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Shantaram is a fictional book but it is influenced by real events that Roberts experienced in India. In his time there Roberts led a varied life - he set up a free health clinic in the slums, acted in Bollywood movies, worked for the Bombay mafia as a forger, counterfeiter, and smuggler ... Read review
Advantages: Incredible fast moving and emotional book Disadvantages: A long book - but worth it
== SHANTARAM ==
=== GREGORY DAVID ROBERTS ===
This has to be one of my favourite books ever. When I first saw it - a huge monster of a book - I thought that it would be too big for me, but believe me the 936 pages just fly by, do NOT be put of by the scale of this book.
Shantarm is a semi autobiographical novel from author Gregory David Roberts who escaped an Australian maximum-security jail and moved ... ...next ten years.
Shantaram is a fictional book but it is influenced by real events that Roberts experienced in India. In his time there Roberts led a varied life - he set up a free health clinic in the slums, acted in Bollywood movies, worked for the Bombay mafia as a forger, counterfeiter, and smuggler and even into Afghanistan as a gunrunner.
=== THE BOOK ===
What genre can I give this book - it is part thriller, ... more
SHANTARAM
GREGORY DAVID ROBERTS
This has to be one of my favourite books ever. When I first saw it - a huge monster of a book - I thought that it would be too big for me, but believe me the 936 pages just fly by, do NOT be put of by the scale of this book.
Shantarm is a semi autobiographical novel from author Gregory David Roberts who escaped an Australian maximum-security jail and moved to Mumbai to spend almost ten years in the slums and underworld there. Roberts had to write this book three timeas as it was destroyed during his time in prison - I am glad that he persevered. The book is supposedly to be made into a film with Johnny Depp.
THE AUTHOR
Gregory David Roberts was sentenced to Pentridge Prison in Australia for nineteen years' after he ws convicted of a series of armed robberies . His criminal activities were committed to feed his heroin addiction. In July 1980, he escaped from Victoria's jail in broad daylight,becoming one of Australia's most wanted men for the next ten years. Shantaram is a fictional book but it is influenced by real events that Roberts experienced in India. In his time there Roberts led a varied life - he set up a free health clinic in the slums, acted in Bollywood movies, worked for the Bombay mafia as a forger, counterfeiter, and smuggler and even into Afghanistan as a gunrunner.
THE BOOK
What genre can I give this book - it is part thriller, part adventure, part love story, part travel guide and part philosophical journey;
Let me just say that reading 'Shantaram' is like making a fantastic excursion through the city of Mumbai - everything is there - the colour, the sights, the emotions, the smells and the sounds of the rats and ferocious dogs roaming the slums.
Lin, a man who has escaped from an Australian jail and arrived in India with a fake New Zealand passport, narrates the story. On his arrival he meets up with Pranaker,a taxi driver, who becomes his dear friend. Pranaker gives Lin a tour of the city as well as a hut in the slums. It is here that Lin starts a free clinic for the people who live in the slums - and to make money sells drugs to tourists. From then on his life is a whirlwind of ups and downs, he's pulled into their world of crime - when the local mafia become aware of his drug dealing, falls in love, nearly dies in an Indian prison, and endures a continuing sequence of adventures. Don't be fooled by thinking that this book is just a tale of drugs and crime; it is the story of a man who, even in a life of violence, genuinely loves those in his life and the city that became his home.
Roberts shows the reader a violent and perilous representation of India, some of the details he gives are awful. We are introduced to the drugs, violent behaviour, murder, bribery and corruption that make up Roberts existence. Any relationships he has are with criminals and prostitutes, the local people and an assortment of goras - including Afghans, Americans, French, Germans, Iranians, Italians, Nigerians, Pakistanis, Palestinians, and Spaniards. All the time though, the main part of the story is how Roberts bonds with other people, the personal anguish he suffers as well as the suffering of those around him. We also see how much he loves so many of these people and how they loved him back
There were some incredible descriptions in the book; the chapters about time in the Indian jail were both fascinating and absolutely sickening simultaneously. A book prior to Slumdog Millionaire, we are treated to a unique and astonishing view on slum life in India from a man who was actually living in the communal heart of it. And I don't think that I will ever forget the descriptions Roberts gives of the Opium Den and Standing Babas, the physical suffering that was portrayed was quite harrowing.
One of the subjects of the book is social surrender on the streets in Mumbai and the positive and, mainly negative effects this had. Whatever incident was occurring in the streets soon became a communal incident - be it dancing , singing or crying, or, more usually, the crowd violence.And yet there is a feel of optimism in the book, Lin found happiness in the most unexpected places.
In my opinion, one of the merits of this book is the love that is shown for the main characters. These characters are no angel, yet they are talked about in adoring words and with heartfelt admiration of their human qualities. There is a whole host of characters that are etched on your mind after reading the book. Who could forget the beaming smile of Prabaker - , the unbelievably naïve tourist guide/taxi driver, the wit and style of Karla - mystifying green-eyed Swiss-American girl, Khaderbhai, the generous but stubborn underworld don or the simmering sexuality of Lisa.
Yes this is a long book, and it does have its flaws (remember that this is a first novel), but both the length of the book and any flaws within it are very, very quickly forgotten as you are carried along in the world of Shantaram (peaceful man).
· Paperback: 944 pages · Publisher: Abacus; New edition edition (24 Mar 2005) · Language English · ISBN-10: 0349117543 · ISBN-13: 978-0349117546 · Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 13 x 5 cm Available on Amazon for around £4
Advantages: vivid, well written, original, thrilling, descriptive, educative, great dialogue Disadvantages: sometimes painfully real, shows a very dark side, quite long
The groundbreaking novel 'Shantaram' spans the world between fact and fiction seamlessly. Gregory David Roberts, an armed robber and Heroin addict escaped from an Australian prison. After adopting the name Lin he eventually fled to India, a country he fell in love with. Embracing the wonderful culture Robert's learned Hindi and Marathi, the majority of the latter was learned in a remote village. He returned to Mumbai and began living in a slum, establishing ... ...novel follows his entrancing life in India, detailing his involvement with the mafia as a money launderer, forger and street soldier before being thrown in an Indian prison. The novel follows him to Afghanistan where he fought with the Mujahadeen.
This gripping novel, which is substantial to hold, is a breeze to read. You won't want to put it down. The writing style is clever and descriptive enough t immerse you in a story where you quickly move ...
supermanj 16.09.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
Advantages: Beatiful Indian Imagery, engaging story Disadvantages: long winded, overly discriptive
...more intersting if it was. Shantaram is a book loosely based on the life of Gregory David Roberts who escaped from an Australian prison and fled to India (here's where the fiction begins). He sets up home in Bombay where he meets a group of new friends and the story charts his relationships with these people amongst a backdrop of Indian Mafiosa and Afghan Wars. Whilst it can be at times an engrossing read and paints a beautiful picture of India and ... ...opinion can often become extremely long winded. His lengthy descriptions often become very repetitive e.g. virtually every women in the book is the most beautiful girl in the world with the greenest eyes that sparkle like sea etc etc and he feels the need to describe virtually everything down to its finest detail. This is a long book and whilst I'm an avid reader I found it at times quite a challenge to keep going through some parts of the story ...
darrjo23 25.03.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
Advantages: panaoramic description of life's battles Disadvantages: none really, I loved it
This is a book written by a fighter for fighters. it captures the poverty and criminal underworld of Bombay and makes a fascinating read. The language is tight and the plot well-drawn. If you thought Slum-dog Millionaire was good, you should read this. The hero, or anti-hero, is a fighter by nature, but the book records the daily struggle that the poor of India go through, just to get from one end of the day to the next without ever feeling sorry ... ...of his life that the hero makes as he continually battles through (not winning them all). In the sense that we are all fighters this a book for everyone and it has some part of all our lives in it but the sheer stubborn refusal to give in of the major character would be hard to match or beat. Interlaced with that is some serious philosophical consideration. This will doubtless be turned into a major motion picture, but the words will always have ...
clb-profis 24.07.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
Advantages: Very addictive and intriguing book based on real life Disadvantages: gets a little vague inbetween
An awesome story of a guy who will not give up, a refreshing perspective on "no matter how bad it gets it would get worse" shantharam is a story based on real life that exposes its readers to surreal circumstances, once picked up can never pt down a brilliant piece that explores layers in both human perceptions through run away convict and the Mafia community of a world unknown to him.
The best part of the book is it takes one back to the time with ... ...lives of this "invisible society " that is structured around our social fabric and comprehending the reasons and sympathisisng with the circumstances which would other wise not be acceptable.The book ialthough is so complex with multi discplinary facets of individuals who lead a very ambigious life surprisingly that dosnt sink into the reader while reading,
It hits like a jolt when contemplating about what was read, over all a must read book ...
dprd 29.10.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
