Bollywood: A Year of India Lit

[myraindia-blog1]

Week 19 Blog

White Tiger

Arvind Adiga

Pages read: 90 - 150

Word count: 341

Summary

The book begins with the main character Balram Halwai writing a letter to a Chinese official named Wen Jiabo who is going to visit India on diplomacy. In the letter Balram writes to Jiabo about how he’s excited and pleasured to have someone like Jiabo to come and visit and take in the culture that resides within Indian entrepreneurship since Balram is in fact a businessman.

Critical Analysis

If I were directing the author who is playing Chetan Bhagat here, I would instruct him to say this line ““I tried to ignore her. However, her words affected me.” In a sad, disappointing, manner. Him using this tone would show characters how he feels about the others characters words and how much they really affected him. For this quote ““I looked at the little girls. They had identical plaits with cute pink ribbons in them. The girls were holding one hand of their mother each. They looked scared.” It is interesting how the author used the word scared when he could have used unhappy and meant roughly the same thing however scared has a more negative connotation which is more important because it makes the readers worry or wonder why the twin girls are scared.

Personal response

Within the first few pages I’ve begun to enjoy the book. It’s diffrent from the other books I’ve previously read during the school year. This so far seems to be my favorite, but as I continue to read it we’ll see how I feel about the book. So far I like the main character Balram. I’m curious to find out how he become so successful and why the Chinese official choose to shadow him during his trip to embrace Indian culture.

[myraindia-blog1]

“Ramanathan is a sleazy, oily cretin. We need a new tax lawyer, Mukesh. We need to go to the newspapers and tell them we’re being raped by these politicians!”

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (P. 100)

[myraindia-blog1]

Week 17 Blog

White Tiger

Arvind Adiga

Pages read: 45-90

Words count:

Summary

The book begins with the main character Balram Halwai writing a letter to a Chinese official named Wen Jiabo who is going to visit India on diplomacy. In the letter Balram writes to Jiabo about how he’s excited and pleasured to have someone like Jiabo to come and visit and take in the culture that resides within Indian entrepreneurship since Balram is in fact a businessman.

Critical Analysis

If I were directing the author who is playing Chetan Bhagat here, I would instruct him to say this line ““I tried to ignore her. However, her words affected me.” In a sad, disappointing, manner. Him using this tone would show characters how he feels about the others characters words and how much they really affected him. For this quote ““I looked at the little girls. They had identical plaits with cute pink ribbons in them. The girls were holding one hand of their mother each. They looked scared.” It is interesting how the author used the word scared when he could have used unhappy and meant roughly the same thing however scared has a more negative connotation which is more important because it makes the readers worry or wonder why the twin girls are scared.

Personal Response

Within the first few pages I’ve begun to enjoy the book. It’s diffrent from the other books I’ve previously read during the school year. This so far seems to be my favorite, but as I continue to read it we’ll see how I feel about the book. So far I like the main character Balram. I’m curious to find out how he become so successful and why the Chinese official choose to shadow him during his trip to embrace Indian culture.

[myraindia-blog1]

“For the first time I can remember, I got more attention than the water buffalo.”

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (P. 71)

[myraindia-blog1]

“The teacher had a legitimate excuse to steal the money—he said he hadn’t been paid his salary in six months.”

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga(P. 53)

[myraindia-blog1]

Week 16 Blog

White Tiger

Arvind Adiga

Pages read: 1-45

Words count:

Summary: 325

The book begins with the main character Balram Halwai writing a letter to a Chinese official named Wen Jiabo who is going to visit India on diplomacy. In the letter Balram writes to Jiabo about how he’s excited and pleasured to have someone like Jiabo to come and visit and take in the culture that resides within Indian entrepreneurship since Balram is in fact a businessman.

Critical Analysis

If I were directing the author who is playing Chetan Bhagat here, I would instruct him to say this line ““I tried to ignore her. However, her words affected me.” In a sad, disappointing, manner. Him using this tone would show characters how he feels about the others characters words and how much they really affected him. For this quote ““I looked at the little girls. They had identical plaits with cute pink ribbons in them. The girls were holding one hand of their mother each. They looked scared.” It is interesting how the author used the word scared when he could have used unhappy and meant roughly the same thing however scared has a more negative connotation which is more important because it makes the readers worry or wonder why the twin girls are scared.

Personal Response

Within the first few pages I’ve begun to enjoy the book. It’s diffrent from the other books I’ve previously read during the school year. This so far seems to be my favorite, but as I continue to read it we’ll see how I feel about the book. So far I like the main character Balram. I’m curious to find out how he become so successful and why the Chinese official choose to shadow him during his trip to embrace Indian culture.

[myraindia-blog1]

“That is when it struck me. She was a girl, she knew the full story, but she was not Esha, Priyanka, or Radhika. Which meant there was only one alternative left.”

- Chetan Bhagat, One Night @ The Call Center. (P.257)

[myraindia-blog1]

Week 15 Blog

One Night @ The Call Center

By: Chetan Bhagat

Pages Read: 195 - 255

Words: 357

Summary

The book starts off with the narrator remembering an old memory. The night train right from Kanpur to Delhi. Which he recalls as “the most memorable journey of my life.” The train ride gave him the idea of his second book. He then goes on to describe the woman he had met on the train. He goes into detail about her appearance and then goes on to start a conversation with her. The woman on the train had noticed the last name of the author and they recalled that she has, in fact, read his first book “Five Point Someone”

Critical Analysis

if I were directing the author who is playing Chetan Bhagat here, I would instruct him to say this line “Everyone has a flaw, dude. The trick is to find a flaw in Ganesh.” In a mockish tone while also emphasizing the word flaw. To imply the joke he was making. “Bakshi said and looked at me blankly like I was a reigned interpreter of nonsense.” He compares Bakshi to someone who understands nothing but nonsense to imply that he didn’t understand what was happening.

Personal Response

So far I’m enjoying the book. I’m enjoying meeting all the different characters and learning about the characters. I’m excited to see character development throughout the book as it continues. So far my favorite character is the woman on the train who’s name I have forgotten. I hope I get to read more of her she seemed like an interesting character to pay attention to within the book. I’m excited to read about Bhagat and his journey as the book progresses through each chapter.

[myraindia-blog1]

“After just a few weeks my body began to deteriorate.”

- Chetan Bhagat, One Night @ The Call Center. (P.247)

[myraindia-blog1]

“Everyone has a flaw, dude. The trick is to find a flaw in Ganesh.”

- Chetan Bhagat, One Night @ The Call Center. (P.232)

[myraindia-blog1]

“Bakshi said and looked at me blankly like I was a reigned interpreter of nonsense.”

- Chetan Bhagat, One Night @ The Call Center. (P.210)

[myraindia-blog1]

“ The qualis halted on the rods with a metallic clang, bounced twice and came to a stop.”

- Chetan Bhagat, One Night @ The Call Center. (P.197)

[myraindia-blog1]

Week 13 Blog

One Night @ The Call Center

By: Chetan Bhagat

Pages Read: 120 - 165

Words: 364

Summary

The page starts off with the conversation that has continued between Vroom and Esha. Vroom is trying to have a conversation with Esha, but Esha just continues to make excuses and pushes him away. It was clear to the readers that Esha wasn’t interested in Vroom. The next chapter begins with the narrator returning to WASG along with a taste he describes as “chocolate cake lingering in my mouth.” He was at his desk and surfed websites while Radhika was finding the best bridal shops for Priyanka so she is able to prepare for her upcoming wedding.

Critical Analysis

if I were directing the author who is playing Chetan Bhagat here, I would instruct him to say this line “The words ‘my wife’ sizzled my insides the way they fry French Fries at McDonald’s.” in a funny, playfully tone. That way the audience would know that the character saying this means it in a laughing matter and they would hopefully laugh along with the characters The author uses similie here  “Mocha cafe and it’s colored Arabian lights faded away from my mind as it returned to WASG’s tube light lit interiors.” to compare the cafe and its Arabian lights and how they faded away from him mind and then returned. This comparison suggests that the sight of the lights though they usually leave his mind, but will always make their way back.

Personal Response

I’m enjoying the book. At the moment I believe that Esha and Vroom are my two favorite characters in the book. Though Esha decided to turn down Vroom. I felt for his character. Rejection is hard on a lot of people, but I hope that Vroom finds someone who likes him as much as he like Esha. It’s what he deserves. I found the chapter “My past dates with Priyanka” the most interesting. I’m not exactly sure why I found it my favorite chapter, but it was the most entertaining one to read out of all the chapters that were read within these few pages.

[myraindia-blog1]

“The words ‘my wife’ sizzled my insides the way they fry French Fries at McDonald’s.”

- Chetan Bhagat, One Night @ The Call Center. (P.155)

[myraindia-blog1]

“Mocha cafe and it’s colored Arabian lights faded away from my mind as it returned to WASG’s tube light lit interiors.”

- Chetan Bhagat, One Night @ The Call Center. (P.133)

[myraindia-blog1]

Week 12 Blog

One Night @ The Call Center

By: Chetan Bhagat

Pages Read: 60 - 120

Words: 373

Summary

The book starts off with the narrator remembering an old memory. The night train right from Kanpur to Delhi. Which he recalls as “the most memorable journey of my life.” The train ride gave him the idea of his second book. He then goes on to describe the woman he had met on the train. He goes into detail about her appearance and then goes on to start a conversation with her. The woman on the train had noticed the last name of the author and they recalled that she has, in fact, read his first book “Five Point Someone”

Critical Analysis

if I were directing the author who is playing Chetan Bhagat here, I would instruct him to say this line ““I tried to ignore her. However, her words affected me.” In a sad, disappointing, manner. Him using this tone would show characters how he feels about the others characters words and how much they really affected him. For this quote ““I looked at the little girls. They had identical plaits with cute pink ribbons in them. The girls were holding one hand of their mother each. They looked scared.” It is interesting how the author used the word scared when he could have used unhappy and meant roughly the same thing however scared has a more negative connotation which is more important because it makes the readers worry or wonder why the twin girls are scared.

Personal Response

I’m getting to know the characters a bit better. Each chapter there seems to be a new character who arrives and sometimes it gets confusing keeping up but in the end it’s not really difficult. Some the of the names of the characters are difficult to pronounce. I’ll spend a few minutes for each character trying to get the pronounciation correct but in the end I’m not always able to.

[myraindia-blog1]

“I looked at the little girls. They had identical plaits with cute pink ribbons in them. The girls were holding one hand of their mother each. They looked scared.”

- Chetan Bhagat, One Night @ The Call Center. (P.78)