Q & A - Vikas Swarup

Q & A - Vikas Swarup

Don't go by the name of this book “Q&A”. You don’t have to answer any question here. Q&A is a story about a eighteen year old penniless waiter, Ram Mohammad Thomas, who goes on creating history by winning one billion rupees after answering all 12 questions correctly on a TV biggest ever quiz show (the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionairee) and gets arrested for winning. The producers of the show have him arrested as they are convinced that he has cheated his way to victory. But more then this it tells you about 12 extraordinary events that happens in Ram’s life to help him win the show. Events of how he was found in the dustbin by the priest, came to have three names, fooled professional hitman, found a brother friend, Salim and sister Gudiya, working for a famous actress and Australian Ambassador, as a Taj Mahal illegal tourist guide and even his love with a prostitute gives him the crucial answers to all the questions.

Q&A is brilliantly written and very well structured book, which tells you in the end that luck is something, that doesn’t happen by chance but it’s something that comes from within you. Q&A covers all shades of life. It has its own moments of happiness, sadness, comedy, tragedy and relationship. What makes it more interesting is that each chapter here starts with a generalization like traveling in a train or falling in love or working as a servant, dreams and ends with details that are unique to Ram’s life.

It symbolizes the reality of an Indian orphan in Ram Mohammad Thomas that goes through the various phases of life. It makes you believe that even they have the aspirations, dreams and a life to live. It takes you though the journey of different section of Indian Societies, riches and poor and reveals their bitter reality. It portraits how cruel a life can be to neglected portion of Indian Society who are thought to live like a dog and die like an insect.

Do you want to know how Ram Mohammad Thomas got his name? What business a penniless waiter has to do on such a big TV show? Who’s Smita and why she helps Ram or she herself is just another crook? 12 extraordinary events that helps Ram to win the show or has he bluffed everyone to win the show? Well then what are you waiting for, go read it.