First published 2008
Balram Halwai sits under a chandelier for seven nights, recounting his transformation from village servant to successful entrepreneur. Born in rural India, he lands a job driving for his village's richest family, chauffeuring the wealthy man, his unlucky son, and their two Pomeranians named Puddles and Cuddles in a Honda City. From the driver's seat, Balram observes how the rich operate. While his fellow servants read Murder Weekly and drink Thunderbolt liquor, his employers bribe ministers and sip single-malt whiskey. Balram learns to siphon gas, handle crooked mechanics, and refill Johnnie Walker bottles. He watches India's corruption up close, from cockroaches to call centers, prostitutes to worshippers. Most people stay trapped in what he calls the Great Rooster Coop of Indian society, but Balram spots an exit others cannot see. His path to freedom demands a terrible price that transforms him from philosopher to murderer, servant to master.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: rags-to-riches, unreliable-narrator
Setting: India, Honda City
Period: 21st-century
288 pages · Hardcover · Free Press
Content warnings: violence