Follow the author
Aravind AdigaAravind Adiga
From the Man Booker prize-winning author of The White Tiger
Danny - Dhananjaya Rajaratnam - is an illegal immigrant in Sydney, denied refugee status after he has fled from his native Sri Lanka. Working as a cleaner, living out of a grocery storeroom, for three years he's been trying to create a new identity for himself. And now, with his beloved vegan girlfriend, Sonja, with his hidden accent and highlights in his hair, he is as close as he has ever come to living a normal Australian life.
But then one morning, Danny learns a female client of his has been murdered. When Danny recognizes a jacket left at the murder scene, he believes it belongs to another of his clients - a doctor with whom he knows the woman was having an affair. Suddenly Danny is confronted with a choice: come forward with his knowledge about the crime and risk being deported, or say nothing, and let justice go undone? Over the course of a single day, evaluating the weight of his past, his dreams for the future, and the unpredictable, often absurd reality of living invisibly and undocumented, he must wrestle with his conscience and decide if a person without rights still has responsibilities.
Print length
228 pages
Language
English
Sticky notes
On Kindle Scribe
Publisher
Picador
Publication date
25 February 2020
=======
Product description
Review
Adiga is one of the great observers of power and its deformities, showing in novels like his Booker Prize winning White Tiger and Last Man in Tower how within societies, the powerful lean on the less powerful, and the weak exploit the weaker all the way down. Telling the tale of Danny’s immigration along the story of one tense day, he has built a forceful, urgent thriller for our times. -- John Freeman ― Lit Hub
[Adiga] has more to say than most novelists, and about 50 more ways to say it . . . Adiga is a startlingly fine observer, and a complicator, in the manner of V.S. Naipaul . . . This novel has a simmering plot . . . You come to this novel for . . . its author’s authority, wit and feeling on the subject of immigrants’ lives. -- Dwight Garner ― New York Times
Danny's voice, in its sheer everyday ordinariness, will stay with you a long time. ― Daily Mail
A forceful, urgent thriller for our times ― Lit Hub
Scrutinizes the human condition through a haves-vs.-have-not filter with sly wit and narrative ingenuity . . . Adiga's smart, funny, and timely tale with a crime spin of an undocumented immigrant will catalyze readers. ― Booklist
A mesmerising, breakneck quest of a novel; a search for the true sense of self, for the answer to a moral dilemma which damns either way. -- Andrew McMillan
The kind of sharp social anthropology at which Adiga excels . . . Brimming with empathy as well as indignation, this novel . . . extends Adiga’s fictional concern with deprivation and injustice. ― Sunday Times
What makes Amnesty an urgent and significant book is the generosity and the humanity of its vision . . . Amnesty is an ample book, pertinent and necessary. It speaks to our times. -- Juan Gabriel Vásquez ― New York Times
A taut, thrillerlike novel . . . A well-crafted tale of entrapment, alert to the risk of exploitation that follows immigrants in a new country. ― Kirkus, starred review
Engrossing . . . vivid . . . Adiga’s enthralling depiction of one immigrant’s tough situation humanizes a complex and controversial global dilemma. ― Publishers Weekly
Review
A riveting, suspenseful and exuberant novel from the bestselling, Man Booker Prize-winning author of The White Tiger and Selection Day about a young illegal immigrant who must decide whether to report crucial information about a murder - and risk deportation.
From the Publisher
Aravind Adiga was born in 1974 in Madras (now Chennai). He was educated at Columbia University in New York and Magdalen College, Oxford. His articles have appeared in publications including the New Yorker, the Sunday Times, the Financial Times, and the Times of India. His first novel, The White Tiger, won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 2008.
About the Author
Aravind Adiga was born in 1974 in Madras (now Chennai). He was educated at Columbia University in New York and Magdalen College, Oxford. His articles have appeared in publications including the New Yorker, the Sunday Times, the Financial Times, and the Times of India. His first novel, The White Tiger, won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 2008.
===
778 total ratings, 17 with reviews
Translate all reviews to English
From Australia
Gagandeep Singh
4.0 out of 5 stars Great relatable experiences being an Australian immigrant myself.
Reviewed in Australia on 23 August 2021
Verified Purchase
Being a beginner reader the book was pretty complex at times. But being an immigrant myself I found some bits to be relatable and nostalgic. The story was amazing and I wanted to find out what’s next page after page. Quick read. Great addition to the bookshelf.
Helpful
Report
Danger Mouse
3.0 out of 5 stars A day in the life of an “illegal” resident
Reviewed in Australia on 5 July 2021
Verified Purchase
Currently reading the 2021 Miles Franklin shortlist and this book number 4 on my list of 6. Written by the 2008 booker prize winner it is a fast paced narrative that takes place over one day in the life of a Sri Lankan man, Danny, living in Sydney illegally. He is the key to solving a murder but making a tip off to police will result in almost certain deportation…..will or won’t he? More importantly a portrayal of “the others” living in the white dominated urban landscape of Australia.
Helpful
Report
bill pritchard
5.0 out of 5 stars The life of an illegal immigrant
Reviewed in Australia on 17 May 2021
Verified Purchase
A gripping read. Spending a day in the head of an illegal refugee, getting insights into what he has been through, how his days pan out and how he views the world of Sydney. His constant struggle with his dilemma. I loved this book. It was a joy to read and has stayed with me.
Helpful
Report
Karynne
4.0 out of 5 stars Amnesty
Reviewed in Australia on 7 January 2021
Verified Purchase
Amnesty was sad and funny, very well written and made me more aware of the difficult lives faced by illegal immigrants to Australia.
Helpful
Report
Martin Connolly
5.0 out of 5 stars Now what do I do?
Reviewed in Australia on 10 March 2020
Verified Purchase
Waited for this book for months and it did not disappoint.
Very different from earlier books but very good.
I hope he has another coming. I am waiting already.
Helpful
Report
Suzanne J
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in Australia on 24 August 2021
Verified Purchase
Brilliant portrayal of inequality and human arrogance. I don't think anyone has been this brutal with Australia and Australians since Patrick White. I squirmed and flinched often. Recommended.
Helpful
Report
From other countries
ashutosh singh
4.0 out of 5 stars One time read
Reviewed in India on 21 July 2020
Verified Purchase
Nice read but white tiger was better,,, the book becomes predictable somehow not much of a mystery nor able to understand a clear motive of the antagonist..
One person found this helpful
Report
Glauce Augusto Cassimiro
5.0 out of 5 stars Preço Justo e Ótimo Produto
Reviewed in Brazil on 30 January 2021
Verified Purchase
Livro novo com capa simples. Ótimo custo benefício
Report
Translate review to English
Amazon Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars I couldn’t get to the end
Reviewed in Italy on 5 January 2022
Verified Purchase
I am a great fan of Adiga but this time I was disappointed. The only part that I found captivating is the story of Danny’s relationship/friendship with his employers and the pursuit of the killer of the landlady he worked for (who follows whom is not clear). apart from this, the story is too long and the digressions on Danny’s whereabouts before he lands in Australia are a side-story with a lot of moral in it and not very clear altogether. My attention and patience were fading the more I read on and eventually I dropped the book.
Report
Luke Dennison
4.0 out of 5 stars Great concept, occasionally clumsy writing.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 February 2022
Verified Purchase
I was between 3 and 4 stars but have been generous and rounded up to 4 stars.
The concept is great here, covering the world of illegal immigration in one day, based around a murder of someone the main character used to know. This concept gives time for the reality of the situation to slowly come to the fore, the feelings of our protagonist and his situation and how he thinks other see him and his kind.
The murder story takes second fiddle and is used to supplement the main topic, so if you are expecting a murder mystery leave this alone.
I liked the main character, I liked the concept and I liked the story.
What I liked a lot less was the writing, Adiga writes well for the most part but then occasionally, he throws in really descriptive and confusing paragraphs and the writing jars so you have to read the paragraph again (often without luck).
Overall, I liked this though but it's not on the same level as white tiger. 7/10
Report
778 total ratings, 17 with reviews
From other countries
aman
2.0 out of 5 stars Tough read
Reviewed in India on 23 August 2020
Verified Purchase
Always a good read but tedious
Report
Ramesh G
3.0 out of 5 stars Unstrange story of a Stranger in a Strange Land
Reviewed in the United States on 18 March 2020
Verified Purchase
one of my chief complaints about nearly all novels, bestsellers i come across is that the 'imagery' is overdone. every little twitch of the characters, every little sway of the breeze, the color of the chair they might be sitting on is commented on.
plus there is the attempt at poetic metaphors - Salman Rushdie claiming the clock hands coming together to usher in Midnight's Children, for example that caused us to endure a flood of 'magical realism' since - in Adiga's repeated allusions to mermaids in a lagoon in Batticalao that he can listen to if he put his reed into the water - the reader finds it hard to believe that anyone will leave such an idyllic beautiful place in Sri Lanka to clean homes as an illegal in what seems like the slums of Sydney. This kind of stream of consciouness writing seems all the voge now we have Knausgaard etc. who seem to fill pages of their memoirs , describing things that simply happen to them, and we are supposed to read and enjoy it at all simply because there is nothing better to do?! - no, it is less work to binge watch something on Netflix instead.
Now I liked Aravind Adiga's White Tiger because of its somewhat realistic portrayal of an anti-hero in India - there are millions like him - and his prose is pretty good, but in Amnesty he takes on another topical issue - migration (illegal, obviously) and its effects on lives - and I dont know that I learned anything new, or got any unique perspective - yes, we already know that migrants are mostly decent human beings, even if the mostly decent countries they migrate to dont necessarily treat them that way.
What I look for in a novel is a plot - a dramatic drive that keeps the story clipping along, with the moral or social observations only scenes by the side - I dont know that I got that out of Amnesty. I dont regret reading through it, but it did not leave me with any sense of realization, or closure of story that I have sought, and found with some of my favorites.
13 people found this helpful
Report
Bobbie
3.0 out of 5 stars repetitious plot but sympathetic, engaging protagonist
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 August 2021
Verified Purchase
Sri Lankan Danny, denied refugee status in Australia, stays on in Sydney, dodging the authorities, until one day he faces a dilemma. Should he come forward with his knowledge of a murderer’s identity... or not? The dilemma itself is drawn out and repetitious, but the predicament of a likeable, honest, hardworking individual, wanting the things in life we all do, whose misfortune is to be ‘illegal’ and ‘brown’ in a ‘white’ world, kept me engaged. Best read with a street map of Sydney to hand, as over the course of a day its various districts are evocatively described.
Report
Nancy J. Gegenheimer
2.0 out of 5 stars Painful novel
Reviewed in the United States on 30 September 2020
Verified Purchase
This was a very painful novel to read. The protagonist, an illegal alien in Australia, has knowledge (or thinks he does) of a murder. The book takes place in one day in his life, minute by minute and the things he does, much because he is illegal are painful. The scarry movie part is hard, he converses with the murderer and even goes to see him; why I don't know. We learn of the horrific life of illegal immigrants, worldwide. Even the protagonist's (Danny) relationship with is father is painful. Not a happy book to read.
Report
John Sheldon
4.0 out of 5 stars Important, interesting but ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 May 2020
Verified Purchase
Aravind Adiga is a great writer. The White Tiger was fabulous and his subsequent novels, with the exception of the one on cricket, were excellent.
This is an important book. It tackles a difficult theme - the undocumented migrant - with passion, depth and empathy. it's well-written and thought-provoking.
But, and it is a small 'but', the novel is hard-going, and I am not entirely sure why. I found my attention kept wandering and, in the end, I was left a little unsatisfied. Too bad. I hope the next one recaptures the success of his first.
2 people found this helpful
Report
Daniel Vaz
1.0 out of 5 stars Quite boring and I had to junk the idea of reading it
Reviewed in India on 9 August 2021
Verified Purchase
The style of writing does not keep the reader engaged. I endured about 30% of the book thinking I'd find it interesting later but it was no use. It is now on my shelf.
Report
===
From other countries
ashutosh singh
4.0 out of 5 stars One time read
Reviewed in India on 21 July 2020
Verified Purchase
Nice read but white tiger was better,,, the book becomes predictable somehow not much of a mystery nor able to understand a clear motive of the antagonist..
One person found this helpful
Report
Glauce Augusto Cassimiro
5.0 out of 5 stars Preço Justo e Ótimo Produto
Reviewed in Brazil on 30 January 2021
Verified Purchase
Livro novo com capa simples. Ótimo custo benefício
Report
Translate review to English
Amazon Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars I couldn’t get to the end
Reviewed in Italy on 5 January 2022
Verified Purchase
I am a great fan of Adiga but this time I was disappointed. The only part that I found captivating is the story of Danny’s relationship/friendship with his employers and the pursuit of the killer of the landlady he worked for (who follows whom is not clear). apart from this, the story is too long and the digressions on Danny’s whereabouts before he lands in Australia are a side-story with a lot of moral in it and not very clear altogether. My attention and patience were fading the more I read on and eventually I dropped the book.
Report
Luke Dennison
4.0 out of 5 stars Great concept, occasionally clumsy writing.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 February 2022
Verified Purchase
I was between 3 and 4 stars but have been generous and rounded up to 4 stars.
The concept is great here, covering the world of illegal immigration in one day, based around a murder of someone the main character used to know. This concept gives time for the reality of the situation to slowly come to the fore, the feelings of our protagonist and his situation and how he thinks other see him and his kind.
The murder story takes second fiddle and is used to supplement the main topic, so if you are expecting a murder mystery leave this alone.
I liked the main character, I liked the concept and I liked the story.
What I liked a lot less was the writing, Adiga writes well for the most part but then occasionally, he throws in really descriptive and confusing paragraphs and the writing jars so you have to read the paragraph again (often without luck).
Overall, I liked this though but it's not on the same level as white tiger. 7/10
Report
aman
2.0 out of 5 stars Tough read
Reviewed in India on 23 August 2020
Verified Purchase
Always a good read but tedious
Report
Ramesh G
3.0 out of 5 stars Unstrange story of a Stranger in a Strange Land
Reviewed in the United States on 18 March 2020
Verified Purchase
one of my chief complaints about nearly all novels, bestsellers i come across is that the 'imagery' is overdone. every little twitch of the characters, every little sway of the breeze, the color of the chair they might be sitting on is commented on.
plus there is the attempt at poetic metaphors - Salman Rushdie claiming the clock hands coming together to usher in Midnight's Children, for example that caused us to endure a flood of 'magical realism' since - in Adiga's repeated allusions to mermaids in a lagoon in Batticalao that he can listen to if he put his reed into the water - the reader finds it hard to believe that anyone will leave such an idyllic beautiful place in Sri Lanka to clean homes as an illegal in what seems like the slums of Sydney. This kind of stream of consciouness writing seems all the voge now we have Knausgaard etc. who seem to fill pages of their memoirs , describing things that simply happen to them, and we are supposed to read and enjoy it at all simply because there is nothing better to do?! - no, it is less work to binge watch something on Netflix instead.
Now I liked Aravind Adiga's White Tiger because of its somewhat realistic portrayal of an anti-hero in India - there are millions like him - and his prose is pretty good, but in Amnesty he takes on another topical issue - migration (illegal, obviously) and its effects on lives - and I dont know that I learned anything new, or got any unique perspective - yes, we already know that migrants are mostly decent human beings, even if the mostly decent countries they migrate to dont necessarily treat them that way.
What I look for in a novel is a plot - a dramatic drive that keeps the story clipping along, with the moral or social observations only scenes by the side - I dont know that I got that out of Amnesty. I dont regret reading through it, but it did not leave me with any sense of realization, or closure of story that I have sought, and found with some of my favorites.
13 people found this helpful
Report
Bobbie
3.0 out of 5 stars repetitious plot but sympathetic, engaging protagonist
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 August 2021
Verified Purchase
Sri Lankan Danny, denied refugee status in Australia, stays on in Sydney, dodging the authorities, until one day he faces a dilemma. Should he come forward with his knowledge of a murderer’s identity... or not? The dilemma itself is drawn out and repetitious, but the predicament of a likeable, honest, hardworking individual, wanting the things in life we all do, whose misfortune is to be ‘illegal’ and ‘brown’ in a ‘white’ world, kept me engaged. Best read with a street map of Sydney to hand, as over the course of a day its various districts are evocatively described.
Report
Nancy J. Gegenheimer
2.0 out of 5 stars Painful novel
Reviewed in the United States on 30 September 2020
Verified Purchase
This was a very painful novel to read. The protagonist, an illegal alien in Australia, has knowledge (or thinks he does) of a murder. The book takes place in one day in his life, minute by minute and the things he does, much because he is illegal are painful. The scarry movie part is hard, he converses with the murderer and even goes to see him; why I don't know. We learn of the horrific life of illegal immigrants, worldwide. Even the protagonist's (Danny) relationship with is father is painful. Not a happy book to read.
Report
John Sheldon
4.0 out of 5 stars Important, interesting but ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 May 2020
Verified Purchase
Aravind Adiga is a great writer. The White Tiger was fabulous and his subsequent novels, with the exception of the one on cricket, were excellent.
This is an important book. It tackles a difficult theme - the undocumented migrant - with passion, depth and empathy. it's well-written and thought-provoking.
But, and it is a small 'but', the novel is hard-going, and I am not entirely sure why. I found my attention kept wandering and, in the end, I was left a little unsatisfied. Too bad. I hope the next one recaptures the success of his first.
2 people found this helpful
Report
Daniel Vaz
1.0 out of 5 stars Quite boring and I had to junk the idea of reading it
Reviewed in India on 9 August 2021
Verified Purchase
The style of writing does not keep the reader engaged. I endured about 30% of the book thinking I'd find it interesting later but it was no use. It is now on my shelf.
Report
No comments:
Post a Comment