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Q And A

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 11,653 ratings · 1,608 reviews

Vikas Swarup's spectacular debut novel opens in a jail cell in Mumbai, India, where Ram Mohammad Thomas is being held after correctly answering all twelve questions on India's biggest quiz show, "Who Will Win a Billion?" It is hard to believe that a poor orphan who has never read a newspaper or gone to school could win such a contest. But through a series of exhilarating t...more

Published (first published January 1st 2000)

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May 05, 2011 Megha rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: india, reviews

I should mention that this 1-star review is not at all related to my opinion of the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" which I liked much better than the book. I am glad that the movie-makers smartly retained the only decent thing about this novel that is the game show plot device and tossed almost all of the rest into the trash because that's where this novel truly belongs. This book badly needs some editing or even better, a different author. I read in some review that "Slumdog Millionaire" feels lik...more
I should mention that this 1-star review is not at all related to my opinion of the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" which I liked much better than the book. I am glad that the movie-makers smartly retained the only decent thing about this novel that is the game show plot device and tossed almost all of the rest into the trash because that's where this novel truly belongs. This book badly needs some editing or even better, a different author. I read in some review that "Slumdog Millionaire" feels like a juvenile's attempt at writing and I have to agree. It is not even L of literature. It does not take long to get tired of the flat narration.

Anyway, writing style is perhaps not the biggest problem with this novel. The story is so full of cliches. Every episode in the life of the protagonist seems as if it is pulled out of some cheap bollywood masala movie (the episodes in the movie Slumdog are way better). Swarup took all the vices and social issues he could think of and stitched it all together into a story. Child abuse, murder, suicide, incest, prostitution, theft, robbery, corruption, eve-teasing, poverty, riots, religious squabbles, underworld, India-Pak war it's all there. Homophobia and pedophilia is way overdone. Such is the cheap drivel Swarup is selling in the name of realism. He has played out the religion card too and named the hero 'Ram Mohammed Thomas'. With this selling recipe in place Mr.Swarup perhaps didn't think there was any need put an effort into the actual writing anymore.

These are a few snippets of this book's review from Amazon by people outside India:

"Despite heartrending descriptions of sexual abuse, racism, poverty, homeless and much, much, more in modern India, this is an utterly enjoyable picaresque adventure that is one of the best reads of the year."

"..this is an easy and entertaining story that captures much of the essence of this fascinating country. "

"It offers a very good look at several different societies and life-styles in India."

"...an exciting and fascinating glimpse into the life in modern India. Well written and full of both common day-life and historical facts about the densely populated peninsula,..."

"Gives some overview of reality in India."

"...that gives you enough of the misery that exists in India.."

"It is well-written and describes India, as it is today."

Oh, Puhleeze! This ain't modern India (or even India in the older times for that matter). None of the episodes in the book has even a faint resemblance to the life of a common man in India. A common man doesn't spend all his life amidst every imaginable crime and misery. Swarup is pandering to the western audience by giving an impression that abuse, poverty, misery and what not is all there is to Indian way of life. And that too from a person like Vikas Swarup who is an India diplomat and is supposed to represent India to the world outside. At least I think it was pretty clear in the movie that it was just a story of an orphan boy from slums.The depiction of Bombay slum life as a backdrop was perhaps much closer to reality in the movie than Swarup's novel. The movie never seemed to claim that that was the essence of life in India. Swarup, on the other hand, draws his characters from different economic classes, different religions, people ranging from movie stars to diplomats, priests, businessmen, middle-class, slum-dwellers and all. And he presents every possible way of life in India with just a dark side to it.

Swarup himself does not even live in India. And even during his visits to India I am sure he has only experienced the life of rich upper class who form only a small fraction of our population. It is not a surprise that he is completely out of the touch of the reality of common life in India. Someone please tell him that watching a bunch of bollywood movies is not how you get an experience of Indian life.(less)

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Aug 16, 2007 Lexie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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.

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Jan 18, 2009 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I was completely unenchanted with the movie Slumdog Millionaire; the story, I felt, was predictable with characters that were totally uninteresting or completely unlikable. However, much as I was unimpressed with the movie, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was the kernel of a very interesting story there, and that maybe, just maybe, I might have a good experience with the book.

I am pleased to report that I was correct - the book [u:]Q&A[/u:] is far superior to the film. A few things t...more I was completely unenchanted with the movie Slumdog Millionaire; the story, I felt, was predictable with characters that were totally uninteresting or completely unlikable. However, much as I was unimpressed with the movie, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was the kernel of a very interesting story there, and that maybe, just maybe, I might have a good experience with the book.

I am pleased to report that I was correct - the book [u:]Q&A[/u:] is far superior to the film. A few things that I preferred in the novel:

1. Not a linear time-frame; in the movie, the progression of questions in Millionaire followed the progress of the boy's life. In the book, this is not the case - the time-line slips around a bit, and answers to certain questions give hints of things not yet revealed that have occurred in the past. It is far more intriguing, I thought, than a simple recitation of "then this happened; then this; and then this."

2. Sunil is not a heartless murderer. One of the main problems I had with the film was the Sunil was detestable from the get-go, locking his brother in the toilet, then selling his hard-won autograph. By contrast, the character of Sunil in the novel is a sweet boy, with no relation to the narrator, who loves films, who doesn't kill anyone, and who does not become hardened by the life around him. Sunil from the book is very much what I imagine what they wanted Jamal from the movie to be, except somehow in the movie Jamal was completely lacking in charisma and was actually kind of creepy.

3. Minimal love story. I am not a person who is opposed to a love story, certainly; however, as soon as Latika was introduced in the film, I groaned inwardly, that such an interesting premise was being wasted on yet another pair of star-crossed lovers. The book, while there is certainly a romance, it does not span the entire book. Which allows Ram Mohammad Thomas (which is the character of Jamal's name in the book) to develop as a character beyond love-sick obsessive. It also allows the story to develop in interesting ways, as not everything is viewed through the lens of a forlorn lover. There are a lot more characters in the book who get their own stories, with more settings and more things happening. The book creates a believable story of how life experiences can prepare a man to win a billion Rupees on a quiz show that is entertaining, funny, tragic, and horrible, that deserves, rather than is cheapened by, its happy ending. The movie just cannot compare.(less)

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Dec 31, 2008 Leigh-ann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was torn about how to rate this book. On one hand, I just loved the unusual plot, and could have easily given it 5 stars. On the other hand, wow, I don't remember the last time I read anything so blatantly homophobic. Three different male characters, two of whom are clearly identified as "gay", were predatory pedophiles who abused young boys. A third man was also a pedophile who abused young boys, but at least the author never claimed he was gay. I didn't feel any of these characterizations we...more

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Leigh-ann Beck, my complaint about the homophobia in the book was that the author wrote about pedophiles but identified them as homosexual. If India isn't accep...more
May 12, 2010 04:04pm

Dovetail hi im just reading the book now and so far i like it too. After having spent over 3 years living in India, i think i can say i understand the culture...more
Sep 21, 2011 06:27am

Feb 20, 2009 Dini rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, translation

Kisah yang diadaptasi menjadi film peraih berbagai penghargaan, Slumdog Millionaire. Ram Mohammad Thomas adalah pemuda miskin berusia delapan belas tahun yang secara mengejutkan berhasil memenangkan satu miliar rupee dalam sebuah kuis televisi. Bagaimana caranya ia menjawab pertanyaan kuis yang jawabannya mestinya tak diketahui orang yang tinggal di rumah petak kumuh seperti dirinya?

Kita pun dibawa mengikuti kisah Ram, si anak yatim piatu yang ditinggalkan di depan gereja dan dibesarkan oleh se...more

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Apr 25, 2009 Literary Feline rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was a spur of the moment decision to read Vikas Swarup’s novel when I did. I tend to prefer to read the book before seeing the movie it is based on, but I hadn’t known until recently that the movie was actually based on a book. In cases like this, when I really want to see the movie in the theater, I often times will just go ahead and see the movie anyway. The book will have to wait. Fortunately, I was able to get my hands on a copy of Slumdog Millionaire, so titled after the movie no less. T...more It was a spur of the moment decision to read Vikas Swarup’s novel when I did. I tend to prefer to read the book before seeing the movie it is based on, but I hadn’t known until recently that the movie was actually based on a book. In cases like this, when I really want to see the movie in the theater, I often times will just go ahead and see the movie anyway. The book will have to wait. Fortunately, I was able to get my hands on a copy of Slumdog Millionaire, so titled after the movie no less. The original title of the book is Q&A. Perhaps not quite as sellable but still more accurate when it comes right down to it.

I loved the book. I loved the movie. Slumdog Millionaire is both a love story and a coming of age story. The book and movie are very different from one another, while at the same time sharing a similar structure and commonalities that will be easily recognizable to those who have watched and read the two formats. And yet, the two are different enough from each other to be completely different stories all together, at least content wise. For those who are nitpicky about book to movie translations, you might want to put some distance between reading the book and watching the movie. The two are worth taking in though. Both the movie and book tell stories that will pull at your heart strings, make you laugh and cry, and make you fall in love. At least, that’s how it was for me.

In Vikas Swarup’s novel, set in India, Ram Mohammed Thomas was abandoned by his mother when he was still an infant. He was left on the church doorstep, taken in by the church, adopted by a family, and then abandoned again. During his early childhood he was raised by a priest but then, due to unfortunate circumstances he was ripped away from all he knew and his life took an entirely different direction.

The book opens with Thomas being arrested and then tortured by the police, accused of cheating on the game show, Who Wants to Be a Billionaire. He won by answering twelve questions, questions an uneducated street boy couldn’t possibly have had the answers for all on his own. Or could he?

Sticklers for novels told in chronological order may struggle with this one at first. The unfolding of the story comes in a roundabout way, the chapters structured around each of the questions asked on the quiz show. With every question, Thomas tells his life story, the story of how he knew the answers that would end up winning him a billion rupees. The chapters, therefore, jump back and forth through time, not always following a chronological path. I had no trouble following the story, however, and actually found the format of the story quite effective. It was the perfect set up for what was to come.

Thomas is an amazing boy. His life has been extremely difficult. He has seen things that no child should have to see. He is street wise and yet has a good heart. He is a loyal friend. After leaving the church, Thomas is sent to an orphanage where he befriends Salim, a Muslim orphan boy whose family was brutally murdered right in front of him. Thomas takes Salim under his wing and the two are, for a time, inseparable.

Thomas meets many people while growing up. He travels across India doing his best to survive. He lives off of the streets, serves the wealthy, is taken in by those with kind hearts and treated ill by those up to no good. Even in the worst of times, Thomas seems to come out of every situation okay, although perhaps a little more weary of the world.

I came away from the novel with tears in my eyes, touched by not only Thomas’ story, but by those whose lives he touched. It truly was an inspirational story. Slumdog Millionaire (aka Q&A) is well worth reading.
(less)

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Apr 02, 2009 Ev rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Ev by: Mom

Shelves: 2009, mom

Good idea for a story. Poor, uneducated orphan kid wins a billion rupees (About $20 million USD) on a game show.

Other than that it was somewhat of a struggle to get through this book. I think it was all the Indian names. I know this book is written by an Indian and was translated into English but I had a hard time getting into it when every sentance had some Indian word I didn't know what it meant and there were no other explaining to help figure it out. Maybe if I spoke that language it wouldn...more

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Jan 31, 2009 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, made-into-movie, read-in-2009

As a huge fan of the movie, Slumdog Millionaire, I was very excited to read the book on which it was based. However, the only similarity between the book and the film is the general plot of a young man in the slums who goes on a game show and answers questions that are related to his life experiences. The relationships between the characters have changed, almost all of the questions have changed, and the love story is completely different. I still enjoyed the book, although the dialogue is often...more

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Nov 11, 2008 Alan Matsumoto rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: indian-culture

I read in Entertainment Weekly about how the film version (Slumdog Millionare) of this book is coming out later this month.
The storyline caught my interest so I bought the book at my local book store. I really enjoyed this book. A poor, uneducated, orphan teen somehow answers all 12 questions on the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire". Immediately after winning he is thrown in jail, accused of cheating. The book follows chapter by chapter how he acquired the knowledge of answering...more

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Mar 10, 2009 Lesley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nice...this book is the basis for the wonderful movie, Slumdog Millionaire. Although the premise is the same, (dirt poor, uneducated Mumbai teen mysteriously answers all the trivia questions on a game show correctly, then explains in flashback how each question is connected to a traumatic life experience) the stories in the book don't hold together as well, and the ending is far weaker. However,some of the individual stories have a terrific creepy quality. Much more emphasis on the frequent degr...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Abhinav rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: popular-fiction, the-cj-library, i-own-an-ebook, i-own-a-copy, 2013-reading-saga, humour, satire, romance, semi-favorites

Whoa. I must start by saying that I've surprised myself by reading the last 170 odd pages in just over a couple of hours.

I suppose the premise of 'Q&A' is known to everyone who hasn't been living under a rock, having been adapted into the Oscar-winning motion picture 'Slumdog Millionaire' in 2008. But that's pretty much where the resemblance ends, because the film takes very little inspiration from the events that take place in the book, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

I say this becaus...more Whoa. I must start by saying that I've surprised myself by reading the last 170 odd pages in just over a couple of hours.

I suppose the premise of 'Q&A' is known to everyone who hasn't been living under a rock, having been adapted into the Oscar-winning motion picture 'Slumdog Millionaire' in 2008. But that's pretty much where the resemblance ends, because the film takes very little inspiration from the events that take place in the book, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

I say this because I have no doubt that Danny Boyle's film is far more realistic & convincing. Swarup's novel is obviously flawed & has its shortcomings, but that shouldn't take away anything from the credible effort he has put into his first novel & he retells the age-old tale of the triumph of the perennial underdog in the modern backdrop of a popular quiz show.

I particularly liked the style of narration - how it switches effectively between non-linear narration in flashback mode at the start of every chapter & reverts to the present tense towards the end as the protagonist Ram Mohammad Thomas (shades of 'Life of Pi' in his name) goes on to explain how he happens to know the answer to every question he's asked in the game show.

Characterisation is not the strongest point of this novel, given one might happen to lose count of the different characters introduced throughout on account of Ram's numerous experiences. It's not that bad either but none of the characters apart from the protagonist leave much of an impression upon the mind of the reader. But then, one might end up ignoring that because there's just so much happening in Ram's life in the meantime.

I thought the ending was too 'filmi' (Bollywood term for 'cliche') for my tastes with the reunion thing & the tiny bit about Ram's lucky coin (obviously inspired from 'Sholay'), but I managed to digest that somewhat. Guess some of us Indians are used to that by now.

Engrossing, gripping & with its heart in the right place, I rate Vikas Swarup's debut novel 'Q&A' 4 out of 5 stars simply for its immense entertainment value. It definitely makes for an enjoyable read, besides giving us a rather vivid & colourful version of modern India. Highly recommended for fans of Indian popular fiction.(less)

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Feb 22, 2009 Scurra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Finding innovative hooks for short stories has been a staple of literature for centuries (think the Canterbury Tales, the Decameron or the Arabian Nights.) In Q&A Swarup has found a doozy, utilising a format most readers will be able to easily relate to whilst springing continual surprised in the non-linear timeline. Even when you know a particular story is due to be told, when it arrives the details are always fun. And the punchline is fantastically plausible and consistent with the establi...more

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Jan 25, 2009 Bonnie Jeanne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Interesting premise. An Indian waiter, Ram Mohammed Thomas, wins the big prize in a television game show and is promptly arrested. Game show producers claim he cheated to win, but it is not secret the prize will bankrupt the production company, so the cheating charge is pretty much a necessity.

The arrested young man is visited by a stranger, a woman who says she wants to help him. She wants him to explain how someone with so little formal education could have won the game show quiz. He tells he...more

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Mar 18, 2009 Trin rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, indian-lit

Wow. Simon Beaufoy really deserved that Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. I didn’t think that Slumdog Millionaire was the Best Movie EVAR! as some people seem to, but the book is just awful. Scattered and poorly written, with a narrative that relies on more farfetched coincidences than a cracked-out Dickens novel, Q&A also manages to make its protagonist completely unsympathetic, and its romance entirely unromantic. Oh, and the whole thing—the first few chapters especially—is cringingly homopho...more

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Mar 03, 2009 Melissa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I saw Slumdog Millionaire before I read the book it is loosely based upon. This time, the movie was better than the book. The episodes in the book were much worse, much more disturbing than in the movie. (I'm so tired of books that have boys sexually abused by perverts. Why can't a villain be a villain without being a pervert?) The movie kept a certain level of comedy and humor alongside the darkness. The book didn't manage to do that, and it didn't have the romantic storyline that connected the...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was torn as to how to rate this book. I'm someone who likes to read the book before seeing the movie, but I saw "Slumdog Millionaire" back in 2008 and fell in love with it. I thought it was unique, unusual and magical. I finally decided to read the book last week, and it's very different from the movie. I was completely engaged the entire time and loved seeing what exhilarating yet heartbreaking adventures Ram would find himself in the middle of. However, I did find the book very predictable....more

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May 31, 2011 Joe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: india, fiction, audiobook, indian-literature

My review is based on the audiobook read by Christopher Simpson, who is absolutely outstanding given his vast array of accents and vocal gymnastics. His readings adds an ingredient that would have been sorely missed without him. Having just visited India, I found I was pulled right into the vivid storyline.

I loved the movie but I found the stories in the book far more appealing. It’s originally entitled "Q&A" which is actually the story’s format. I haven’t been teary-eyed over many stories,...more

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Jul 13, 2009 Laurel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I found this book to be quite surprisingly good. I have not seen the movie, and only had a vague idea of what it was about, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I actually didn't even realize the movie was based on a book until one of my goodreads friends added it to her "to-reads" list. :) I was happy to find my library had it on audio.

Originally published under the name of Q & A, the book takes place in India and begins with the arrest of a young quiz show contestant, Ram Mohammad Thomas, who...more

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Apr 14, 2009 Najmuddin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sebagai orang yang tidak percaya kepada kebetulan seratus peratus, aku agak skeptikal dengan jalan cerita novel ini. Berjaya menjawab 12 soalan untuk memenangi 1 billion rupees, hanya kerana tuah dan kebetulan, adalah mustahil bagi aku. Tidak logik.

Namun, setelah semakin lama menyelam di dasar penceritaan buku ini, aku sedar, soalan-soalan yang dijawab itu bukanlah fokus utama cerita ini. Ia hanyalah pentas untuk mementaskan realiti kehidupan seorang kanak-kanak yatim piatu dan manusia-manusia y...more

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Jan 25, 2009 Joseph rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

This is a case of a terrible ending ruining an otherwise good book. Ram's story stretches credulity throughout the book, but the way everything just happens to fall into place in the last chapter, with multiple shocking revelations tripping over themselves in their hurry to be heard, just breaks any bond of trust between author and reader.

It's a shame, too, because the book, for the most part is as charming as the movie. My one minor nitpick is that Ram narrates his story as though he were telli...more

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Dec 02, 2008 Dale rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I am a self-avowed suckers for happy endings, even when they are a little contrived or a little too pat. So it's not really surprising that Q&A would hold up well for me, because the whole premise of the book is all about pat contrivances and happy endings. The book opens with the arrest of the narrator, Ram, who has just won a billion rupees on an Indian game show; the producers believe he must have cheated to answer all of the questions correctly. He is rescued from brutal police interroga...more I am a self-avowed suckers for happy endings, even when they are a little contrived or a little too pat. So it's not really surprising that Q&A would hold up well for me, because the whole premise of the book is all about pat contrivances and happy endings. The book opens with the arrest of the narrator, Ram, who has just won a billion rupees on an Indian game show; the producers believe he must have cheated to answer all of the questions correctly. He is rescued from brutal police interrogation by an altruistic young lawyer who intends to defend him against the cheating charges - all she needs is to understand how he knew the answers. So Ram tells his life story in snippets, focusing on the formative moments of his childhood which happened to give him the information he would be quizzed on in front of a t.v. studio audience. It's a bit of a Picaresque adventure as Ram goes from an orphanage to a rectory to the homes of the wealthy and powerful (as a servant) to a ghetto apartment to the Taj Mahal (as a tour guide) to tending bar in the ghetto. As fate would have it, in each of those places he learns some obscure trivia which comes in miraculously handy on the quiz show. In my mind that's a make-or-break premise - if you can swallow it, you'll really enjoy the book, and if it seems too far-fetched, the book will probably annoy you to no end. I found it to be right up my alley - I like looking for the little connections in life and I could read about how living next to an alcoholic former astronomy professor whose daughter named a kitten after Pluto because Pluto is the smallest planet leads to an illiterate boy knowing which is the smallest planet (but not how many planets there are) all day.

The brilliant thing about the book is that the ending has multiple plot twists and revelations of its own, tangential to the central question of whether or not the lawyer will help Ram get his billion rupees the producers are trying to renege on. And those revelations are highly coincidental and unlikely in and of themselves, but with the groundwork the book lays beforehand in making coincidences seem commonplace, it all feels right (if a bit rushed).

Most importantly, Ram is a great protagonist, likable and virtuous and very easy to root for, so it's genuinely gratifying to see the stars align for him. Horrific things happen to him and all around him throughout his life, but his story was never too painful to be witness to. And, for a sucker like me, his well-deserved happy ending was sweet reward.(less)

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Feb 14, 2008 Cathy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition 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 possible to try to cheat him out of his r...more

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Dec 22, 2008 Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I finished reading Q&A this morning, a thoroughly enjoyable read and a real page-turner. If the film, Slumdog Millionaire, based on this novel is anywhere near as good, then it will be one to watch.

Q&A begins with Ram as the winner of the largest prize in a TV quiz show, he is arrested on the grounds of cheating as nobody believes that a waiter in a restaurant in Mumbai could possibly answer all twelve questions correctly.

The following twelve chapters are based on incidents that have ha...more

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Apr 05, 2009 Coqueline rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 21, 2010 e.c.h.a rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: milik-sendiri, fiksi, sejarah-budaya

Standing Applause buat buku ini *layaknya penonton yang bertepuk tangan saat Ram memenangkan 1.000.000.000 Rupee*

Kisah yang penuh dengan asam, manis, pahit layaknya nonton film khas Bollywood. Agak membosankan di awal karena ceritanya kok klise dan terlalu mendramatisir. Semakin menuju akhir BAM hanya bisa geleng-geleng kepala, gila ini buku menyimpan sesuatu layaknya Intan, jadi mesti diasah dulu baru kelihatan.

Kisah hidup Ram yang penuh warna ternyata membawa arti bagi siapapun yang bersinggun...more

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Mar 24, 2009 Mo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I haven't seen the movie yet, for when I spotted the book in the bookshop I decided to read it first. It's quite a nice book, but not as wonderful as all the praise on the cover and all the hooha about the movie suggest (though of course the movie might be better). What I liked about this book, was the way the story skipped around and I got to puzzle things out for myself.

What I didn't like, was that there weren't any real characters. The side characters are cardboard figures whom we only see f...more

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Mar 23, 2009 Ririenz rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: religi-insp-motvs

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
( Film vs Novel )
Setelah rehat kurang lebih 30 menit yang diisi dengan acara nge-teh, film kedua yang diputar adalah film yang baru saja mendapat empat penghargaan Golden Globe dan delapan Oscar “ Slumdog Millionaire “ atau Sang Gembel Milyarder dalam bahasa indonesia. Sebenarnya Aq sudah tahu film ini sejak tahun lalu coz Aq sudah baca novelnya. Seperti yang sudah Aq duga pasti ada perbedaan antara novel dan filmnya meski keduanya sangat menghibur dan mampu menhadirkan inspir...more SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
( Film vs Novel )
Setelah rehat kurang lebih 30 menit yang diisi dengan acara nge-teh, film kedua yang diputar adalah film yang baru saja mendapat empat penghargaan Golden Globe dan delapan Oscar “ Slumdog Millionaire “ atau Sang Gembel Milyarder dalam bahasa indonesia. Sebenarnya Aq sudah tahu film ini sejak tahun lalu coz Aq sudah baca novelnya. Seperti yang sudah Aq duga pasti ada perbedaan antara novel dan filmnya meski keduanya sangat menghibur dan mampu menhadirkan inspirasi bagus bagi penikmatnya.
Film ini merupakan adaptasi dari novel karya Vikas Swarup yang berjudul “ Question & Answer “ dibuat oleh sutradara Inggris jadi aroma Indianya agak sedikit tersamar, maksudnya tak ada adegan bernyanyi dan menarinya kecuali di akhir film. Film ini dibintangi oleh Dev Patel dan Freida Pinto yang berperan sebagai Jamal Malik dan Latika setelah dewasa serta aktor senior di India Anil Kapoor.
Pada awal film ini, ketika judul ditayangkan juga terdapat tulisan yang ditujukan untuk para penonton. Begini tulisannya "Jamal menyisakan pertanyaan terakhir, bagaimana dia melakukannya? a) dia curang b) dia beruntung c) dia jenius d) sudah ditakdirkan. Dimana pada akhir film ini anda akan mengetahui sendiri jawabannya dengan menonton filmnya sampai akhir.
Film ini dibuka dengan adegan interogasi thd Jamal Malik yang dilakukan oleh seorang inspektur polisi setelah dilakukan penyiksaan terlebih dahulu oleh ajudannya. Jamal adalah bekas anak jalanan di daerah Dharavi yang bekerja sebagai operator telephone. Jamal juga kontestan kuis Who Wants To Be A Millionaire India yang di pandu oleh Prem Kumar ( Anil Kapoor ). Ia diinterogasi karena ia bisa menjawab 12 pertanyaan yang telah disiapkan oleh penyelenggarakan kuis itu. Para penyelenggara kuis telah membaca bahwa keberhasilan Jamal adalah kejatuhan mereka. Maka dengan segala tipu muslihatnya sang penyelenggara kuis menggunakan tangan polisi untuk menekan Jamal agar ia membuat pengakuan palsu bahwa keberuntungannya menjawab pertanyaan2 kuis karena dibantu oleh orang lain. Tentu saja Jamal menolak mengakui sesuatu yang tidak dikerjakannya. Tetapi inspektur polisi it uterus memaksa meski akhinya dia tidak memperoleh keterangan apa2. Secara ekonomi Jamal memang miski tapi ia tidak bodoh apa lagi sampai miskin pengetahuan.
Pada saat interogasipun Jamal dengan jujur mengatakan kepada inspektur bahwa dia tidak melakukuan kecurangan karena setiap pertanyaan yang diajukan oleh Prem Kumar sangat berkaitan dengan kisah hidupnya. Inspektur itu tidak bisa berbuat banyak karena dia memang tidak menemukan bukti2 kalau jamal melakukan kecurangan meski kepalanya dipenuhi sejuta tandatanya untuk mencerna kisah2 ajaib Jamal.
Jamal adalah anak yatim piatu yang besar dijalan bersama Salim dan Latika. Aq rasa dibelahan dunia manapun Qta akan menjumpai anak2 jalanan dlm kondisi yang berbeda2 karena seleksi alam itu memang menyakitkan. Dari kecil Jamal dan Salim sahabatnya telah berjuang demi kelangsungan hidupnya walau kadang2 caranya salah, yah maklum lah karena mereka tidak punya orang tua sedangkan orang2 disekitarnya bukannya tidak perduli tapi mereka juga sibuk berjuang untuk hidupnya. Kehidupan kota Mumbai yang keras tidak selalu membawa kepedihan bagi Jamal dan Salim karena ada beberapa kemujuran yang selalu melindungi mereka.
Sesungguhnya Slumdog Millioner adalah film satir ttg jiwa sebuah kota yang dikemas dalam cerita drama komedi yang sangat memikat dan jauh dari adegan slapstick seperti kebanyakan film India yang sering Qta lihat. Banyak adegan lucu yang sangat menyentuh seperti ketika Jamal berusaha mendapatkan tandatangan dari Artis Idolanya Amitabh Bachan atau ketika mereka menjadi pemandu wisata Taj Mahal di kota Agra. Padahal dalam novelnya Ram tidak mengidolakan bintang film India siapapun. Malahan Salim yang terobsesi dengan Aarman, karenanya ia bercita2 menjadi sorang aktor dan bukan sebagai bodyguard sekaligus pembunuh bayaran seperti dalam filmnya.
Seperti film adaptasi lainnya, Slumdog Millioner ceritanya sangat berbeda dengan isi novelnya. Dalam novel tokohnya bernama Ram Mohammad Thomas karena dia adalah bayi yang dibuang di depan pintu gereja dan tidak jelas siapa orang tuanya. Lalu keberuntungannya juga tidak terlepas dengan kemampuan yang dimilikinya. Karena dia diasuh oleh pendeta Inggris maka ia punya kemampuan diatas orang2 disekitarnya sehingga ia kadang mendapat prioritas bagus dari orang2 sekitarnya meski tak jarang pula naluri anak jalanan yang harus “ struggle “ lebih banyak berbicara dari pada logika. Jamal dan Ram adalah orang yang berbeda. Sosok Jamal di film lebih mendekati sosok Salim dalam novel, begitu pula sebaliknya sosok Salim dalam film lebih mendekati Ram dalam novel. Tapi pada akhirnya sama Ram dan Jamal menjadi kontestan kuis Who Want To Be A Millionaire yang sangat beruntung.
Dalam film jg muncul tokoh Latika padahal dalam novelnya pasangan si pemeran utama adalah seorang bekas pelacur bernama Nita. Baguslah filmnya tidak terlalu tragis ceritanya jika dibandingkan dengan novelnya karena visualisasi kota Mumbai sendiri sudah bikin hati ini miris. Faktor durasi sepertinya yang menjadi menyebabkan harus dilakukan penyesuaian cerita kecuali jika isi novel ini divisualisasikan menjadi sinetron, mungkin hasilnya bisa mendekati aslinya. Sekali lagi mungkin perbedaan ini sesuatu yang lumrah asalkan keduanya tidak kehilangan maknanya.
Buat yang belum nonton filmnya atau baca novelnya, Aq sarankan untuk menyisihkan sedikit waktu untuk menikmatinya. Jangan takut kecewa keduanya menawarkan akhir yang menyenangkan karena Ram dan Jamal akhirnya bisa meraih Cita dan Cintanya.

~* Rienz *~

(less)

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Jan 16, 2009 Kathleen Hagen added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2007-audio-books, 2007-general-fiction

Q&A, by vikas Swarup. Narrated by Kerry Shale. Produced by Audio Partners, downloaded from Audible.com.

This narrator was truly awesome. He made this intriguing tale a performance, affecting all kinds of different accents: American, English, Australian, and Indian. Publisher’s note:

A small prison cell in India holds an 18-year-old penniless waiter from a Mumbai slum. But Ram Mohammad Thomas isn't a criminal. He is under arrest for
correctly answering 12 tricky trivia questions on the show Who...more

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May 01, 2013 AJ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, fiction

Audiobook.

I never really planned to read this book. I really enjoyed the movie and for some reason I got it in my head that the book wouldn't be as good (weird right? but I've had that happen before i.e. Forrest Gump). But, at the local small library there were slim pickings in the audio section so Jun suggested I try this out.

I am really glad I did. I don't remember all the details of the movie, so I can't comment on whether this book follows it closely (and I don't think it did because not muc...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Bjorn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having read Q&A after seeing Slumdog Millionaire, I'm convinced that one could cobble together one great story out of the two of them.

I liked the movie a lot when I saw it, but it's one of those where, the more I think about it, the more I'm unsure why exactly I liked it. Yes, Danny Boyle is a great director, the movie looks amazing and it's almost impossible to not be swept up in it, but I can definitely see why people are accusing him of "slum tourism"; the way he romanticizes the story, m...more Having read Q&A after seeing Slumdog Millionaire, I'm convinced that one could cobble together one great story out of the two of them.

I liked the movie a lot when I saw it, but it's one of those where, the more I think about it, the more I'm unsure why exactly I liked it. Yes, Danny Boyle is a great director, the movie looks amazing and it's almost impossible to not be swept up in it, but I can definitely see why people are accusing him of "slum tourism"; the way he romanticizes the story, making everything fit nicely into a timeline of impossible coincidences and ending on that ridiculously sentimental ending where the poor boy wins it all and all the bad guys get what they deserve almost makes me wonder if he's being serious or if the point is to overdo it completely to point out just how impossible it really is for a poor Indian orphan to become a success in New India.

Q&A, on the other hand, gets a lot of things right. I had heard that the plot was different, but I was surprised at how different. The entire backstory is changed, the individual episodes that lead up to him knowing the answers are often very different, changing the tone of the story quite a lot - not to mention that the protagonist is completely different. Not only his name, but the way he acts, the way he actually does things rather than sit back and wait for things to happen to him. I like that. And while Swarup isn't as great a writer as Boyle is a director, he gets the job done for the most part, even though the movie ends up a lot more coherent - yes, the book has a more believable story, but the movie's story is has a better narrative. Not unlike Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist I never quite buy the illusion that the book is mostly one long monologue - especially since he makes a point of his narrator being so very uneducated - and it's mostly fairly superficial stuff, but hey, it zips nicely along and it goes into places the movie didn't. Where the movie is a story of one Indian boy's path to riches, the book does a better job of being about India itself - as suggested by our plucky hero having three names: one Muslim, one Christian, and one Hindu.

But then Swarup blows it all on the ending. I'm going to avoid spoilers, but it's definitely the biggest difference between the two versions; while both endings seem like almost impossible coincidences, at least Boyle's ending is the sort of ending you want to believe in even if you know it's probably impossible. Swarup's is just... poor. A couple of huge clichés on top of what was looking like a solid, if not great, novel that drags it down and makes me wish I'd skipped the last 15 pages. (less)

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About Vikas Swarup

Vikas Swarup was born in Allahabad (India) in a family of lawyers.

After his schooling, Vikas attended Allahabad University and studied History, Psychology and Philosophy. He also made his mark as a champion debater, winning National level competitions. After graduating with distinction, he joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1986, motivated by an interest in international relations and a desire t...more

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Trivia About Q & A

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Quotes from Q And A

“Love doesn't happen in an instant. It creeps up on you and then it turns your life upside down. It colors your waking moments, and fills your dreams. You begin to walk on air and see life in brilliant new shades. But it also brings with it a sweet agony, a delicious torture.” — 84 people liked it

“The one conclusion I have reached is that whiskey is a great leveler. You might be a hotshot advertising executive or a lowly foundry worker, but if you cannot hold your drink, you are just a drunkard.” — 13 people liked it

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