I really liked this book, and it's much better than the movie. Fast read. Clever story telling.
Helpful Score: 2
I wasn't sure if I'd like this book because I've already seen the movie, but I was glad to see that the book is an entirely different story. The premise is the same - a young man wins a quiz show and the producers arrest him on suspicion of cheating, but his life experiences help him answer the questions - but most of the questions (and the experiences that go with them) are completely different than the ones in the film, with a different cast of characters.
Helpful Score: 1
After my book club read several books about India and the situation there regarding women, slums, poverty, etc., I loudly proclaimed that I would never read another book about India. I had to eat those words when we decided to read and discuss this book. I loved it, even though all the above elements are still in it. Much, much better than the movie. The writing held my interest and I thoroughly loved the coincidences that led to Ram's victories.
Originally titled "Q & A", presumably before the movie moguls decided it needed a better title.
This book is vastly different from the movie, and in a great way. The filmmakers used the basic premise, that of a poor Indian boy on a quiz show whose life experiences allow him to answer the questions, but drastically changed the characters and experiences. There are some parts of the book that are similar to the story told in the movie, but for the most part they are two very different things using the same general plot idea. Therefore, reading the book is not at all the typical experience of feeling like you know most everything already from watching the movie and are only getting a few new details. Instead, reading the book after seeing the movie is still fully enjoyable and fresh, and I would assume that's true in the reverse as well.
Never judge a movie until you have read the book that is behind it! An orphan of unknown race (or mixture thereof) wins a billion rupees on a quiz show only to be arrested for fraud. This is the story of his experiences that have led him to know the answers to all of the questions posed even though he is largely uneducated and illiterate. The questions and his answers are simply told, yet his experiences that have led him to the correct responses are not. This book will hold your rapt attention from beginning to end; it is a masterly woven tale.
Age Range ATM: 15+ It has quite a bit of violence (so sad) and some sexual stuffs not extremely graphic or anything like that though
Thoughts:
Oh.my.god. This book was amazing! And I'm not just saying that this book really is amazing/lovely/unforgettable yatayata The writing is really good and so is the story and characters. The story is like none I have ever encountered before. It is pretty darn creative and boy did I love it!!
The story is about an Indian boy named Ram Mohammad Thomas, who is an orphan and throughout the book he tells of his many many insane/extremely sad adventures as he explains to a lawyer how he, a poor boy living in the slums, knew all of the answers to the Who Will Win A Billion quiz show (the show is kind of like Who Wants to Be A Millionare). This book has everything- an interesting story line that makes you stay hooked on the book until the very end, great characters that you will feel empathy for, love, and much more. What else do you need to convince you to read this book?
-tvandbookaddict.blogspot.com
Thoughts:
Oh.my.god. This book was amazing! And I'm not just saying that this book really is amazing/lovely/unforgettable yatayata The writing is really good and so is the story and characters. The story is like none I have ever encountered before. It is pretty darn creative and boy did I love it!!
The story is about an Indian boy named Ram Mohammad Thomas, who is an orphan and throughout the book he tells of his many many insane/extremely sad adventures as he explains to a lawyer how he, a poor boy living in the slums, knew all of the answers to the Who Will Win A Billion quiz show (the show is kind of like Who Wants to Be A Millionare). This book has everything- an interesting story line that makes you stay hooked on the book until the very end, great characters that you will feel empathy for, love, and much more. What else do you need to convince you to read this book?
-tvandbookaddict.blogspot.com
Very enjoyable read. One of the few books I'd like to read again!
I would rank this book as a modern day classic. It is a very well written treatise on social condition. There is revenge for violence toward women and children. Reward for persevering and obtaining an education through life experiences. It shows how money or lack thereof influences even life and death decisions. I would highly recommend it.
I loved this book. The movie was great, but the book was 10 times better. In the book, the story does not go in chronological order, so you need to pay attention to figure out where in the narrator's life you are, but that keeps you on your toes. I recommend it highly to anyone who enjoyed The Kite Runner or even The Poisonwood Bible.
