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mallorypen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I knew this was going to be a challenge when I started it, but I didn’t anticipate how much of a challenge it would really be. Overall, I think there were some really special moments in this book; however, the stream of conscious storytelling method, the inherent cruelty of the majority of the characters, and the one dimensional portrayal of women made this book a really tough read.
Not to mention the length.
I like a long book, don’t get me wrong - but the meandering pace of this novel felt like a structural issue and not a storytelling choice. It does read like nonfiction in the sense that it goes from plot point to plot point without what feels like an overarching through line, but overall I felt like so much could have been trimmed to tighten up the story while still getting the philosophical points across.
I was over Karla as a character pretty much from the start. A weird mix between a manic pixie dream girl and a tortured soul, I got the impression that Lin fell in love with the idea of her, rather than who she actually was. There was no trust, no communication, and really nothing but the “put her on a pedestal” behavior that could have been generated from his time in prison and the relationship he had there.
All of the female characters were one dimensional. The male characters were allowed to be flawed and imperfect and ugly and handsome and smart and foolish, but the women all felt like caricatures. Madame Zhou was a villianess; Karla was the sultry femme fatale; Lisa was the virgin prositute; Orla was the flighty ditz; Prabaku’s mother was just a mother.
Other than the people in the slum, I disliked all the main characters. There was a lot of philosophical discussions on how to take evil deeds and make excuses for them, and to see the people enacting those deeds as Robin Hood-esque heroes. So many terrible things were done and explained away by “he was like my father/brother” and none of the kindnesses or wisdom from those characters felt honest or admirable as a result.
I gave the 2.75 stars because there were vignettes that were beautiful and enjoyable to read, and though initially I got flavors of white savior from Lin, I really did think he braces the culture in the end and respected it and its people authentically.
Not to mention the length.
I like a long book, don’t get me wrong - but the meandering pace of this novel felt like a structural issue and not a storytelling choice. It does read like nonfiction in the sense that it goes from plot point to plot point without what feels like an overarching through line, but overall I felt like so much could have been trimmed to tighten up the story while still getting the philosophical points across.
I was over Karla as a character pretty much from the start. A weird mix between a manic pixie dream girl and a tortured soul, I got the impression that Lin fell in love with the idea of her, rather than who she actually was. There was no trust, no communication, and really nothing but the “put her on a pedestal” behavior that could have been generated from his time in prison and the relationship he had there.
All of the female characters were one dimensional. The male characters were allowed to be flawed and imperfect and ugly and handsome and smart and foolish, but the women all felt like caricatures. Madame Zhou was a villianess; Karla was the sultry femme fatale; Lisa was the virgin prositute; Orla was the flighty ditz; Prabaku’s mother was just a mother.
Other than the people in the slum, I disliked all the main characters. There was a lot of philosophical discussions on how to take evil deeds and make excuses for them, and to see the people enacting those deeds as Robin Hood-esque heroes. So many terrible things were done and explained away by “he was like my father/brother” and none of the kindnesses or wisdom from those characters felt honest or admirable as a result.
I gave the 2.75 stars because there were vignettes that were beautiful and enjoyable to read, and though initially I got flavors of white savior from Lin, I really did think he braces the culture in the end and respected it and its people authentically.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Violence, Vomit, Murder, and War
Moderate: Hate crime and War
tanya_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, War, and Injury/Injury detail
jennimunro's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Violence, and War
booksonadventures's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
• Things that worked: vivid descriptions of India, insight into symbiosis between crime and poverty, thought-provoking philosophical discussions.
• Things that didn’t: pretentious and “too-good-to-be-true” main character (Lin), longer than necessary.
Early in Shantaram and fresh off the plane from Australia, Lin comments on the unique “freedom” of Indian people living in slums. TBH I almost quit the book right there. I’m not interested in reading about white people who travel to romanticize poverty. Despite my efforts to hate Lin, I stuck with it (mainly due to Prabaker ❤️), and somehow got swept up in this mind-blowing epic of love, life, brotherhood, and betrayal.
I wouldn’t say I LIKE Lin—he’s painfully pretentious—but I did grow to respect him. Despite being the convenient hero of every story (🙄), Lin does a decent job of acknowledging his arrogance & showing how his white saviorism doesn’t hold up in reality. I also believe that GDR genuinely attempted to illustrate the heart of India, with all its nuance and chaos, making Bombay the most fascinating character in the story.
Look, this is a LONG book, and it’s packed to the brim with dizzying escapades, from the poorest slums to Bollywood, from mafia mansions to the middle of a war in Afghanistan. The author claims this novel is based entirely on his real experiences with fictionalized characters, but it’s obvious that much of this novel is fiction, including his infallible alter-ego.
GDR used a lot of foreshadowing and epiphanies throughout this novel, with a reflective and overly embellished writing style that’s certainly not for everyone. Some parts are ridiculous, but others moved me. Shantaram didn’t need to be 900 pages, but there are enough nuggets of wisdom and “Indian heart” buried among the pseudo-philosophy that I feel it was worth my time.
Final thoughts: 👍🏻 Recommended, but not a new favorite by any means.
• Things that didn’t: pretentious and “too-good-to-be-true” main character (Lin), longer than necessary.
Early in Shantaram and fresh off the plane from Australia, Lin comments on the unique “freedom” of Indian people living in slums. TBH I almost quit the book right there. I’m not interested in reading about white people who travel to romanticize poverty. Despite my efforts to hate Lin, I stuck with it (mainly due to Prabaker ❤️), and somehow got swept up in this mind-blowing epic of love, life, brotherhood, and betrayal.
I wouldn’t say I LIKE Lin—he’s painfully pretentious—but I did grow to respect him. Despite being the convenient hero of every story (🙄), Lin does a decent job of acknowledging his arrogance & showing how his white saviorism doesn’t hold up in reality. I also believe that GDR genuinely attempted to illustrate the heart of India, with all its nuance and chaos, making Bombay the most fascinating character in the story.
Look, this is a LONG book, and it’s packed to the brim with dizzying escapades, from the poorest slums to Bollywood, from mafia mansions to the middle of a war in Afghanistan. The author claims this novel is based entirely on his real experiences with fictionalized characters, but it’s obvious that much of this novel is fiction, including his infallible alter-ego.
GDR used a lot of foreshadowing and epiphanies throughout this novel, with a reflective and overly embellished writing style that’s certainly not for everyone. Some parts are ridiculous, but others moved me. Shantaram didn’t need to be 900 pages, but there are enough nuggets of wisdom and “Indian heart” buried among the pseudo-philosophy that I feel it was worth my time.
Final thoughts: 👍🏻 Recommended, but not a new favorite by any means.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, and Violence
suplespa's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Sexual assault
amandajoy's review
I just did not have the patience to read about a self indulgent white guy. Maybe I’ll come back to it another time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Drug use, and Violence