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I clenched my teeth against the stars. I closed my eyes. I surrendered to sleep. One of the reasons why we crave love, and seek it so desperately, is that love is the only cure for loneliness, and shame, and sorrow. But somehow feelings sink so deep into the heart that only loneliness can help you find them again. Some truths about yourself are so painful that only shame can help you live with them. And some things are just so sad that only your soul can do the crying for you.
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This is not a book review.
A story of an Australian Prisoner who makes his way to Mumbai (India) and falls in love with the love of the city. Gregory David Roberts is telling us one hell of a story.
I have read quite a few Indian Authors (Vikram Seth, Rohinton Mistry to name a few), no doubt their work is a work of literature, but what is annoying about these authors is them being an NRI they write plenty about the people and the cities of India. The picture painted is morose and to a huge extent embarrassing and untrue. They try to portray their faint memories of India in the 1980s to a world of readers that belong to this generation.
Quite the opposite, Gregory David Roberts aka Shantaram reminds us, through his own special story, how beautiful our country is. I will not deny that there are no mentions of the gruesomeness that at times we face in India, but what is highlighted (rightly) is how the love of this country makes you accept it, with a lesson to learn.
Gregory (I hope he doesn’t mind me calling that 
), takes us through a journey, a memorable journey of truth and love, sorrow and forgiveness, passion and freedom. He speaks volumes about the millions in Mumbai, the love and care in the slums, the gruesomeness of the jail, the fight with addictions, the pride of the mafia, and the war for freedom. When you complete this journey you feel like you have lived his life.
Some moments in the story such as the time when Gregory is fighting through a cold turkey to emancipate from heroin addiction you feel that you are a part of his struggle, and you want to reach out to him and affirm that it will be over soon.
And then there are moments such as the time when the two friends unite (Shantaram and Abdullah) when you want to rejoice the occasion.
To give away any part of the story will be committing injustice to the serenity of the expressions of the author. I have tried to influence a lot of people to read the book and will continue to do so.
Please read it. Its worth every tick of your time.
PS:
When I heard that Mira Nair is making a movie based on the Shantaram I swore I will not watch it. This book has captured too much of my imagination to see it dismayed by Choclate Hero Johny Depp playing the role of Shantaram.
M Glad that Shantaram has been reviewed on the site. It definitely stands among the best I’ve read,there in the line along the likes of ‘Godfather’,'Da vince code’ etc n the thing that its a true story[tho listed as a fiction!] makes it stand apart. The issue is that its about life.
When I lay my hands on the book, I hardly expected to find a literary classic.I had a shabby, but juicy, tale of an escaped convict on mind. But Shantaram belies all such prejudices. The writer isn’t a everyday convict you try to visualise. He is a bloody damn intellectual. And his phrases,premises are fresh,honest and damn intelligent. it just hits you hard whenever you realise the meaning of a phrase,which are so many in no. Itz wot u call as unconventional…totally novel ideas for a novel..
Wit apart,there’s also so much of humanity in there….almost in every line of the book…in one or the other corner…and Roberts does give a totally new perspective of India,our nation… i suggest that every Indian shud read this book 2 knw abt our motherland which most of us despise so easily without knowin itz true worth…the book in a way has somethng 4 everybody…itz a sort of new education in itself in a way..n da quotes…u’ll be findin many of those copied n adapted 2 screenplay in the future movies…
itz said dat ‘literature makes a human-humane’…anybody who doesnt understand this,shud go thro da book..
Gregory is undeniably one of the greatest authors who speak right from their heart and pen down their experience with intricate details which makes our reading a worthwhile journey.He has portrayed India in it’s true sense, highlighting the love and affection of the citizens rather than dwelling deep into the blatant criticism of the system which is found in many books concerning life in India.
As an Indian, I can suggest people who want to know more about India to go thru this book and I’m pretty sure that you wont be let down in your literary tast until the last page.Meeting Gregory is my lifetime dream.
Chris for president
i came across Shantaram when i was going through a tough period in my life. it felt like the book was talkin to me. some passages were written to me, about me. And i ve not come across anyone who has read the book and not felt the same way about it. It has something to teach to everyone. its so universal in this way and yet so uniquely personal to each one for what it has to teach you.
I ve to agree i being an Indian never could see my country the way this “foreigner” could.
he is more Indian than most of us. i know am going to turn to this book through many more struggles and tough times. THANKYOU GREGORY
aka movies…
There is so much you can write about aka movies….
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