Q and A

First thing's first: this was the book that Slumdog Millionaire was based on. But this review is not a comparison between book and screenplay. This is a review about the book alone.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's move on to the finer points.

Great story, riveting, makes you want to finish the book in one sitting (I finished it in less than two days). Possibly just a very slight problem with the structure---it's too rigid. Each chapter is about one question in the quiz show, and is structured as "flashback-answer, flashback-answer." I don't think the rigid structure goes well with the stream-of-consciousness flow of the flashbacks. But that's just me nitpicking.

What's great here is the story. Vikas Swarup is a gifted storyteller. He gives you all these characters, literally coming out of nowhere that you'd suspect that Swarup was addicted to the "Deus ex machina" literary device. But once you reach the end, that's where you will appreciate the beauty of the character web that Swarup has woven for us. And the twist at the end---absolutely brilliant.

So for those who wish to learn the fine art of story adaptation, read this. Then watch Slumdog Millionaire. Similar, yet totally different. And totally difficult to pull off.


Rating: Eight and a half over ten.