Selection Day

Cricket. I was a bit concerned that my lack of knowledge about the sport of cricket would diminish my ability to appreciate Aravind Adiga’s novel titled, Selection Day. The plot involves two poor boys who have been set on a path by their father to get out of their slum and become successful cricket players. My ignorance of the game turned out to be no barrier at all, given Adiga’s skill at focusing attention on the human dynamics, not the sporting fine points. As always, Adiga’s prose is outstanding, the characters are complex and well developed, even the buffoons. Adiga’s descriptive language brings the sights and sounds of India to vivid realization. This is a novel about dreams, our own and others, and the ways in which life presents us with opportunities to move toward or away from those dreams. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Selection Day from amazon.com.