Brief Summary
Introducing a major literary talent, The White Tiger offers a story of coruscating wit, blistering suspense, and questionable morality, told by the most volatile, captivating, and utterly inimitable narrator that this millennium has yet seen.
Balram Halwai is a complicated man. Servant. Philosopher. Entrepreneur. Murderer. Over the course of seven nights, by the scattered light of a preposterous chandelier, Balram tells us the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in life—having nothing but his own wits to help him along.
Born in the dark heart of India, Balram gets a break when he is hired as a driver for his village's wealthiest man, two house Pomeranians (Puddles and Cuddles), and the rich man's (very unlucky) son. From behind the wheel of their Honda City car, Balram's new world is a revelation. While his peers flip through the pages of Murder Weekly ("Love -- Rape -- Revenge!"), barter for girls, drink liquor (Thunderbolt), and perpetuate the Great Rooster Coop of Indian society, Balram watches his employers bribe foreign ministers for tax breaks, barter for girls, drink liquor (single-malt whiskey), and play their own role in the Rooster Coop. Balram learns how to siphon gas, deal with corrupt mechanics, and refill and resell Johnnie Walker Black Label bottles (all but one). He also finds a way out of the Coop that no one else inside it can perceive.
Balram's eyes penetrate India as few outsiders can: the cockroaches and the call centers; the prostitutes and the worshippers; the ancient and Internet cultures; the water buffalo and, trapped in so many kinds of cages that escape is (almost) impossible, the white tiger. And with a charisma as undeniable as it is unexpected, Balram teaches us that religion doesn't create virtue, and money doesn't solve every problem -- but decency can still be found in a corrupt world, and you can get what you want out of life if you eavesdrop on the right conversations.
The White Tiger recalls The Death of Vishnu and Bangkok 8 in ambition, scope, and narrative genius, with a mischief and personality all its own. Amoral, irreverent, deeply endearing, and utterly contemporary, this novel is an international publishing sensation —and a startling, provocative debut.
ISBN:9781416562597
Author:Aravind Adiga
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HOW RAILA ESCAPED EXECUTION:
A US embassy official, Mr Allan Eastham, told RAILA that they had intelligence indicating that the government was in advance stages of preparing his execution, he told him that the impending arrest was not to be an ordinary arrest but rather .. an arrest that would cause him bodily harm if not lead to his death, he advised him to be safe and careful.
The police raided his offices at Agip house but missed him since he had gone to Orengo’s office within the same building, a team of Lawyers led by Mrs Karua were called in to witness the siege, this foiled the raid and the police called it a day promising to keep the hunt.After a night in Orengo’s house, Nyong’o, RAILA and Orengo felt that the house was also not safe, they had to find a safer place to hide Raila from the state.
They made a decision to take him Dr kituyi house, Nyong’o drove him to his new home,RAILA stayed with Dr Kituyi family for a week while the special branch hunted down for him. On the first night at Kituyi home, the police raided his house in Kileleshwa.Ida having been used to the battle refused to open the door, insisting Raila was not home, she pretended to be searching for keys while in fact she was calling the press.
She asked the watchman to count the officers in the compound, when he reached 17, he was beaten to black out.After a week, the time to move RAILA to another location came, Kituyi’s wife, Mrs Ling was charged with the responsibility of driving him to the US embassy.
She changed RAILA beards, fixed him with glasses & a wig, she sat him behind while Dr Kituyi following closely with Nyong’oThe trip to the embassy was successful but they refused to host him for fear of crossing President Moi path.
From the embassy Nyong’o and Muite drove Raila to Loresho where he stayed with Jalang’o Onyango for a week as they crafted the next course of action.The Catholic church took the issue of Raila a week later, he moved to his sister in law house to meet his children and promised them that he’ll never go back to Detention.
A white American nun and father Opiyo got RAILA out of Nairobi.They dressed Raila as a priest, gave him glasses and shaved his head clean, RAILA became a completely different person after the changes, sitting at the back, RAILA read newspapers as they passed the numerous roadblocks mounted on the road by the police.When they reached the catholic station in Kisumu, they booked RAILA under the name Father Augustine from Machakos, he was later transferred to Rang’ala mission station and was booked under the same name.
His father sent a car to pick him.At 4 pm, RAILA ODINGA was moved to Olago Beach where he was to be smuggled out of the country through the lake, he boarded the diesel-powered boat and began his voyage to Uganda, they passed by Ndeda Island to pick up some passengers and left for Uganda at 8pm.After 2 hrs, Hezron Orori, the navigator announced that they were in Uganda, a heavy storm hit the lake later & Orori wife began to shiver, Raila lent her his jacket & faced the unforgiving cold himself, he turned to a bottle of Vodka given to him by a friend to get some warmth.
He spent the night at Sigulu. With the help of sympathetic Kenyans and Tanzanians living in Uganda, he acquired Ugandan papers, but changed his name to Joseph Ojiwa Wadenya.Once in Kampala, he was hosted by one of his friends who worked in his company, the friend reported his arrival to UNHCR, the UNHCR advised Raila to remain underground since the Kenyan government had sent special officers to kidnap him and send him back home.
To be moved out of Uganda, RAILA had to be disguised once more, Ahmed Sayyid Farah, a Somali national who was the UNHCR country representative in Uganda decided that they were not going to take chances.
Farah got RAILA ODINGA a kanzu with a fez and a jacket similar to those of Uganda Muslims to wear. His name was also changed from Wadenya to Haji Omar, going to mecca for pilgrimage, when he reached Oslo not even his blood sisters who waiting for him could recognize him