Q&A - Vikas Swarup

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⭐ 8.0/10

(Originally written by Magdalene)

It's been a long time since I first read this book, or watched Slumdog Millionaire, so it was fun to revisit it. It was, of course, about a young man, Ram Muhammed, who wins a billion rupees on a quiz game show. The police don't believe he did it, plus the show can't afford to pay him, so he gets questioned and tells his lawyer the story of how he came to know the answer to each question.

It's a great concept and a really fast read. The main character goes through some extremely terrible and traumatic things, so it's a pretty big bummer, but it has a thread of comedy as well. I can't help but compare it with the movie, and tbh I think it pales in comparison. The author isn't a great writer, and some of the themes come through better in the movie. I'm pretty sure I would have liked it more if I hadn't seen the movie.

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