Balram Halwai is about a man who manages to improve his lot in life by becoming a driver for a rich family. The book is one long letter to the premier of China as he writes about India's entrepreneurial skills. The narration has a sarcastic edge to it and makes him very endearing.
I'm still reading the book but can't help myself writing about it. So far, there was a few things that surprised me.
- How easily accepts someone as "Master" and not question the system. And how early in the book the master talks about the Balram as if he is not there and talks about how ignorant Balram is as his master's wife giggles. Later we find this guy also punches his wife in the face.
- He kills his master. Slits his throat...wow...
- When his father tells him he wants his son to be a man and not treated as an animal. His dad pulls rickshaws.
He also goes by several different names and White Tiger is one of his names. Earlier in the book you learn that his family were too busy and had too much on their minds to actually name the boy. So when he gets to grade school his teacher gives him the name Balram who is the sidekick to Krishna. At home his name in Muna which simply means "Boy." He receives the name White Tiger by being considered the smartest boy in his village.
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