Der weisse Tiger

The novel based on the Netflix film of the same name!

Balram Halwai – the "white tiger" – tells us, with irresistible charisma, the terrible yet fascinating story of his unlikely rise, while unflinchingly illuminating the depths of modern Indian caste society. Balram comes from a poor village in the heart of India. His bleak future prospects brighten when he, the smartest boy in the village, is hired as a driver for the richest man in the area and gets the chance to work for his son in Delhi. Behind the wheel of a Honda City, Balram discovers – and we with him – a new world. Balram sees how his kind, the servants, as well as their wealthy masters, keep the great chicken coop of Indian society in motion with their pursuit of alcohol, money, girls, and power. Through Balram's eyes, we see India filled with cockroaches and call centers, prostitutes and believers, old traditions and internet cafés, water buffaloes and the mysterious "white tiger." Over the course of seven nights and in the form of a letter to the Chinese Prime Minister, Balram recounts his escape from the chicken coop, from a life of servitude – an escape that is only possible through cunning and bloodshed.

A story full of sparkling wit, suspense, and questionable morality, told in an inimitable tone. No saris, no exotic scents and spices, no tabla music and maharajas – this is the India of today. And more than that. In its critique of servitude, it is an attack from the third world on the first. Amoral and disrespectful, touching and absolutely timely – "The White Tiger" is an exciting, provocative novel with cult status. A modern classic, whose adaptation by Rami Bahrani has recently caused a stir.