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 It was OK Feb 06, 2010
It's been several months since I read this, so my review will be short. While I understand conditions in much of India, this story was, at times, depressing to me. I don't see all the hype given to the movie because of the story, but then, I guess that's America. It was kind of an OK read to me & certainly not as wonderful as I'd expected by all the movie hype. Oh well.
 It's Not the Movie... It's Much Better! Jan 11, 2010
If you haven't read Q & A by Vikas Swarup, you should. Even if you hated the movie that was based on it, Slumdog Millionaire, you should read the book (like most book/movie adaptions, the book is very different, and much better!).
This book is unique and creative, and different than almost anything out there. The story itself could have been just another story of a boy in the slums of India, growing up without parents and ending up on a quiz show. And I probably would never have picked it up.
What makes this book different is its structure: the whole format of the book is different than anything else I've read. Its premise is stated in the first few pages: boy from slums wins a billion rupees on game show and is arrested for cheating. How can a boy with no education know the answers to questions most people in India don't know?
The rest of the book is structured by the game show: each chapter is a slice of the boy's life, followed by the question. Of course, each answer comes from the experiences of his life.
Unlike the movie, the book doesn't follow a chronological timeline. It jumps back and forth through his life, with few threads throughout so it's almost a series of vignettes about his life that you might be tempted to think have no bearing on each other at all. In this way, it's easy to read, quick, certain sections more interesting than others, but all like pieces of a puzzle.
And the end... BAM! Just when you think it's just a story about his life.... maybe a commentary on the game show industry or on poverty or a referendum on how humans treat each other... it suddenly becomes something much greater. The threads of the story-line, all seemingly random, come together in a WOW moment.
Swarup could have written this book with a traditional chronological structure, but my guess is the book might never have been picked up. What makes it fantastic - what gives it that WOW factor in the last few pages - is it's uniqueness in the way it uses time and the way time is less important than the quiz show format. It's brilliant.
Great Movie, Even Better Book Dec 18, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire, previously known as Q & A by Vikus Swamp was a very interesting book. Even if you have seen the movie, the book is different with the same plot so it is worth the read. Personally, I think the book was better than the movie. The only negative is that it jumps from story to story which is somewhat confusing, but what makes it also so interesting. I would recommend this book to the fans of the movie or if people have not yet seen the movie and want to, they should read the book first.
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 a MAJOR dissapointment Aug 07, 2009
I was told that Swarup wrote this novel in four months, and wow did it show. This novel is loaded with the most cheesy, mindless accumulation of junk I have ever had to endure through. That might have been harsh, but the repetitiveness, the punch lines, and most of all the bad writing warrants it. Also, it lacks considerably in showing the reality of India's poverty. I was also told that Swarup had never even visited the slum that he writes about and that also shows. It lacks the depth and insight needed for authenticity. I view this novel as sort of like a Bollywood film--all about cheap escapism and no substance. If you're for that, then this will definitely entertained you. It, however, frustrated me more than anything.
Book good but different from film Aug 05, 2009
This book was a good read. I read it expecting it to be exactly like the film but was pleasantly surprised to find a compelling, thought provoking plot that left me satisfied with an unexpected ending.
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