The White Tiger & Superstar India : An (un)likely duo for a book review.

Last week, I read two books back to back.

1. Aravind Adiga's The White Tiger

And this followed by,

2. Shobhaa De's Superstar India

I finished reading the two books within five days, in between work and the usual processes of living. And I must say, they made an interesting reading combination.

Given below are my thoughts on Adiga's first book and De's 15th or 16th (?) book. I was just done reading the books and realised they do make for a combined review and to my mind, they were talking to a common theme.

My one line review of the two books?

One ( The White Tiger ) is a comment on India from a servant's point of view while the other ( Superstar India ) from the master's point of view.

Well, thats my one liner for those with short attention spans. Good bye see ya! :)

The others ( still here? yay! ) - read on.

One is fiction, the other a memoir ( or rather "A very personal story", as De puts it). Neither does justice to their actual intended form (fiction, memoir). What we have instead is the viewpoint, thoughts and opinion of the writers pouring forth through the narrative. And in a very engaging and articulate way.

I am not a big thinker or reader. What I am - to any book or film is - an unbiased audience. The ultimate intent listener to any story teller with a good yarn to spin. I can suspend disbelief.

Well, I guess, thats my own convoluted way of saying, I dont think too much and read with a certain laziness. If the book is not good enough to grab me, I usually give it up.

I didn't throw these books away, both are very readable. De, especially, is a sparkling writer! She had me smiling, laughing and cheerful by the time I finished her book. She is completely deliriously optimistic about India. She also sounded like she was finally relieved that she didn't have to be apologetic for her glamour and wealth anymore. :) Her book is a summary of all that is urban India today - the good, the bad and the ugly. Minus the statistics and similar such.

I read a blog post on De's book somewhere - where the blogger had said something to the effect: if you are an Indian - you would know all of this. Don't know why Ms De spent time writing it all down. I somewhat disagree. A fairly well read urban Indian is most likely going to come away with that thought. But I think it is the book causes this 'I already am aware' feeling. It's also kinda cool to have it all in one book and to have such an articulate cheerleader for India - poised and shining.

What little I have read about urban India has always been a bit on the negative and quite dry. In contrast, De's book is cheerful, pulls your focus to all the good that's happening, cheers on about the democracy we take for granted. She does point out the ills and painfully neglected aspects of India - but moves on - says she has faith in India and we shall overcome! :)

So, I guess - those who want to come away with some vague intellectual befuddlement and feel 'challenged' will be sorely dissappointed by Ms De. Here is a woman to whom India has been good and she reciprocates with her appreciation.

The downside is - De's book is a collage of articles. The invisible thread one follows in any book is missing. It's not Superstar India - as much as it is Superstar Urban India. Even when she is not sharing her 'know' about the rich, she is still the urban middle class. She herself confesses to the 'outsider' feeling when she ventures into rural India.

There was one phrase in her book about her driver, "He kept his eye on the road and his mouth shut. Exactly the way I trained him".

The word "trained" - it took me to Aravind Adiga's book which dwells at length on the living, breathing, passionate human being who is broken into a successful invisible servant - testimony to a master's good training. And centuries of oppression, of course.

The format of the book is - a series of or one long email to the premier of China outlining the protagonist's life and times in India. In his voice. About his journey from rural India to the urban, from a servant to an entrepruener.

It is interspersed with commentary on life in rural India, the northern cities and Bangalore with its IT boom.

A commentary on the growing disparity in wealth and opportunity, about how there is a rage brewing in India and the day is not far when the oppressed class will break out and grab their share of India - and thats what the Naxal movement is going to bring about. ( De says, she has been hearing of such an uprising for the past 15 years and is yet to happen. And thats what my friend and colleague SP said - twenty years was his number ).

A line I read in both books and hear very often is - there are many Indias. Same way, may be there will be a million small mutinities and looking for one big co-ordinated rebellion is missing the point. Adiga has a valid comment - well worth paying heed to.

But, Adiga's book is not great fiction, not that it takes anything away from the point or newness of his work. Its an "I" narrative but not a great one. I read it more like how it was designed: an electronic essay with some quote-unquotes thrown in.

The intended audience of this e-essay is the visiting Premeir of China.

I had a thought that with so many people in India still living in oppressed circumstances and not having the 'democratic' chance to better their lives, perhaps we are in no different life circumstances than that of the Chinese as a people. Did Adiga intend to make this point? Maybe in that way, despite democracy, on some levels China and India are not very different?

De also talks about China and how 'sweeping under the carpet' appears to be the strategy there, what with sprucing up for the Olympics, demolishing settlements to make way for the new buildings and so on. While India 'lets it all hang out' - especially with respect to the urban poor.

She thinks, and I agree, this is the power of being a democracy - we are forced to face up to it. Optimistically, we will soon be forced to fix it!

Constrasting with China, De talks about India and exults about how we take our democracy for granted and treat the right to vote as an absolute birthright! And then Adiga talks about the "Dark" India where 12 elections go by and a man in rural India has voted in all of them without ever having seen the inside of a voting booth!

The rural man wonders aloud about the "other" India where people get to actually cast their votes by themselves!

Overall, for me - Adiga's book was a much more sober reading. It was an important view point for me to understand. It was also a book of hope for me - because - for the Darkness that is India - there is also Light in India. People are finding their way towards it.

The urban grind in today's unlive-able cities is taking its toll - obesity, mindless hedonism, crime and what have you. De's book makes you take note of it.

The lack of jobs, oppresive ruling classes, abject poverty is breaking the villages too - starvation, ruptured families and smouldering rage. Adiga's book takes note of this.

There is a long dark shadow cast by the shining and poised India across the urban and rural. Demons lurk in the shadows. All is not well for India as a whole - both agree. De in a serious but optimistic tone. Adiga - in a serious and somewhat brooding tone.

However, Adiga also ends on a cheerful note. There is light in India. There is choice. The rich better share that choice with the poor, or the poor will step forward and grab that choice, sooner or later. All at once or more likely, bit by bit.

And I thought De made a related point when she said that the future belongs to Mayawati and the faster the rest of India learn to deal with it the better.

As for me, I am glad I read these books within the same 'time unit'. Both are good books and well written. It helped for an interesting perspective. I came away thinking all is not well in India and we still have a long way to go. If we are not careful, there are oh-so-many ways we can mess up this progress thats come our way.

Rather than getting worried or being broody about it, I guess being cheerful and optimistic a'la De would not be such a bad way of living the life that is India!

Get a life, you bollywood gods!

http://inhome.rediff.com/movies/2008/may/13aamir.htm
http://www.rediff.com/movies/2008/may/13ab.htm

Word play with "Shahrukh Khan" in your blogs? Whatever the reason be, these blog posts just took a little glitter and shine off you folks - Mr Bachchan and Mr Aamir Khan!