Q and A
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Price:
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$29.95
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On Sale:
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28/04/2005
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Formats:
Hardcover
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HOW COULD Ram Mohammed Thomas, an orphan from Asia’s biggest, most filthy slum, possibly win the jackpot on India’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Ram has never gone to school. He’s never read a newspaper. There’s no way a waiter from Jimmy’s Bar could win the one billion rupees! Or is there?
Ram startles even himself by answering all 12 of the show’s challenging questions correctly. But instead of taking home the biggest jackpot in history, he’s framed for cheating by the show’s unscrupulous producers. Conditioned to believe that his very existence is illegal, Ram ponders whether he has overstepped his position by using his brain, when society has authorized him to use only his hands and legs.
Q and Ais told in 12 chapters over a single night, as Ram pleads his case by revealing how a lifetime of experience led to his miraculous win. In each chapter, Ram relates the slice of his extraordinary life story that gave him the wisdom—or the luck—to answer each of the show’s 12 questions correctly.
Paying homage to Life of Pi’s fable-like narrative, but zapped with a witty twenty first-century sensibility, Q and Ais a darkly comic and charming novel that delves beneath its compelling premise to examine life’s profound dilemmas—good vs. evil, rich vs. poor and perception vs. reality. Brilliantly conceived and executed, Q and A paints an enthralling picture of humanity in all its guises.
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Author Extras
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Critical Praise for
Q and A
"Ram's funny and poignant odyssey explores the causes of good and evil and illustrates how, with a little luck, the best man sometimes wins."
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Booklist
"A beautifully crafted novel."
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Metro (Holland)
"[Vikas Swarup's] vivid characterisation covers the full social spectrum (prostitutes, glue-sniffers, film stars, diplomats, slum-dwellers), and paints a colourful, generous and admirably unvarnished portrait of contemporary India, where not all the poor are angels, not all the wealthy are villains."
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Literary Review
"Clever.... Swarup writes humorously and keeps the surprises coming.... A delight."
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New York Times Book Review
"In Swarup's telling, life itself becomes a game, shards of memory becoming pieces of a larger jigsaw."
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The Indian Express
"An enthusiastic debut worth devouring... Sweet, sorrowful and funny."
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The Sunday Tribune
"An inspired idea ...a broad and sympathetic humanity underpins this book."
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Sunday Telegraph
"Swarup is an accomplished storyteller."
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Daily Mail
"A celebration of the happenstance and serendipity of life."
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The Sydney Morning Herald
"Q & A is a dream of a book."
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Winnipeg Free Press
"[A] Suprisingly assured debut....Q & A is fun, intelligent and leaves you wanting more. Here is one diplomat with a genuine gift for persuasion."
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The Toronto Star
Reader Reviews from First Look
Q and A surpassed all expectations I had for this book, and I found myself hidden behind its cover every waking moment I could spare. Not only has this book matured me in ways I never thought possible, I find myself inspired by it. From the engrossing yet heart-rending tale of Ram Thomas Mohammad's child and adolescent years to the unexpected plot and characters, Q and A definitely gives the reader a taste of what poverty is really like, while keeping them on their toes about the inconspicuous storyline. Vikas Swarup has written such a gut-wrenching tale, that I wonder if this story is more of an anecdote than a Non-fiction tale. I loved this book; Ram’s story is definitely one that should be shared with all and I will definitely be suggested and recommended to all!
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Connie (Toronto, ON)
Q and A surpassed all expectations I had for this book, and I found myself hidden behind its cover every waking moment I could spare. Not only has this book matured me in ways I never thought possible, I find myself inspired by it. From the engrossing yet heart-rending tale of Ram Thomas Mohammad's child and adolescent years to the unexpected plot and characters, Q and A definitely gives the reader a taste of what poverty is really like, while keeping them on their toes about the inconspicuous storyline. Vikas Swarup has written such a gut-wrenching tale, that I wonder if this story is more of an anecdote than a Non-fiction tale. I loved this book; Ram’s story is definitely one that should be shared with all and I will definitely be suggested and recommended to all!
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Connie (Toronto, ON)
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