The White Tiger

The White Tiger (2008) by Aravind Adiga. The narrator of this book, named Balram Halwai, comes from a small village in India, and seems destined for a life of poverty and desperation. But he sees his opportunity and takes it -- with murderous consequences. More germane to the gist of the book, however, is his detailed and authentic-sounding description of life in India today -- of how the caste system persists, of how the poor live in filth and despair, of how the rich get and stay that way through an elaborate system of bribes and brute force. This is fiction, of course, but it rings true, and makes for a quick and entertaining read. Grade: A-