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**3.5 stars**

An Unpopular opinion about A Popular novel:

Before starting, it’s better to say that nothing in here is a reminiscence of what I felt about the book when I read it when it first came out. At that time, I was just beginning to read books by Indian authors in English, and was bluffed by it entirely and recommended it to everyone. It is still recommendable, with exception of the two types:

1) Those who love India so much that they can't tolerate a single word against the country's culture, economy, social and caste difference; or to summarize indiscrimination in every bloody aspect you can think of. (Personally, I hate those lousy patriots.)

2) Those who want to form an opinion about the entire of India by reading, say 2-3 books. Opinion: Image.

"I am India's most faithful voter, and I still have not seen the inside of a voting booth."

So let's now come to the novel. On the positive part there's hardly anything new to add. The story does serve, though I daresay not fully, the purpose that it supposedly intended to. On the aspect of satire, it receives 4 out of 5 stars. However, I don't know how some people find it humorous, for not a single topic in the entire novel is even slightly funny. So Satire: Flout( I don't know for sure if it's the correct term). Not with too much dark humor either, the book is quite a direct (and rightful) attack to the Indian Government, society, administration and all that. A perfect pace, with no bragging anywhere. And Balram isn't a psychopath, either. Whatever he did was only a consequence of how the society moulded his mind. And it does ignite a fire. Most of the time people are just too sucked in the "Rooster coop" , as the author explained.

"Being called a murderer: fine, I have no objection to that. It's a fact: I am a sinner, a fallen human. But to be called a murderer by the police!
What a fucking joke."

If it’s so praise-worthy, then why the 'low' rating?

Firstly the storytelling isn't good enough. Actually not good at all, I think. I'm not demanding some masterpiece or even a language on the par with Shashi Tharoor, please understand that. But the way Balram speaks isn't just the way some 'half-baked' (nearly illiterate, poverty driven) halwai Indian talks. Also the illustration of the so-called photogenic poverty is extremely poor and bare of words. Poor, I say, for I have seen alike places. You talk with any member of any lower(economic) class of family, and you will know the depicted image here is only half-complete. In other words I have felt that the book could have been capable of (if the author wanted obviously) carrying a picturesque image of corrupted India and her browbeaten poor. The scope is so unutilized. Also the story is disgustingly sexist. That would have been digestible if it was only so for Balram, but it wasn't so.

If you read this as the first Indian novel on the concept, you are definitely going to love this. But the fact remains that there are numerous other better underrated books out there, sadly many of which haven't even been translated for the outer world. So just don't read this expecting to be entirely blown away with sheer brilliance. I did. I was disappointed. However I wasn't when I read it without knowing the hype or awards. Hope that makes sense.

"Keep yours ears open in Bangalore - in any city or town in India - and you will hear stirrings, rumours, threats of insurrection. Men sit under lampposts at nights and read. Men huddle together and discuss and point fingers to the heavens. One night, will they all join together - will they destroy the Rooster Coop?
Ha!"