Here is a social satire and a love story combined into one plot by debut author Rahul Raina. Fresh and comic, this book is a fairly decent page-turner.




The Plot

Ramesh, a motherless young lad of a chaiwala, grows up in the bylanes of the clumsy and decaying part of Old Delhi. But life soon takes on a new mode when father and son 'relocate' to the relative wealth of New Delhi as they set up their lives on Bangla Sahib Road, which is more upscale in comparison.

One day, a French Catholic nun spots Ramesh and she decides to change his life through education. Ramesh is smart and intelligent and slowly makes his move through the complicated education system. He soon becomes an education consultant or a person who takes exams for the wealthy, otherwise lazy students.

When for a generous amount, Ramesh places his client, Rudi, first in the All India exams, the results open up a world of opportunities for both Rudi and Ramesh. Thus, begins a narrative that depicts some of India's key themes- prejudice between classes, failure, the role and state of the education system, opportunities, and multiple aspects of exploitation.




The Review

Much as the theme may seem highly vague or bizarre, the writing and narrative, with its element of satire, make this book an enjoyable read. Living in Delhi and having spent a lot of time observing people here helped me get to the depth of the ideologies. The writing has the local linguistic flavor, which was enjoyable. There is enough momentum to keep the plot going and reduce an element of boredom while reading the book. 




The Verdict

A slightly vague ending here, yet worth a read. Enjoyable satire and a fresh take on an already explored theme of rags to riches.

This book about a poor but very smart young man in India who makes good money taking the national exam for students from rich families has all the makings of a great tv series or movie. For me it didn't quite work as a book - I think some of the frenetic pace towards the end gets bogged down with the writing. I think the satire/absurdity of the situation would also work better on screen.

What could possibly go wrong by taking tests for rich boys? In How to Kidnap the Rich, professional test-taker Ramesh Kumar finds himself in somewhat of a bind after his test scores place his clients’ son, Rudi Saxena, at the top of the list in the All Indias, the national university entrance exam. Determined to make the most of this situation, Ramesh embarks on a new career as Rudi’s manager. The two are living the high life as the money keeps rolling in. At least until they are kidnapped. As these two hilariously bumble their way about Delhi, as both victims and perpetrators of crimes, author Rahul Raina skillfully gives readers an unvarnished look at the good and the bad of Indian society.
Since I am not very familiar with Indian culture, I spent a lot of time looking up stuff – from Indian celebrities to food to clothing. While I suppose it would have been enough to know what category these items were in, I like to have a visual, when possible. But for me, that was part of what made the book so good. I got to read a great story and learn a little about another culture. It’s definitely a book you should check out for yourself!

How to describe this book? It's a satire, a biting social critique, a caper, an inventive thriller, an excoriating portrait of Modi's India (with occasional digs at American culture). It's funny, propulsive, and often moving in spite of a madcap plot and a furiously sarcastic narrator.

Ramesh Kumar tells his story in a unique voice, one laced with irony, anger, and irrepressible humor. After a brutal childhood in Delhi, beaten and exploited by his often-drunk chaiwallah (tea seller) father, he is taken up as a good cause by a French nun teaching at a Catholic school that, it turns out, does not want charity cases mingling with their upper-crust students.

He's clever and she prepares him well to take the All India exam, one that determines who will succeed in life, but he needs money for her care after she is dismissed from the school and falls ill.

The only way to earn that money quickly is to take the exam - in place of a student who wants success without the work.

Ramesh finds enough wealthy parents desperate to secure a good university place and a career for their spoiled children that he carves out a specialty as an "educational consultant" in the brains black market. With a slick sales job and weeks of intense study, he is able to sit exams as a service – until he takes the seat of the sluggish, spoiled, but wealthy Rudi Saxena and creates a sudden problem: he earns the top score in the nation.

Rudi is inundated with attention and is brought in to star in a television trivia game show where he is meant to be the "Topper" – the man with all the answers. Ramesh, who is terrified of being caught out, becomes his "manager" who, backstage, whispers the right answers in his ear. Despite his oafishness, Rudi becomes a favorite of Indian aunties and something of a hero. This causes Rudi and Ramesh to be kidnapped for a large ransom. There's a double cross, followed by another kidnapping and pretty soon kidnapping appears to be the most logical answer to every twist in the plot.

There's action, romance, political commentary, and loads of slapstick comedy, but above all the novel is an excoriating picture of contemporary India, where inequality grows and the wealthy exhibit the worst impulses of Western late capitalism combined with India's pre-existing conditions. Perhaps it's unsurprising that, with such a spicy masala on offer, HBO has already optioned it for film.

HOW TO KIDNAP THE RICH is an impressive and original debut by a twenty-eight-year-old writer who has his finger on the pulse of the Indian nation and a talent for mixing laugh-out-loud lines and over-the-top action with vivid depictions of life drawn in sharp-edged critique.

I was really excited to read this, but ended up having to put it down because of fatphobic comments made by the narrator in the opening chapters. I understand this book is satirical so that's likely where those comments come from, but as someone who is struggling with their body image, it made it hard to read. The pacing and narration was definitely very compelling, and reminded me of Black Buck, which I really liked. I think readers who have a higher tolerance for fatphobia than I do would really enjoy this book!

This book was entertaining but a bit rambling. The flash backs were a bit disorganized, but the concept was interesting.