Q & A

I’m glad! Q & A is back on the book shelf. If you were worried about the non-availability of the book like me, then you have a reason to rejoice. Q & A is available in two avatars

• in it’s original name “Q & A” with a fancy cover – a 10 yr old boy in a waiter’s uniform. 
• as “Slumdog Millionaire” with a colorful front page (with Dev Patel and Freida Pinto).

I chose the former avatar.

I was hooked on to the book a couple of months back; as soon as I used the “Search Inside” option from the Amazon website and found the table of contents. The chapters were titled as prize money a contestant earn as he advances in the quiz show. The secret was out at that moment. The contestant is going to qualify for the last round and he may win the prize money too!

This is genius! You move forward with the quiz show and reveal a little bit about the protagonist through each level. Now, how is the author going forward with the story telling? How can he tell the life of the protagonist in a linear way and also tie it to the questions asked in the quiz show?

After putting down the book, I’m glad the story of the protagonist is told in a non-linear fashion. The narration massaged my grey cells as I was trying to place different periods in the protagonist’s life in order.

Although the premise of the story is brilliant, the same cannot be said about the book as a whole! The narration is okay. The red herrings are clearly visible for an experienced reader. So you amusingly wait for the events to unfold and the suspense revealed.

Finally, the author wove the climax inspired by Hindi movies (retribution and lost & found). This aspect is a let down about the novel. This is the second author who has been inspired by tried and tested formulas of Hindi movies (first being Chetan Bhagat in One night at the call center).

The book is an interesting read. But, the movie is adapted from the novel and not the exact replica. Now, I’m waiting for the DVD of Slumdog Millionaire!