Q & A
by Vikas Swarup
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 246)
Read in July, 2007
When I finished this book, I thought, this would make a great movie. Lo and behold, it is indeed being made into a movie in India - probably next year. This book is a grand ol' yarn, in the great tradition of grand ol' yarns, teeming with tiny memorable cameos, episodic yarns within yarns, interlocking points that delight.
A recurring theme in the stories that Ram Mohammed Thomas (suitably named for the wide spectrum of Indian experiences he has in his life) tells in the telling of how he...more
A recurring theme in the stories that Ram Mohammed Thomas (suitably named for the wide spectrum of Indian experiences he has in his life) tells in the telling of how he...more
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
tv lovers, trivia buffs, world travelers
i looked up "q&a" when i heard that it's one of danny boyle's next projects (under the working title "slumdog millionaire").
a poor uneducated lower-class young man is chosen to be a contestant on a game show similar to "who wants to be a millionaire". this version of the game show, however, involves a billion dollar grand prize. when the main character improbably answers all the questions correctly, the show's producers pull all the sneakiest tricks possibl...more
a poor uneducated lower-class young man is chosen to be a contestant on a game show similar to "who wants to be a millionaire". this version of the game show, however, involves a billion dollar grand prize. when the main character improbably answers all the questions correctly, the show's producers pull all the sneakiest tricks possibl...more
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Read in March, 2008
Facing jail on a fake charge of cheating, Ram Mohammad Thomas tells his life story to a friendly ear. Each piece of his life broken into thirteen chapters correlates to one of the answers Thomas has managed to get correct. It is his own itinerant life that has given him the background he needs to win the billion rupees.
As preposterous as Q & A sounds, Vikas Swarup's novel is based on fact. At the back of the book, Swarup includes a brief history of a young Indian who won the Indian vers...more
As preposterous as Q & A sounds, Vikas Swarup's novel is based on fact. At the back of the book, Swarup includes a brief history of a young Indian who won the Indian vers...more
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Read in January, 2007
I found this book absolutely fascinating. Ram is arrested because he was able to answer all questions correct in a quiz show and therefore people think he cheated. Each chapter describes a situation from Ram's past that enabled him to answer one of the questions on the W3B quiz-show. The story jumps back and forth in time, but not in a way that is at all confusing, and while sometimes rather unrealistic, all ends are tied up neatly, and the book remains true to its own universe. The book is writ...more
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Read in February, 2008
curious bgt..knp dikasih judul Q&A...
ternyata..eh ternyata..karena struktur dari setiap chapter'ny tuh berupa pertanyaan (question) dan jawaban (answer)..jadi buku'ny sendiri tuh bercerita ttg seseorang yg dapetin uang 1milyar rupee karena dya ngikutin acara kuis televisi --semacam deal or no deal gitu deh--..nah di setiap chapter'ny dideskripsiin dulu sebuah cerita ttg pengalaman sang tokoh yg menjadi alasan kenapa tokoh tsb dapat menjawab smua pertanyaan yg diajukan dalam kuis tsb...
...more
ternyata..eh ternyata..karena struktur dari setiap chapter'ny tuh berupa pertanyaan (question) dan jawaban (answer)..jadi buku'ny sendiri tuh bercerita ttg seseorang yg dapetin uang 1milyar rupee karena dya ngikutin acara kuis televisi --semacam deal or no deal gitu deh--..nah di setiap chapter'ny dideskripsiin dulu sebuah cerita ttg pengalaman sang tokoh yg menjadi alasan kenapa tokoh tsb dapat menjawab smua pertanyaan yg diajukan dalam kuis tsb...
...more
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Read in January, 2006
This unique novel begins with protagonist Ram Mohammad Thomas getting the sh** beaten out of him, as he is accused of cheating his way to winning on the new TV show, “Who Will Win a Billion?” Soon Ram is offered a chance to explain how he was able to answer the seemingly impossible questions posed to him throughout the quiz show. Each chapter in this novel focuses on the events in Ram’s life that led him to being able to answer the individual questions that were posed to him throughout the...more
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This book was excellent both as a fun read and as a thought-provoking commentary on human nature. It reminds me of Memento, in that you know from the beginning that the story is sort of a puzzle that you don't quite understand. However, unlike Memento, new clues are revealed at a steady, understandable place. The whole way through the story I felt like I was almost sure I knew how it was going to turn out... but not quite. That faint thrum of wondering was an awesome icing on a delectable cake!
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Too movie-ready for me. What happened to 'write what you know?" I appreciated that it was a page-turner while I lounged on the cliffs of Santorini, but the general rape/incest/poverty for the sake of it as well as plots turns that are completely unbelievable made me question the book itself ... yes, the format it good, and I like to read about the kinds of food one might crave after days in jail in Delhi or Mumbai, but overall, don't waste your money .... Library Book for sure.
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Read in May, 2008
recommended to minnie by:
My Dad
I enjoyed this tale of a poor waiters adventures, its a fairly light read yet some of it deals with depressing issues like prostitution and abuse.The best thing about this book is its clever structure, each chapter relates a different adventure in the young boys life, and you find yourself reading on madly to find out what happens to him next.Theres a real Bollywood,cinematic feel to this book, it would make an interesting (if a little over the top) film.
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Read in February, 2008
I would have given this book a 2.5 star rating if it were possible. It is an easy book to read and very interesting at times, but it is fluff when compared to other books about the often harsh life in India (the best such book I ever read--one of the best books I've ever read--is A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry). It is basically a Horatio Alger tale, pleasant to read but not a story you can take too seriously and connect to on an emotional level.
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Read in October, 2008
This is a brilliant and very original story about a young orphan boy in India who won a "who wants to be a millionaire quiz" india version, because of that he was put in a jail, and all his story began after that,....
It's a very warm hearted,humble and honest story,a picture of indian culture, lots of lesson that we can take from it, that not all the poor are angels and not all the wealthy are villains.
Gloriously fantastical!!!!
It's a very warm hearted,humble and honest story,a picture of indian culture, lots of lesson that we can take from it, that not all the poor are angels and not all the wealthy are villains.
Gloriously fantastical!!!!
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Read in January, 2007
What a neat book!
The concept: an indian man wins the grand prize on the indian version of millionaire. But he's from the lowest caste - how could he have possibly won without cheating? Each chapter of this book explains the particular experience in his life that gave him the necessary information to answer the game show questions.
An interesting insight into modern life in India, and I loved the format. Highly recommended.
The concept: an indian man wins the grand prize on the indian version of millionaire. But he's from the lowest caste - how could he have possibly won without cheating? Each chapter of this book explains the particular experience in his life that gave him the necessary information to answer the game show questions.
An interesting insight into modern life in India, and I loved the format. Highly recommended.
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pertama baca review, yang terkesan adalah buku ini sejenis buku yang menceritakan kisah perjuangan hidup. Yeah, satu lagi buku tentang keajaiban, but......., nggak nyangka ternyata alurnya complicated banget, nggak ada itu keajaiban, ini buku tentang bagaimana perencanaan pencapaian tujuan yang berhasil.
Nyaris nggak ada kebetulan2 'sampah' seperti yang ditemui di novel2 sastra khas propaganda Amerika. bagus walau agak rumit.
Nyaris nggak ada kebetulan2 'sampah' seperti yang ditemui di novel2 sastra khas propaganda Amerika. bagus walau agak rumit.
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From Anne's summer reading list.
"It is about a young man who wins a quiz show in India by answering correctly all 12 questions. He is then arreted for cheating, and his only chance for exoneration is to prove how he knew the answers to all 12 questions. The book is a compilation of 12 stories from his life describing how he had the knowledge to answer the questions. It is fascinating, and very well written."
"It is about a young man who wins a quiz show in India by answering correctly all 12 questions. He is then arreted for cheating, and his only chance for exoneration is to prove how he knew the answers to all 12 questions. The book is a compilation of 12 stories from his life describing how he had the knowledge to answer the questions. It is fascinating, and very well written."
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If I had my druthers, I'd give this book 3.5 stars; however, since that's not an option here, I chose to round up rather than down because I found the story very engaging. I found the plot a little contrived and the dialogue clumsy at times, but the book definitely held my interest despite those flaws. Not quite up to the level of my other four-star books, but definitely more enjoyable than my three-star ones.
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Read in July, 2007
I have rarely been as ambivalent about a book as I was about Q&A. I realized about half-way through that I could put it down, never pick it up again, and not feel any remorse at all. Yet it was just engaging enough to continue reading, and I finished it. I was moderately intrigued throughout, but nothing in it lit a passion in me at all.
Basically, I'm glad I checked it out of the library.
Basically, I'm glad I checked it out of the library.
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
Fans of a gripping tale
What a read! This is a book I couldn't put down. I just had to know how it would end. The tale is "little guy against the world" but with spunk. There were some parts at the beginning that I had problems getting through as I have issues with reading about child abuse, but it was definitely worth continuing. The structure of the books is also praiseworthy. A thoroughly enjoyable ride.
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone
What a delightful book! An 18 year old, uneducated waiter wins one billion rubies on a quiz show. The show producers decided that he must have cheated. How can someone with no formal education know the answers to all of those complex questions? The book chronicles how he learned what he knew. The book is a demonstration of karma.
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
Anyone!
Fiction...story about an Indian man who is of the lowest class...he wins the Indian equivalent of "Who wants to be a millionaire" but they beleive he cheated because he is uneducated....each chapter is one question and how he knew the answer...it really gives you a look at Indian culture and society!!
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
everybody
Q & A is one of these books that makes you a better person. While it opens up doors to new worlds, it's also essentially a familiar story of the person who breaks the bonds through their own compassion. And it's one of these books that feels like both a fairy tale and a realistic novel.
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