Comments on 'Q and A'

This book had a mixed reception. It was enjoyed by half the group.

'Clever Story told at a relentless pace'
'For an 18 year old Ram packs a lot into his life'
'Some of the events harrowing'
'It reads like a fairy tale. I prefer something I can believe in'
'Some of the characters and scenes in the book are Dickensian in character'
'I think the book is more Mickey Mouse than Dickens'
'Vikas Swarup's story reflects the diversity of India and its people'
'Story told like an oral account which gives it impact'
'An exaggerated style typical of Bollywood'

Further Reading

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

Recommended Reading

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
The Impressionist by Hari Kunzru

Q & A by Vikas Swarup

Q & A tells the story of Ram Mohammad Thomas an uneducated waiter who takes part in a TV quiz called Who Will Win a Billion and becomes the first person to answer all 12 questions correctly and with it a billion rupees. The book opens with Ram being questioned and tortured by the police. They believe he must have cheated. After all how could a poor orphan who never went to school and whose never read a newspaper successfully answer the questions. Ram is on the point of signing a confession when he is saved by the arrival of a good samaritan a lawyer called Smita. Back at her apartment Ram who is 18 reveals what he has experienced in his short life and with it how he came to know the answers to the questions.

I thought the connection between Ram's tales and the quiz show questions worked well. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to everyone. An easy holiday read.

Tony Riley