bolna i surova knjiga o detetu koje je prinudjeno da se bori za goli opstanak u okrutnom svetu...
Istovrmeno nas uvodi u svet Indije, njenu kulturu i obicaje. Cita se u jednom dahu i definitivno ne moze nikoga da ostavi ravnodusnim. Preporuka.

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slumdog Millionaire is an excellent read that is packed full of drama and intrigue.

I watched the movie years ago when it came out. I wasn't totally sold on it, but promised myself I would eventually read the book. I managed to pick this book up at a charity book shop, and it's been staring at me on my TBR shelf ever since. With COVID going on, I decided to pick up a few more popular books to add to my 2020 read line up.

This book is so good! Vikas Swarup has a unique way of telling this narrative, of a man who won the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. His life ends up teaching him almost every answer, and it is heart breaking yet thrilling. Reading about the man's history and all the ways he learned the answers was so cool. The story is woven in a way you get to learn about his life question by question, which just made it way more intriguing.

Also, unlike the film, there is almost no romance in this novel. The film is super romance filled, but this one is just a man existing in his life. There's a pinch of romance, but it's definitely not as romantic as the film might have led you to believe.

What's also super interesting is that this is loosely based on a real story. The plot and characters is all fictional, based on whatever was going on in Vikas's head when he was writing. But, the fact that someone did win a show like this is real! It's super cool, and I liked that this story took it's own swing at it instead of just following the real story.

Overall, it's a great read that is super unique. It's different than my normal read, and it was super refreshing. I highly recommend it if you are looking for an attention grabbing fictional read.

Four out of five stars.

[KSS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slumdog Millionaire محمد صلاح من نجريج
فى الفيلم الهندى الحائز على جائزة الأوسكار، جمال الطفل المتشرد ينجح فى كسر كل قواعد اللعبة ويفوز بجائزة مالية ضخمة قدرها 20 مليون روبية نتيجة لمشاركته فى البرنامج ذائع الصيت وقتها "من سيربح المليون" لكن مقدم البرنامج يقرر أن يسلمه للشرطة بتهمة الغش فى اليوم الأول من البرنامج، لأن جمال يجيب على اسئلة شديدة الصعوبة قد تحتاج إلى إطلاع وتعليم من مستوى عال.
وفى قسم الشرطة يتم تعذيب جمال ليقر بفعلته ويرشد عمن يقوم بإرسال الإجابات الصحيحة له داخل البرنامج، ولكن تعذيب من نوعية "أوجع متعورش" ليعود جمال مرة أخرى للبرنامج فى اليوم التالى لاستكمال مغامرته وسط دهشة ضابط التعذيب ومقدم البرنامج اللى مش طايق جمال ومش طايق نجاحه وهو من الطبقة الغنية والمترفة، لكن هيهات لماذا يصعد شاب فقير وجاهل لمنصة التتويج ببرنامجه ويفوز بالجائزة الكبرى ويفر أخيراً من الفقر والجوع والألم بوسيلة شرعية وسلمية.
يعود جمال للبرنامج تحت ضغط جماهيرى شديد وتمنيات ودعوات الملايين من الفقراء الهنود بأن يفوز جمال بمبلغ 20 مليون روبية.
نتوقف هنا
ولننظر لماذا يتمنى فقراء حد الجوع والجهل بأن تتحسن أحوال زميلهم فى الفقر والعوز ويفوز بجائزة مالية كبرى، الإجابة لأن انتصار جمال من وجهة نظرهم انتصاراً شخصياً لهم على الفقر والجوع والجهل، ووعد من الله بأن تتحسن أمورهم جميعاً كما تحسنت أمور جمال كيف لا وهم المؤمنون بالكارما.
نفس القياس على محمد صلاح اللاعب المصرى فى صفوف ليفربول الانجليزى حالياً فأى انتصار يحققه صلاح بمثابة انتصار شخصى للمصريين من الفقراء والمعوزين ووعد من الله بأن يروا أبناؤهم يوماً يصلون لأعلى الدرجات ويرتقون أعلى المناصب فتتحسن أمورهم المادية جميعاً كيف لا ونحن المؤمنون بأن من زرع حصد ومن جد وجد، نتمنى وننتظر النهايات السعيدة فى الأفلام والروايات، كارما على طريقتنا، نهاية يفوز فيها أصحاب القلوب النظيفة والأعمال الحسنة والنوايا الطيبة بالجنة على الأرض قبل الفوز بها فى الآخرة.

[Lexie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have rarely been as ambivalent about a book as I was about Q&A. I realized about half-way through that I could put it down, never pick it up again, and not feel any remorse at all. Yet it was just engaging enough to continue reading, and I finished it. I was moderately intrigued throughout, but nothing in it lit a passion in me at all.

Basically, I'm glad I checked it out of the library.

[Nikoleta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Το Slumdog Millionaire μου άρεσε πολύ. Τρία χαρακτηριστικά του είναι φτιαγμένα έτσι που έκαναν αυτό το βιβλίο ιδανικό για εμένα.
Το θέμα του. Η ιστορία που διηγείται ο ήρωας θα μπορούσε να χαρακτηριστεί σκληρή. Από τις πρώτες σελίδες του βιβλίου, οι εικόνες που περιγράφονται δεν είναι πάντα βόλτα σε λούνα παρκ. Ο Swarup, στο έργο σχολιάζει κοινωνικά φαινόμενα όπως η διαφθορά, η εκμετάλλευση, ο ρατσισμός, κ ακόμα ποιο αποτρόπαια, όπως η κακοποίηση, η παιδεραστία, η πορνεία και η βία σε πολλές τις μορφές.
Το χαρακτηριστικό του βιβλίου όμως, που με έκανε να το αγαπήσω, δεν είναι το θέμα του, αλλά η αφήγηση του. Είναι τόσο ανάλαφρη, ζωντανή, αισιόδοξη που κάνουν την ανάγνωση πλήρως διασκεδαστική.
Φυσικά αυτό ισχύει και για τον ίδιο τον ήρωα. Εφόσον το έργο είναι γραμμένο σε πρώτο πρόσωπο από την οπτική γωνία του ήρωα μας, δεν γίνεται αφήγηση και ήρωας να μην συνδέονται.
Η αφήγηση λοιπόν βγάζει τόσο γλυκά αισθήματα στον αναγνώστη, που θεωρητικά έρχεται σε πλήρη κόντρα με τα γεγονότα που περιγράφει, πρακτικά όμως ο τρόπος που το κάνει ο συγγραφέας, θεματική και αφήγηση είναι σε πλήρη αρμονία, διότι έχει πετύχει την τέλεια ισορροπία ανάμεσα στην συγκίνηση και το χιούμορ. Πραγματικά τέτοια βιβλία για εμένα είναι η απόδειξη ότι η αφήγηση είναι η ψυχή ενός βιβλίου και όχι το θέμα του. Είναι η απόδειξη ότι ακόμα και ένα κουρελιασμένο slumdog μπορεί να με κάνει να διασκεδάσω και να περάσω όμορφα με τις ιστορίες του.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review is based on the audiobook read by Christopher Simpson, who is absolutely outstanding given his vast array of accents and vocal gymnastics. His readings adds an ingredient that would have been sorely missed without him. Having just visited India, I found I was pulled right into the vivid storyline.

I loved the movie but I found the stories in the book far more appealing. It’s originally entitled "Q&A" which is actually the story’s format. I haven’t been teary-eyed over many stories, but this one really touched my heart. The narrative jumps around a bit, but it all still plays out quite powerfully. The movie is based on the dynamics from this book, but I wish it used a few more of these stories (while politically, I can understand why they didn’t). Ram Mohammad Thomas (Jamal in the movie), is still quite unforgettable. Salim and the host of other good and bad guys and all of their stories will stay with me for a long time. Even the charismatic TV show emcee has important history… I loved it. It’s heavy at times, but a powerful read.

[Tiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly had no clue this was a book till recently and I was stoked because the movie has always been a favorite although it's a sort of loose adaption.
The movies core plot is a romance that only exists in the book to a much smaller degree and I am now wishing the movie stayed more true to the original story line.

That being said, they are both wonderful when thought of as their own tales. Personally, I must compartmentalize them or the movie will lose some of its luster as the book is yet again superior.

[. . . _ _ _ . . . · Rating 4 out of 5]

Κάθεται στα ράφια της βιβλιοθήκης μου για καμιά δεκαετία. Ας το διαβάσω πριν πεθάνω, κρίμα δεν είναι ;
Λίγα θυμάμαι από την πολύ καλή ταινία στην οποία βασίστηκε το βιβλίο, αλλά διαβάζοντας το, βλέποντας ξανά μόνο το τρέιλερ, και διαβάζοντας μια-δυο κριτικές είναι εμφανές ότι είναι αυτό που λέμε loosely based on. Πήραν την βασική ιδέα και μεγαλούργησαν : η μαγεία της διασκευής, δημιουργώντας ουσιαστικά μια άλλη ιστορία ! Ίσως από τις σπάνιες περιπτώσεις η-ταινία-καλύτερη-του-βιβλίου (αν και θα πρέπει να ξαναδώ την ταινία για σωστή κρίση ως προς αυτό), όμως η βασική ιντριγακαδόρικη ιδέα και η σποραδική συγκίνηση δεν με αφήνουν να βάλω λιγότερο από 4αρι...

ΥΓ : είχα δηλώσει (νομίζω ;) συμμετοχή να παίξω στον Εκατομμυριούχο (επί Αθερίδη). Δεν με πήραν ποτέ ένα τηλέφωνο...
ΥΓ2 : ήθελα να πάω και στο Ρουκ-Ζουκ πριν καμιά 20αρια χρόνια. Δεν μπορούσαμε να συγκεντρώσουμε ομάδα. Ήμασταν μόνο δυο άτομα...

[Trin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. Simon Beaufoy really deserved that Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. I didn’t think that Slumdog Millionaire was the Best Movie EVAR! as some people seem to, but the book is just awful. Scattered and poorly written, with a narrative that relies on more farfetched coincidences than a cracked-out Dickens novel, Q&A also manages to make its protagonist completely unsympathetic, and its romance entirely unromantic. Oh, and the whole thing—the first few chapters especially—is cringingly homophobic. If you loved Slumdog, this will merely taint your appreciation of it. Though I guess it’s interesting to see how the same concept can be taken in two wildly different directions—one that’ll make people hand out Oscars, and one that’ll make them want to mimic Oscar the Grouch.

[zahra haji · Rating 3 out of 5]

رام محمد توماس " المليونير المتشرد " فتى هندي مجهول النسب يعيش حياة حافلة بالأحداث
والقصص .. يقرر المشاركة في برنامج من سيربح البليون وينجح في الإجابة على جميع الأسئلة
رغم افتقاره للتعليم .. ليتم اعتقاله بعد الفوز والتحقيق معه عن كيفية معرفته بالأسئلة
...وعن الخطة التي اتبعها للكسب

تعود بنا الرواية للخلف لطفولة وشباب رام ومن خلال حياته الحافلة نكتشف أجوبة الأسئلة
التي طرحت عليه ونكتشف معها حياته البائسة والقاسية
يصور لنا الكتاب الهند بكل ما فيها من تنوع ثقافي ,ديني واقتصادي .. وما فيها من تعصب ديني
وانحلال ,تشرد وظلم .. لنصل للنهاية التي تتحول فيها الأحداث كليا

الرواية جميلة بكل ما فيها من أحداث ومعلومات
3.5

[Archit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story of a tiffin-boy who plays and wins the biggest game show on the planet and becomes a Millionaire. Each chapter has been crafted beautifully.

Recommended.

[Vivian Trương · Rating 5 out of 5]

Một câu chuyện tàn khốc, đẹp đẽ một cách đầy đau thương!

Phim điện ảnh này đã biết tiếng từ lâu nhưng chưa có dịp xem, truyện cũng chưa có dịp đọc. Mãi đến bây giờ mới đọc thì cảm thấy tiếc vì không đọc nó sớm hơn!
Đọc quyển này cảm xúc như khi đọc Người đua diều vậy. Không phải vì nội dung hay cảm xúc tương tự, mà vì tính tàn khốc của tầng lớp đáy xã hội sao mà khốc liệt giống nhau đến vậy. Cảm động có, đau lòng có, tàn khốc có, đoạn nào cũng làm mình ứa nước mắt cả.

Chưa từng đọc bộ nào có nội dung lạ đến vậy, lấy trò chơi giải đố Ai là triệu phú trên truyền hình làm nội dung xuyên suốt cả bộ truyện. Và mỗi một câu hỏi trong chương trình lại chính là một dấu mốc trong cuộc đời của Ram. Cuốn theo chuyến hành trình lưu lạc khắp mọi miền trên đất Ấn của Ram, từng mốc cuộc đời đó dần hé lộ ra trước mắt bạn. Bạn cho đó là may mắn, còn tôi cho nó là số mệnh.

P/s: Một điểm trừ nhỏ xíu xiu thôi đó là các mốc thời gian kể chuyện của Ram lung tung cả lên không theo trình tự thời gian làm mình hơi rối tí. Nhưng bỏ qua luôn vì truyện xuất sắc quá huhu. Cho ngàn sao luôn nếu Gg có!!

[mingfeng_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tất cả những điều xảy ra dù may mắn dù bất hạnh, tất cả những người ta gặp gỡ đều sẽ tạo nên những giá trị riêng của tương lai. 5/5 ⭐️

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw the movie made from this when it was on at the cinema - Slumdog Millionaire - and I thought it was a clever premise, although overly graphic in some respects. The book is just as clever, although different to the movie, because of course movies always change things. The book is less descriptive of disturbing scenes than the movie was graphic.

It was a very interesting read - I liked reading about the different places that Ram Mohammad Thomas lived and worked, and seeing how chance encounters gave him the knowledge to be able to answer 12 random questions on a quiz show - highly unlikely, but still fun to read!

[Stella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mình tặng cuốn sách 5 sao vì nội dung trên cả tuyệt vời của nó. Thiết nghĩ nếu như có 6,7 thậm chí là 10 sao mình nghĩ cũng xứng đáng ấy chứ!

Lần đầu tiên, mình cảm thấy hiện thực về cuộc sống ở Ấn Độ thật khủng khiếp. Cũng là lần đầu tiên, cảm thấy yêu Việt Nam, tự hào là người Việt Nam và may mắn vì được sinh ra ở Việt Nam vì nước mình yên bình quá! Mặc dù còn tồn tại nhiều mặt hạn chế, nhưng khi so sánh với Ấn Độ, thì có là gì?

Ngày trước trên kênh Today TV, người ta có chiếu bộ phim "Cô dâu 8 tuổi". Xã hội Ấn Độ trong bức tranh đen tối ấy, như một sự khắc họa hoàn hảo của Việt Nam thời kỳ phong kiến vậy. Trong gia đình nam giới nắm quyền hành chính. Nữ giới như nô bộc và giúp việc trong gia đình. Chỉ biết phụng mệnh mà chẳng thể làm gì khác.

Ở "Triệu phú ổ chuột", mình thậm chí còn nhìn thấy một vết cắt sâu hoắm về những thứ kinh tởm trong xã hội nơi đây. Bạo động, xung đột tôn giáo, hiếp dâm, loạn luân, trộm cắp, ô nhiễm,... và đặc biệt là những khu ổ chuột với những con người khốn khổ không quyền hành, không địa vị.

Những người nghèo xấu số ấy, họ không được xã hội công nhận. Họ sống như những công cụ lao động trong xã hội, bị đối xử bất công gay gắt. Họ không có tiếng nói và cũng chẳng có tiền. Họ bị bóc lột tàn bạo bởi tầng lớp nhà giàu nhiều tiền lắm của kia.

Song "Triệu phú ổ chuột" còn mang lại cho mình một cách nhìn mới mẻ về những giá trị tốt đẹp tiềm tàng của con người. Như nhân vật Ram trong cuốn sách vậy, dù mồ côi nghèo đói, thất học và luôn bị số phận trêu ngươi, anh luôn tin tưởng vào cuộc sống, vào lựa chọn và vào những quyết định của mình. Có lẽ vì thế mà vận may đã mỉm cười với anh. Anh đã liên tiếp vượt qua 12 câu hỏi trong chương trình Ai là tỷ phú và trở thành người thắng cuộc đầu tiên.

Trớ trêu thay, anh lại bị bắt chỉ vì chiến thắng, vì có quá nhiều tiền, vì không có địa vị xã hội. Ram rõ ràng đã bị chèn ép từ nhiều phía. Nhưng anh ấy lại không thể làm gì khác để kháng cự, để chống đối chỉ vì anh không có bất kỳ một thứ gì để bấu víu trong cuộc đời đầy rẫy bi kịch này. Những tưởng anh ấy sẽ phải kết thúc số phận thảm thương ở trong nhà tù lạnh lẽo thì may mắn một lần nữa lại mỉm c��ời với anh!

Ram quả thực đã vượt qua nó đầy bình tĩnh và mạnh mẽ như một anh hùng vậy!

Mình rất phục anh ấy ở điểm đó. Bởi những thử thách chông gai sẽ chẳng thể nào làm bạn gục ngã chừng nào ý chí mạnh mẽ còn tồn tại đánh bại mọi gian khổ, khó khăn.

Và còn bởi: May mắn không phải do ngẫu nhiên hay vô ý. May mắn bắt nguồn từ trong tâm.

[David Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came late to the party - very late. Fortunately I'd not seen the film either (still haven't, but now I hope to), so my impressions of the book are untainted and without any movie-derived preconceptions.

The book is cleverly constructed and offers a whirling kaleidoscope of the India a tourist never sees, except for the Taj Mahal - and then you get an unregistered guide's perspective. From the tragedy and the despair of sprawling slums, to the cheek by jowl living in a chawl, to the darting touches of ever-optimistic, aspirational India, Vikas Swarup shares his India with the world. For this alone it is an amazing read.

I found one or two aspects of the plot a little contrived - but then, we're talking about a plot where the unlikely hero wins a billion rupees on a game show! For the greatest part of the book, however, the story flowed very naturally. The pace is quite quick for such a substantial book, but the structure was, I thought, just a little repetitive. Only a little. There are a couple of great twists.

There are moments of hilarity, volumes of excellent social observation, some quiet wit and some heavy-handed puns. By the end, I felt that I'd enjoyed a literary banquet.
Be warned, there are some unpleasantly true-to-life passages and pages. To give a list of specific cautions would spoil the book, so I will just say that these parts are not recommended for sensitive readers. There are, however, no detailed sex scenes (not the same thing as *no* sex scenes) and minimal use of foul language.
In the end, I call this a wonderful read, which I was unable to put down until I'd finished.

[Metodi Markov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Хареса ми, нищо че бях гледал филма преди това. Той също си струва да се види.

[Abhinav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa. I must start by saying that I've surprised myself by reading the last 170 odd pages in just over a couple of hours.

I suppose the premise of 'Q&A' is known to everyone who hasn't been living under a rock, having been adapted into the Oscar-winning motion picture 'Slumdog Millionaire' in 2008. But that's pretty much where the resemblance ends, because the film takes very little inspiration from the events that take place in the book, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

I say this because I have no doubt that Danny Boyle's film is far more realistic & convincing. Swarup's novel is obviously flawed & has its shortcomings, but that shouldn't take away anything from the credible effort he has put into his first novel & he retells the age-old tale of the triumph of the perennial underdog in the modern backdrop of a popular quiz show.

I particularly liked the style of narration - how it switches effectively between non-linear narration in flashback mode at the start of every chapter & reverts to the present tense towards the end as the protagonist Ram Mohammad Thomas (shades of 'Life of Pi' in his name) goes on to explain how he happens to know the answer to every question he's asked in the game show.

Characterisation is not the strongest point of this novel, given one might happen to lose count of the different characters introduced throughout on account of Ram's numerous experiences. It's not that bad either but none of the characters apart from the protagonist leave much of an impression upon the mind of the reader. But then, one might end up ignoring that because there's just so much happening in Ram's life in the meantime.

I thought the ending was too 'filmi' (Bollywood term for 'cliche') for my tastes with the reunion thing & the tiny bit about Ram's lucky coin (obviously inspired from 'Sholay'), but I managed to digest that somewhat. Guess some of us Indians are used to that by now.

Engrossing, gripping & with its heart in the right place, I rate Vikas Swarup's debut novel 'Q&A' 4 out of 5 stars simply for its immense entertainment value. It definitely makes for an enjoyable read, besides giving us a rather vivid & colourful version of modern India. Highly recommended for fans of Indian popular fiction.

[Charity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q & A is the book that inspired the film Slumdog Millionaire. However, the two bear little to no resemblance to each other, save for the basic premise: an orphan from the slums of India goes on a game show and wins the top prize, but the show's producers think he must have cheated, so the kid tells stories from his life that relay how he knew the answers to the questions. Aside from this bare bones outline, the book and movie are really two entirely different stories made up of almost entirely different details.

Q & A is definitely not for the thin-skinned/weak-stomached. Practically any and every bit of human suffering imaginable is found within its pages: murder, rape, molestation, pedophilia, abuse, child labor, prostitution, suicide, theft, corruption, poverty...the list goes on and on. I was flipping through the pages wondering if the atrocities could actually get worse...they did. Wow! It's almost enough to make you lose faith in humanity.

Maybe I'm sick, because I couldn't put it down. I was sucked into the story from the very beginning and each 'chapter' was more powerful than the last. Setting it aside really wasn't an option until I finished the last page. Definitely, a reading experience that I will not soon forget. Amazing!