"The White Tiger" Aravind Adiga

I'm on a roll at the moment - I've found another book I really like. The story follows Balram Halwai, a successful entrepreneur living in Bangalore, India. Upon hearing that Premier Jiabao of China is coming to India "to learn the truth about Bangalore", Balram starts writing him a letter. "Apparently, sir, you Chinese are ahead of us in every respect, except you don't have entrepreneurs. And our nation, although it has no drinking water, electricity, sewage system, public transportation, sense of hygiene, discipline, courtesy, or punctuality, does have entrepreneurs."
Balram follows by writing his life story to date, the story of how he became a successful entrepreneur. It's also the story of a servant, a sharp and witty observer, a philosopher, and a murderer.
The beginning of this book reminded me a little of Rohinton Mistry's "A Fine Balance" in that it tells all too vividly the other side of India. The dark, corrupt, brutal side . There's some really humorous stuff, but in the so-awful-it's-funny way. Kind of the antidote to all those beautiful, poetic stories you've read about India and I'm sensing, closer to the reality. But where "A Fine Balance" left me feeling sort of deflated and hopeless, this one left me with a smile on my face, rooting for Balram, even if he is a thief and a murderer. This one is part crime novel, part black comedy, part social criticism.
Definitely worth the read and I can't wait to read more from this author.