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.
I think I might have seen that movie... Or maybe I just heard a lot about it. Well you have convinced me not to read it ;). I'm jealous you are going there though. Those slums are heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteSyd! Good :) I actually decided to stop reading it today. I can't tell if I'm being overly dramatic but some of it is just too hard for me to stomach. I know there are a lot of people who would love the book. I wish you guys were coming with me!!!!
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