Q & A (Slumdog Millionaire) door Vikas Swarup

Titel: Slumdog Millionaire

Auteur: Vikas Swarup

Uitgever: Mouria

Datum van uitgave: February 2009

Title explanation:

The book is about a boy who lives in the slums of bombay, people who live there are called Slumdogs, the main character participates in a show where he can win a billion rupees and he wins so then he is a slumdog millionaire.

Plaats: The book takes place in India and for the biggest part in Bombay/Mumbai, this is important to the story because the city is know for its slums and the main character lives in these slums.

Main characters:

Ram Mohammed Thomas: Ram is the main character in the book, he grew up as an orphan taken in by a priest, because the priest did not know his name or religion he gave him three names, one for each religion (Hindu, Muslim, Christian). Ram is in the slums of Bombay a lot and at one point he participates in a show where he can win a billion rupees and he wins the show after wich he is arrested because they think he cheated.

Salim Ilyasi: Salims is Rams best friend, Salim dreams of becoming a Bollywood superstar because a fortune teller once told him that he would become one.

Prem Kumar: The host of Who Will Win a Billion

Smita Sah: Rams lawyer and friend from his childhood, Smita does not believe rams story at first but as he walks her through the story she starts believing it and at the end she fully believes it.

Nita: the girl whom Ram falls in love with.

Main theme:

I think that the main theme in the book is poverty because Ram grows up very poor and all that he knows he learned because of his life, he never went to school or anything but can still answer all the questions correctfully because of the experiences he had through his life.

Summary:

The book starts of With Ram being imprisoned and he is being questioned about how he won the show “Who Will Win a Billion” out of nowhere. The police starts torturing him but then his lawyer Smitah Sah walks in and she talks to Ram about the show. Ram starts telling Smitah the stories of how he could answer all those qeustions and at first Smitah doesn’t believe him but in the end he does. Ram could answer each question correctfully because he has learned the answer through the experiences in his live, so for each answer he has a whole story to tell Smitah. So at the end Smitah believes hi mand she succesfully defends him in court to get him free. Smitah then also says that Ram once protected her from her father in one of his stories.

Personal opinion:

I think it is quite a good book because it not only amuses the reader but also sends out a message about how bad the conditions in India are and that these boys need help. I also think it is just a good book because it is nice to read and you do not get bored quick.