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Moderate: Addiction
Lastly, as a non crier, this made me cry because I loved a charecter so thoroughly.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation, Pandemic/Epidemic
The author has created an engaging story from a main character you can’t help but love. His willingness to give to others when he himself is lacking, his ability to forgive and love despite atrocious actions and circumstances, and his aspirations to learn everything about the cultures he’s surrounded by is truly inspiring.
I want to recommend everyone read this book, it hits almost every genre and has such a wide variety of characters that it’d be hard to dislike.
Heartwarming and heartwrenching at the same time.
Please read this book.
Thank you Cas for recommending <3
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Confinement, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Grief, War
This is a book I was buying for people before I finished.
AND, this book is heavy. (A lot of trigger warnings.)
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Sexual harassment
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
There are two things I'm still chewing on after reading. The first is the matter of authenticity and authorial honesty. Shantaram is marketed as fiction, but the events are obviously inspired by the author's real life experiences in 1980s Mumbai and characters are either entirely real people or are barely-hidden composites of real people. Unfortunately, Prabaker's real-life family disputes the events as told in the story, which gives the story more than a hint of exploitation. This, in addition to the history of Orientalism and travel books going back to the 1960s, put Shantaram in somewhat uncomfortable company.
The second concerning aspect is the core philosophy seemingly held by the author and doled out over the course of the narrative. As Lin learns through his conversations with
Despite the above, I'd recommend reading this book to anybody who enjoys characters who are larger than life. Each little interaction in Leopold's or the slums was leaps and bounds more interesting than some of the more fantastical plot points!
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, War
Moderate: Car accident
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Violence, War
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Cultural appropriation