meghadutam's review against another edition
Unmitigated crap. Reading a book esp an autobiographical book, one keeps company with the writer. The writer of this book is someone I do not wish to keep company with.
jurytrain's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sbrady309's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
the_lilypad's review against another edition
I listened to 19 hours of this and had 23 to go and I did not enjoy the story at all. The narrator is incredible and does a lot of accents. But this was not for me.
megansgc's review against another edition
5.0
What a moving story. Loved all the characters and excellent relationship building between them. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Prabhu.
Fantastic audiobook with excellent narration (though I’d love to see it redone with authentic voices rather than a white narrator throughout)
Fantastic audiobook with excellent narration (though I’d love to see it redone with authentic voices rather than a white narrator throughout)
tamara_mousa's review against another edition
5.0
You can find a summary about it in my blog- https://www.tamarayousefmousa.com/
nmartin22's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
pannnn's review against another edition
captivating, thrilling, relatable, funny, emotional. a stellar cast of characters that you grow to love over 900 pages. portrays the city of Mumbai from its rags to riches in a beautiful way; anyone would want to visit India after reading this book. my only complaint about Shantaram lies in its ending: there were a handful of chapters that left me with goosebumps or even tears by their end, but the final pages didn't do it for me. I also closed the book with a sense of disappointment towards Karla's arc, despite finding her the most intriguing character in the initial 3 or 4 parts of the story.
bookedbyruqs's review against another edition
4.0
This book was recommended to me by a friend of mine who loved it. And WOW what an adventure this was. This book is over 900 pages, so I found it a little challenging to start but once you are immersed in this story, it becomes so easy to get through.
I found myself drawn to the complexities and nuances embedded throughout the text. As the novel opens, the reader is introduced to Lin, a man who has escaped his Australian jail and arrives in Bombay, hoping to hide in India's vast populace. Early on, Lin is forced to realize that India is a beast unlike any other; culturally, racially, and economically. It is, however, home to many who have the same idea, hiding from their criminal pasts elsewhere. These include Karla, a woman who occupies Lin's mind and dreams from the moment he lays eyes on her. As Lin befriends others who have recently arrived in the country, seeking to blend into the billions around him with vague and beige backstories, he meets a tour guide, Prabaker (Prabu). Their connection is almost instantaneous, soon becoming an entertaining pair throughout the narrative. Prabu is able to help Lin make numerous connections in and around the city. While they venture out to better explore Bombay and eventually other parts of the state, Lin learns the cultural differences between India and his Australian upbringing. As Prabu and Lin continue their adventures, the latter finds himself living in the city's slums and opens a medical clinic to cater to the poorest population, where Lin becomes involved with the shady underworld and black market living.
On his journey, the events and people around him cause his life to take a wild turn. He embarks on a series of dangerous adventures, whether it be moving to the poorest slum in Bombay, having intellectual conversations with the mafia members and getting involved in illegal activities, working for Bollywood, serving in prison, fighting in someone else’s war, being fascinated with the beautiful and elusive Karla all the while being utterly clueless about his goals.
Eventually, the protagonist Lin learns the most-used languages in Bombay and gets friendly with the people around him. When he goes to a trip in a small Maharashtrian village, a hometown of his friend Prabhakar, he gets acquainted with their lifestyle and starts living with them for a while. He is given the name Shantaram, meaning the man of peace, which resonates with him and seems to signal about his distant fate.
Throughout the book, Lin crosses paths with those whose simple conversations turn philosophical and force him to digest complex analyses of the universe's most basic concepts. When offered a position working in forged passports by the Bombay Mafia, Lin accepts, if only to explore new pathways to survival. His living in the slums of Bombay proves not only eye-opening but life-changing in ways that the reader can only understand by being enveloped in the larger narrative.
Even as Lin is able to build himself up in his new homeland, he is broken by the cruelest and most sadistic Indians, especially when his identity is learned and extradition considered. The author offers so much in this narrative that it is hard to summarise or believe that this is the life of a single man on the run. However, where truth ends and fiction commences, the reader is permitted a front seat for everything and the chance to change alongside Lin throughout.
Set in the early to mid-1980s, the story weaves together a collection of stories within Lin's Indian life, while also telling an overarching story of change and progress. The authors writing style is so blunt and yet smooth that the reader cannot help but get lost therein.
ok so here are some notable things about this book:
1) It is presented as a fiction novel but I'm 90% certain that these things all actually happened to the author. I think he wrote it as a novel so he could change some names and protect the innocent (or guilty).
2) Another amazing thing is how well it's written. The author isn't a trained writer, and I think he has a natural ability which is very rare. He wrote this novel a couple of times while in prison and each time the guards destroyed it. I am so glad and respect him for managing to write this story again. It really does show the author's ambition and drive. All of the characters are well developed and you find yourself wanting to know what happens with each of them--and there are a lot. I really cared about each of these people personally.
3) The descriptions of India and its people are fantastic. Life in the city and in the small village is graphically portrayed and I really felt I was living these sections.
4) The characters were exceptional. The characters in the story feel so real and vulnerable. I found them so interesting in their own way, most of them were immigrants with their own reasons for seeking asylum elsewhere. I loved Prabhaker and vikram. They were my favourite characters. I also liked, Didier, Ulla and the scarily insane Habib. I don't want to give anything away but I will say there are scenes that left me variously laughing out loud, desperately sad and/or pretty much revolted and scared witless – the latter particularly coming to the fore when our hero was temporarily incarcerated in Bombay’s Arthur Road Jail.
5) It's a book that really does stretch the emotions. I also enjoyed the way the underlying themes of freedom, loyalty, love (lots of love) and betrayal played out through the narrative.
I cannot finish this review without commenting on the narrator of the audiobook version of this massive tome. Humphrey Bower brought the story to life, from his melodious Australian accent in the narrative to the countless accents that he brought out to give characters their personality. Powerful and daunting, Bower deserves a shout out for his reading of this piece.
Kudos, Mr. Roberts for this epic story. With simplistic writing and complex threads, a vast array of readers will surely enjoy this book.
This book covers a wide variety of themes like friendship, love, exile, revenge, crime, poverty, communication. I feel like there’s a lot for everyone. A lot of events happen due to which the protagonist’s life changes a lot and we see him come to a sort of understanding of himself. The book had a witty writing and I found so many profound, ‘quotable’ quotes. Sometimes, I found things to be a little cheesy but I don’t mind it. The story was amazing!
Even though I was intimidated by the sheer size of the book in the beginning, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Apart from that, I highly recommend reading the book.
I found myself drawn to the complexities and nuances embedded throughout the text. As the novel opens, the reader is introduced to Lin, a man who has escaped his Australian jail and arrives in Bombay, hoping to hide in India's vast populace. Early on, Lin is forced to realize that India is a beast unlike any other; culturally, racially, and economically. It is, however, home to many who have the same idea, hiding from their criminal pasts elsewhere. These include Karla, a woman who occupies Lin's mind and dreams from the moment he lays eyes on her. As Lin befriends others who have recently arrived in the country, seeking to blend into the billions around him with vague and beige backstories, he meets a tour guide, Prabaker (Prabu). Their connection is almost instantaneous, soon becoming an entertaining pair throughout the narrative. Prabu is able to help Lin make numerous connections in and around the city. While they venture out to better explore Bombay and eventually other parts of the state, Lin learns the cultural differences between India and his Australian upbringing. As Prabu and Lin continue their adventures, the latter finds himself living in the city's slums and opens a medical clinic to cater to the poorest population, where Lin becomes involved with the shady underworld and black market living.
On his journey, the events and people around him cause his life to take a wild turn. He embarks on a series of dangerous adventures, whether it be moving to the poorest slum in Bombay, having intellectual conversations with the mafia members and getting involved in illegal activities, working for Bollywood, serving in prison, fighting in someone else’s war, being fascinated with the beautiful and elusive Karla all the while being utterly clueless about his goals.
Eventually, the protagonist Lin learns the most-used languages in Bombay and gets friendly with the people around him. When he goes to a trip in a small Maharashtrian village, a hometown of his friend Prabhakar, he gets acquainted with their lifestyle and starts living with them for a while. He is given the name Shantaram, meaning the man of peace, which resonates with him and seems to signal about his distant fate.
Throughout the book, Lin crosses paths with those whose simple conversations turn philosophical and force him to digest complex analyses of the universe's most basic concepts. When offered a position working in forged passports by the Bombay Mafia, Lin accepts, if only to explore new pathways to survival. His living in the slums of Bombay proves not only eye-opening but life-changing in ways that the reader can only understand by being enveloped in the larger narrative.
Even as Lin is able to build himself up in his new homeland, he is broken by the cruelest and most sadistic Indians, especially when his identity is learned and extradition considered. The author offers so much in this narrative that it is hard to summarise or believe that this is the life of a single man on the run. However, where truth ends and fiction commences, the reader is permitted a front seat for everything and the chance to change alongside Lin throughout.
Set in the early to mid-1980s, the story weaves together a collection of stories within Lin's Indian life, while also telling an overarching story of change and progress. The authors writing style is so blunt and yet smooth that the reader cannot help but get lost therein.
ok so here are some notable things about this book:
1) It is presented as a fiction novel but I'm 90% certain that these things all actually happened to the author. I think he wrote it as a novel so he could change some names and protect the innocent (or guilty).
2) Another amazing thing is how well it's written. The author isn't a trained writer, and I think he has a natural ability which is very rare. He wrote this novel a couple of times while in prison and each time the guards destroyed it. I am so glad and respect him for managing to write this story again. It really does show the author's ambition and drive. All of the characters are well developed and you find yourself wanting to know what happens with each of them--and there are a lot. I really cared about each of these people personally.
3) The descriptions of India and its people are fantastic. Life in the city and in the small village is graphically portrayed and I really felt I was living these sections.
4) The characters were exceptional. The characters in the story feel so real and vulnerable. I found them so interesting in their own way, most of them were immigrants with their own reasons for seeking asylum elsewhere. I loved Prabhaker and vikram. They were my favourite characters. I also liked, Didier, Ulla and the scarily insane Habib. I don't want to give anything away but I will say there are scenes that left me variously laughing out loud, desperately sad and/or pretty much revolted and scared witless – the latter particularly coming to the fore when our hero was temporarily incarcerated in Bombay’s Arthur Road Jail.
5) It's a book that really does stretch the emotions. I also enjoyed the way the underlying themes of freedom, loyalty, love (lots of love) and betrayal played out through the narrative.
I cannot finish this review without commenting on the narrator of the audiobook version of this massive tome. Humphrey Bower brought the story to life, from his melodious Australian accent in the narrative to the countless accents that he brought out to give characters their personality. Powerful and daunting, Bower deserves a shout out for his reading of this piece.
Kudos, Mr. Roberts for this epic story. With simplistic writing and complex threads, a vast array of readers will surely enjoy this book.
This book covers a wide variety of themes like friendship, love, exile, revenge, crime, poverty, communication. I feel like there’s a lot for everyone. A lot of events happen due to which the protagonist’s life changes a lot and we see him come to a sort of understanding of himself. The book had a witty writing and I found so many profound, ‘quotable’ quotes. Sometimes, I found things to be a little cheesy but I don’t mind it. The story was amazing!
Even though I was intimidated by the sheer size of the book in the beginning, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Apart from that, I highly recommend reading the book.
gatorbabe3's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.75