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Title: Q & A: A Novel
Score:
Author: Vikas Swarup
Rating: Not available
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Review of Q & A: A Novel

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Comments for Q & A: A Novel

• Posted on 2009-11-18
  I prefer the plot in the book to that of the movie
  
  I really like how this book was structured. In the opening chapter, we find Ram Mohammed Thomas in jail for cheating on a quiz show. Did he cheat or was he just lucky? How could an orphan from the slums answer every question correctly? Then, the following chapters go through each question and tell us a story of how Ram Mohammed Thomas might know the answer.
  
  What kind of name is Ram Mohammed Thomas anyway? He was actually named that to represent the three main religions of India. I thought it was funny how he used only one of his three names depending on the situation he was in. I enjoyed each story, but there were some horrific ones. Children should not have to go through such horrible acts.
  
  One of my favorite quotes from the book:
  
  "The sight of all this opulence makes me uneasy. In Mumbai, Salim and I would gate-crash the weddings of the rich for free food, but we never grudged them their wealth. But seeing these rich college boys spending money like paper, I am gripped by a totally new sense of inadequacy. The contrast with my own imperfect life pinches me with the force of a physical hurt. Not surprisingly, my hunger just shrivels up and dies despite the mounds of tempting dishes lying on my table. I realize then that I have changed. And I wonder what it feels like to have no desires left becuase you have satisfied them all, smothered them with money even before they are born. Is an existence without desire very desirable? And is the poverty of desire better than rank poverty itself? I think about these questions but do not arrive at any satisfactory answers."
  
  I went to see this movie at the cheap theatre for only $1.50. The sights and sounds of India were just absolutely fantastic. Unfortunately, the slum scenes were also particularly effective.
  
  One of the biggest changes from the book is that in the movie, Salim and Jamal (they changed his name) are brothers instead of just friends. I could see why that might make things easier, but I wasn't sure how I felt about the character difference in Salim. I do think I prefer the relationship the two boys had in the book rather than the movie, but it didn't stop my enjoyment of the film at all.
  
  In the book, the quiz show winnings are $1 billion rupees, and in the movie, it's only 20 million rupees. I'm not sure why they felt the need to change the prize and the title of the quiz show, but whatever. In addition, some of the quiz questions were changed to fit the plot of the movie rather than the book. I did miss the Australian chapter and the story about his lifeline call, but I do realize there was absolutely no way to fit everything into the movie. I enjoyed the movie for `the movie experience' and seeing the sights and sounds of India, but I do think I preferred the plot of the book.
  
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• Posted on 2009-09-22
  Excellent
  
  Hilariously funny and sad at the same time;as good as "The White Tiger". Funny story about a naive poor waiter that wins 1 billion in a rigged phony game show. The game show tries to get the police to arrest him for cheating except they cannot find evidence. Shows you the real face of how the commoners in India have to live and the difficulties they have too endure. Well worth your time !
  
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• Posted on 2009-07-31
  A highly fascinating & entertaining story!
  
  I enjoyed this book so much from the very first sentence to the very last. It is so well written and the plot is great. I felt sympathy with the main character Ram Mohammad Thomas and I enjoyed reading about his adventurous life in India. And the end is brilliant! This book is quite simply a pleasure to read! It is one of my favorites.
  
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• Posted on 2009-05-27
  Puts its Film Adaptation to shame...
  
  ...and the movie won god damned Best Picture of the year!
  
  This book is unlike any other. Unlike the film, the characters in Q&A are believable, placed in an unflinching environment, pitted against very real circumstances. Whats more is that the character is easy to relate to, smart, and strong willed, while still affected by the daunting effects of emotion and acts accordingly to whatever outstanding circumstance (None of which are far fetched, considering the location) Swarup creates.
  
  The story will not only borrow your heart during the time that will fly by while Ram Mohammad Thomas tells you about his hardships, but it will give you a real insight into the culture of Mumbai, India.
  
  This is a must read! You will not be displeased!
  
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• Posted on 2009-05-26
  Amazing Story By A Talented Writer
  
  Q&A by Vikas Swarup focuses on the life of 19 year old Ram Mohammad Thomas, a poor server in Mumbai, India, who somehow wins a billion rupees on India's equivalent of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Convinced that he cheated (and unable to pay the winning prize amount), the producers try to jail the boy until an attorney interrupts. And that's just the first chapter.
  
  The rest of the book tells the story of Ram's life. Each chapter starts with him discussing with the attorney a certain memory from his past. Each chapter ends with a video clip of him answering a question from the quiz show correctly. Each story he tells correlates perfectly with the question and you learn how he answers each question perfectly. You cheer Ram on as he narrates his tale. His life is full of crazy episodes (living with has-been celebrities, learning about India's red light district, giving tours of the Taj Mahal illegally), but the crazier the better. The ending is far from disappointing, as Swarup delivers an interesting and shocking twist. Every person Ram meets throughout his life is important, every scenario memorable. The book is beautiful, addictive and incredibly entertaining. The writing is spot on and the heartbreaking and warming tale is one to be remembered. Ram is a character who lives on with you, weeks after the last page is closed.
  
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