Slumdog Millionaire

Here’s my announcement to the Fam: I’m heading to India and Nepal next month! I CANNOT wait! It’s definitely a dream come true for me and I’m in awe at the opportunity.  Before I felt like it was even a possibility I ran to the library and checked out the first thing I saw that looked related.  It happened to be “Slumdog Millionaire.” I heard the movie was pretty incredible and that it created quite the stir among India’s government.  I haven’t seen the movie but my curiosity peaked enough that I decided to check out the book.  I’ve been listening to it in my car on the way to and from school.  To me, it has felt very graphic and difficult to stomach.  As a result I’ve listened to it in snippets, (rotating it with “Outliers” by Malcom Gladwell) but I can’t seem to put it aside completely.  I keep thinking it's going to get better as hopefully the result of a happy ending.  At this point though, it needs to be really happy.  On the bright side, the narrator does a phenomenal job.  It is read in an Indian accent, which makes the storyline all the more compelling. 

It begins with a young orphan boy in Mumbai who happens to win India’s version of “Who wants to be a Millionaire?” He wins a billion rupees, but before the money is handed over to him he is arrested and accused of cheating.  A detective asks him some very basic questions that someone with average intelligence should be able to answer.  Ram Mohammad Thomas is unable to answer any of these questions.  The detective and game show host are further convinced of his guilt.  They begin to torture him with the intention of forcing him to sign a paper admitting that he cheated.  Before the torture becomes too unbearable, Thomas is rescued by a lawyer.  She says she came just as soon as she had heard of the arrest.  He shares with her that he has won the game show based on luck.  The 12 questions that he was asked happened to be directly related to experiences that were central to his life.  Each chapter is broken down based on the question he was asked and the story he has to tell. 

Again the stories are unsettling to say that least, but I think many of his experiences are reality for the impoverished.  I've looked up various articles related to some of the subjects and the only thing I can think of is how grateful I am for our country. Somehow the author has managed to twist every dark theme into the book, and for that reason I really don't recommend it. I just want to absorb as much as I can about India before my trip! This included watching part of  “Gandhi” last week. I may change my mind about the book based on how the whole thing wraps up, if I make it that far. Next on the list for me is Kim, by Rudyard Kipling.  Dad says it’s awesome.  Other, happier, suggestions are also welcome. 

This is a picture of the slums in Mumbai where much of the story takes place.