Published in the summer of 2003, Shantaram is one of my favorite novels to date because of so many reasons. Not only is it an autobiographical account of the author, it has spice, emotions and a message in each and every chapter that you read. Even to this day, this book is a bestseller and tells the real life story of the author, Gregory David Roberts, an escaped convict from an Australian prison.
The book takes off when the author escapes to India and ends up staying there for the next ten years, the experiences which ultimately are explained in the book. He meets many people from different walks of life in the city of Mumbai and his experiences there end up shaping his destiny.
Normally we come across biographies that are boring to the core but Shantaram is not one of those. The events in the book take place at such a frantic pace that one feels as if they are watching a movie instead. Every chapter in a small story in itself; for example the way the author gets the name Shantara, meaning Man of Peace.
While Roberts tries his best to live a decent and honest life in India, he invariably tends to go back to his old criminal ways now and then. He then realizes his mistake and tries to make amends for it and this is why the book felt so special to me. It carries a message that our past does not govern our future and that even in times of evil, we can return back to the ways of honesty.
We are also introduced to the character of Carla, who plays Shantaram's love interest in the book. Shantaram also travel to Afghanistan and Africa in between where he gets involved in dealing of illegal arms. However, once his mentor and confidante dies, Lin realizes his mistakes and decides to live an honest life thereafter.
The book ends with the hint of a sequel when Lin travels to Sri Lanka to continue his spiritual journey. All in all, Shantaram is a wonderful book and a must read for every book lover. It is available at all leading bookstores but my suggestion would be to purchase this from online retailers as they offer some great discounts on all kinds of books including this one.
The book takes off when the author escapes to India and ends up staying there for the next ten years, the experiences which ultimately are explained in the book. He meets many people from different walks of life in the city of Mumbai and his experiences there end up shaping his destiny.
Normally we come across biographies that are boring to the core but Shantaram is not one of those. The events in the book take place at such a frantic pace that one feels as if they are watching a movie instead. Every chapter in a small story in itself; for example the way the author gets the name Shantara, meaning Man of Peace.
While Roberts tries his best to live a decent and honest life in India, he invariably tends to go back to his old criminal ways now and then. He then realizes his mistake and tries to make amends for it and this is why the book felt so special to me. It carries a message that our past does not govern our future and that even in times of evil, we can return back to the ways of honesty.
We are also introduced to the character of Carla, who plays Shantaram's love interest in the book. Shantaram also travel to Afghanistan and Africa in between where he gets involved in dealing of illegal arms. However, once his mentor and confidante dies, Lin realizes his mistakes and decides to live an honest life thereafter.
The book ends with the hint of a sequel when Lin travels to Sri Lanka to continue his spiritual journey. All in all, Shantaram is a wonderful book and a must read for every book lover. It is available at all leading bookstores but my suggestion would be to purchase this from online retailers as they offer some great discounts on all kinds of books including this one.
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