Shantaram: Shantaram, Book 1

Where to start...Shantaram is one of the best books I have ever read. I consider myself to have eclectic tastes when it comes to reading, and this still rates as one of the most exciting, thought-provoking and truly rich narratives I have ever had the pleasure to read. Few authors can capture the soul of a place as beautifully as Roberts captures Bombay in Shantaram. The city is as much a character in the story as any of the actual 'living' cast, and despite the crowding, the corruption, the poverty and the crime on display, I found myself longing to visit the city so that I could see it through Roberts' eyes.I won't regurgitate the blurb in this review: you can get that elsewhere. I will try to address some of the alleged failures of the book. Some reviewers have complained that the story masquerades as auto-biography and has since been found to be fiction, others complain that the style is pretentious or that the ending wasn't as neat as they would have liked. Personally, none of those points mattered to me. I believe many fiction novels are littered with truth and many auto-biographies littered with fictions. In this regard, as well as some basic plot points, it has similarities with Papillon. Charriere was challenged about the authenticity of his 'facts' also. It didn't stop Papillon from being an outstanding and uplifting read. Ultimately, a great story is a great story, and that is all I need to enjoy a book. As for the pretentious style, Roberts clearly has a philosopher's heart/mind, and I found his observations on all matters of life, love and humanity to be deeply affecting. Indeed, this is the most quotable book I have ever read. I found myself stopping to write lines or whole passages down so that I could come back to them again once I had finished the novel. Regarding the ending, when I reached it my only feeling was that I wanted more. Surely that is the hallmark of a great novel (and thankfully, Roberts has since given us more with his follow-up 'The Mountain Shadow').At 900+ pages, with another 800 if you choose to read the sequel, this is an epic novel. I believe it is worth every minute of your time. If you cannot find things to adore or relate to somewhere in Shantaram, then I'm left wondering why you read at all. I have bought seven copies of this so far, and I'm writing this review as I'm here to buy my eighth. It's that kind of novel: once you have finished it you are going to want everyone else to share in its wonder.Great literature should encourage debate. If you want to join that debate, you need to read this novel.What are you waiting for?

What a brilliant book, a fascinating read and wonderfully written as well, up there with the best books I’ve ever read.

Gregory David Roberts's Shantaram is supposed to be partly autobiographical, or at least loosely based on the author's own experience. That the novel is not entirely fictive is part of its appeal, veracity making its white-knuckle-ride of a plot all the more gripping. Still, be aware that Roberts himself has stated that the characters and plot details are imaginary, if grounded in real life.Shantaram relates the adventures of an escaped Australian convict, named Lin, in Bombay and its underworld. (Roberts himself escaped from an Australian prison and lived in India, and belonged to a Bombay mafia for a number of years.) Lin, having arrived almost by chance, soon grows roots in the great metropolis. He learns Hindi and Marathi, moves into a slum where he works as a doctor, befriends a migrant from a remote rural area, falls in love, saves a bear from prison, rescues an American girl from a notorious madame, and moves on to become a member of the city's most prominent gang, not all in that order. At some stage he is also jailed, and he goes to fight in Afghanistan for a spell (against the Soviets, as this takes place in the 1980s). The story is well told and the style of writing both agreeable and effective. Far from being written like a thriller, indeed, Shantaram has a distinct literary turn, with interesting observations and aphorisms. Perhaps its weakness is that it can be florid, and even preachy, at times. I would describe it as a cross between Paulo Coelho and Vikram Chandra. Anyway, this is well worth reading and is unlikely to disappoint.

I just couldn’t put it down. Set mainly in Bombay, Linbaba’s adventures are exciting, dangerous , heartwarming, heartbreaking and fascinating. Over 900 pages, it takes a while to read, but it’s worth it. I’m now going to read the sequel, also over 900 pages. Can’t wait. Read it. That’s it! 👍🤩

An amazing book to read and brilliant that he learnt to rise above the trials and tribulations of his life - a great book suggestion from a longstanding frirnd

Ótimo livro

I actually bought this book as a gift for a friend as another friend gave me her second copy of it. This author is the best I have ever read in my 70 years for being able to transport you to exactly where he is. His descriptive ability is astounding - you can almost feel, see, hear and smell the surroundings. His character development is such that you feel you really know these people and their motivations. It is truly a mesmerizing look into another culture that will change your views forever.

Shantaram by Gregory David RobertsBy Michael HooperShantaram by Gregory David Roberts is an epic story about one man’s struggle for freedom, friendship, adventure, love, camaraderie, peace and redemption.The book is about a man who escapes a prison in Australia and moves to Bombay, where he reinvents himself. He calls himself Lin, which is the name on his fake passport.In Bombay, he falls into a crowd of expatriates and slum dwellers. One of the first people he meets is Prabakar, a runner/salesman, who meets tourists at train stations, and brings them to hotels and restaurants and takes a cut from the proprietors. He also helps them exchange money, and score hashish. Prabakar takes a liking to Lin and recruits him into his business as a runner helping tourists. Prabaker calls him Linbaba.I can relate to this job because I worked as a runner helping tourists find hotel rooms in Athens, Greece, when I was a young man.Prabakar introduces Lin to his mother, who gives him a new name Shantaram, which means man of peace. Although he is not afraid to fight for his freedom, it seems that Lin is struggling for peace and redemption. He had been a heroin addict in Australia, where he lost his wife and child in a divorce. He was arrested for burglary and armed robbery, put in jail but he escapes over the wall and travels to Bombay.In Bombay, he falls in love with the city, the first thing he notices is its smell, "its sweet sweating smell of hope" and its "sour stifled smell of greed."One of my favorite places in the book is Leopold’s, a coffee shop bar where he and his friends meet on a regular basis to talk about politics and business and gossip. There he meets people like Karla and Didier Levy, Vickram and Ulla.His friend Prabakar invites him to live in the slum with him and his family. There he sees great need for medical care, and he starts a free medical clinic. Needing antibiotics and other medical supplies he makes a connection with the lepers of Bombay, who somehow acquire these medical supplies and sell them to him at a discount. He is not a medical doctor, but they call him a doctor. He’s actually trained in ambulatory care He helps people get through many struggles, cuts, bruising, inflections and an outbreak of cholera.Love is an abiding theme in this book, there is brotherly love, the love of friends and camaraderie, and the love of a father, or a father figure and romantic love.He falls in love with Karla, who is a very mysterious person with a past in Europe and America. She speaks multiple languages and blends in beautifully into the Bombay lifestyle. Lin is enchanted with her green eyes and beautiful hair and lovely clothing but perhaps most of all he is curious about her mysterious history. His love for Karla is complex taking on various forms -- from friendship to making love to her on a beach under moonlight. He loves their ability to talk for hours and connect.This book is one part James Michener and one part Ernest Hemingway and another part uniquely Australian.It captures the pure Wonderlust of Australians. I’ve met so many Australians, who have traveled the world, they’ve been everywhere and done all kinds of different things. The author Gregory David Roberts wrote this book so well because he lived it. He actually did lose his wife and child, while addicted to heroin and getting busted for armed robbery and ending up in jail in Australia. He broke out of jail and went to Bombay to start his life all over again.One of the most powerful man in Bombay is Abdel Khader Khan, a poet, philosopher and lord of gang of people who work in the black market trades, false passport industry, the gold trade, and the money exchange trade.Lin works for Khader Khan, who wants him to learn everything about his business.The book goes into detail on how his goondas make money in these trades.Abdel Kader Khan believes there are various levels of evil depending on the sin. Some sins are worse than others. Lin is really amazed at the man’s commanding presence and ability to generate extreme loyalty. While working in the false passport trade with two specialists, Lin acquires for himself about five passports. When someone’s visa is out of order, they could fix that with a specialty stamp.Lin goes to great links for Khader Khan.Another fascinating character in the book is Didier Levy, a 35 year old French Jew, who is a wonderful gossip talk head, who spends a lot of time at Leopold‘s, drinking alcohol and talking with friends, and watching business transact all around them, and getting a cut here and there from some of this business.He talks about the hashish trade and the local gangsters.And he talks about Karla. He says she has the power to make men shine like the stars, or crush them to dust.Karla and Didier once lived together for about a year in Bombay sharing a crazy fractured little apartment. Page 58.There are many funny and shocking stories in the book, including a description of how the locals in Bombay treat a person who is at fault for a car accident. The locals actually drag the driver out of the car and beat him up. There's also an endearing story about a beloved bear who gets locked up in prison. His caretakers stay in prison with him, so he is not lonely.Perhaps my favorite theme in the book is camaraderie among friends, especially when they gather at Leopold’s. I believe every person needs a group of friends. It’s tough being alone in this world, indeed it's even tougher when you are in a foreign country and you don't know anybody.There is some evidence that a person will live longer if they have regular contact with people. I go to a local coffee two or three times a week to visit with my friends. My comrades there are very special to me.Yet Leopold's is a different kind of place, because it attracts people from all walks of life, Greeks, Germans, Italians, Franch, American, Indian, and Iranians, and Afghans and Arabs and Africans all gathering at this place. There’s nothing quite like it in Topeka, but when I was in Barcelona in 1990 I fell into a crowd of expatriates. I was walking along Las Ramblas, enjoying the sights of people and places along this famous boardwalk. I saw a group of young men led by a tall, gregarious man. He said hello to me, and I said hello back and he asked if I were English, I said America. He asked, "Do you get high?" and I said, "yes," and he said "follow me." We ended at a coffee shop in a Square just off Las Ramblas, where we drank beer and smoked spliff’s. Perhaps my favorite birthday was when I announced that in five minutes, I would be 27 years old. Everybody started singing, happy birthday to me and sharing drinks and joints. We stayed up all night partying and I ended up sleeping on the beach with my comrade Eamon strumming his guitar. It was one of the most exhilarating, romantic, and illuminating experiences in my life.Shantaram is a huge book at 933 pages. I enjoyed 95% of it. There is some warlord gang fighting that occurs toward the end of the book and this seems to drag on for a while but all in all, I enjoyed the book very muchShantaram is on Apple TV. The 12 part miniseries is fantastic, but unfortunately was discontinued. I believe Gregory David Roberts was involved in writing the script. In some ways, the book is much better with more detail about life in India.There is a great deal of charity in the soul of Linbaba, he is always trying to support his friends, and the poor people who live in the slums.I think the spirit of Linbaba is a man who loves people, who cares about the suffering in the world. Shantaram is an appropriate name for this evolving man of the world.

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