Aravind Adiga books need no introduction. As surprising as it may sound, Aravind Adiga began his career as a financial journalist while he worked as an intern in The Financial Times. He holds a degree in English Literature from Columbia College of Columbia University in New York. Adiga was also hired by TIME for a significant amount of time. Soon after, he switched to freelance.
During the same, he wrote his utterly famous Aravind Adiga book, The White Tiger which went on to win the Booker Prize in 2008. With this, Aravind Adiga became the fourth Indian-born writer to win this prestigious award after Arundhati Roy and Salman Rushdie among others.
Here is a compilation of his work that you will enjoy reading :
1. The White Tiger
The White Tiger is the most popular among Aravind Adiga books. Published in 2008, this book by Adiga won the Booker Prize in the same year for the utter brilliance of this work. Centered around the life of a village boy named Balram Halwai.
The White Tiger follows a series of letters that he writes to the Chinese President on his visit to India. Basically, Balram is the driver of a wealthy man in Delhi. As he dives deeper into the lives of the privileged strata, he realizes that anything that can be achieved if one knows to commit a few crimes.
The White Tiger clearly highlights the extremities of wealth and opportunity that can push anyone into a hellhole. Adiga has written this book with utmost honesty. The dark and raw humor adds to the book’s charm. The description of the characters is fairly vivid and very convincing. This book portrays India in its rudimentary form. A must-read for every book lover!
2. Selection Day
Selection Day is a coming-of-age story from the Man Booker Prize Winner, Aravind Adiga. The story revolves around the lives of two talented brothers, Radha and Manju who are forced into cricket by their overtly obsessive father, Mohan. They migrate from Karnataka to Bombay in search of a better lifestyle.
Mohan wants to develop his sons into the best batsman of the world with Radha being the first best. Manju, however, is least interested in the game and takes part only by his father’s persuasions. His heart lies in Science, Forensics, and mysteries of the world.
Selection Day is one of Adiga’s finest creations much like other Aravind Adiga books. This is not a cricket book but a reflection of modern India by its most popular game. The story is also a satirical dig on what goes inside the premises of cricket. It also highlights how the dreams of millions of kids are shattered due to their parent’s wishes. To get a deep insight into the roots of India, this should be a must-read!
3. Last Man in Tower
The Last Man in The Tower, as the title suggests is about the life of a retired teacher, Yogesh Murthi. Set in the city of Mumbai, The Last Man in Tower is one of the best Aravind Adiga books. When a ruthless property developer offers skyrocketing prices to buy out the residents of an extremely old apartment, everyone accepts the offer except Yogesh Murthi or Masterji. He is attached to the memories of his deceased wife who resided in the building with him. The story explores what happens to him thereafter.
The story is honest, compelling, believable, and straightforward. Adiga employs a funny, literate, bitter as well as satirical approach to the darker parts of the society. The novel raises numerous questions to the reader that forces them to think passively about the evils that thrive in society. A simple and realistic tale about real estate buyout makes you question your morality, attitude, life decisions, success, and failure. A must-read if you want to know Mumbai to its core.
4. Between The Assassinations
Stretched over the period from 1984 to 1991 which followed the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and her son, Rajiv Gandhi, this book is a collection of short stories set in the town of Kittur. Between The Assassinations include several different characters with a world of their own. The characters span over a drug addict’s son; a prosperous man with no control over his life; a furniture delivery man and his complicated life and so on. This book like other Aravind Adiga books covers the town up close as a travel book and makes you want to visit Kittur.
Adiga’s writing presents the broader spectrum of India as it is today. Dealing with issues like poverty, corruption, bankruptcy, politics, and class discrimination, this is one of the most honest books that you will ever read about India’s deteriorating condition in recent times. The stories are deep and interesting and hence, require the reader’s attention completely. Adiga’s writing does not fail to impress. Read this book for the experience it provides!
5. Amnesty
This is the latest book in Aravind Adiga books that was published in February 2020. Amnesty revolves around the life of Danny or Dhananjaya Rajaratnam who is an illegal immigrant living in Sydney, Australia. Danny starts working as a cleaner and lives in a grocery storeroom to make two ends meet.
Danny tries his best to adapt to the Australian lifestyle so as to normalize his lifestyle and not be detected as an outsider. His life changes completely when he discovers that one of his clients is murdered by someone he knows. Will he reveal it to the police or stay mum?
The whole narration of the book takes place in a single day. Danny reminisces about his past life, his forgotten memories, and long lost loved ones. Though this a long read and demands a lot of time by the reader, it is worth it. The comparison that is drawn by Adiga between the lives of legal and illegal immigrants make this an intriguing read.
Adiga brings into light an issue that we may not have thought about ever. That is the beauty of his writing and he excels in the same as the other Aravind Adiga books.
If you enjoyed Aravind Adiga books, you can also check our collection of the best books by Indian authors.