"The Shantaram" by David Roberts, review from @kiorsergey

Gregory David Roberts the author of "Shantaram" suffered from heroin addiction, robbed banks, was caught and sentenced to imprisonment for 19 years. Two years later, he managed to escape from an Australian prison and to get to Bombay, India where he lived for 10 years, contacting the local mafia.

In 1990, Roberts was caught the second time while illegally importing heroin into Germany. The authorities subsequently extradited him to Australia, where he spent six more years in prison.

At this time, Roberts begins the work on the novel "Shantaram." Twice prison guards destroyed the manuscripts. After the release, there came the opportunity to finish the work completely. In 2003, the novel was published and eventually became a cult novel.

Now about the book itself. "Shantaram" is somewhat an autobiographical novel. The heroes of the book are fictional, but the events are real. The action in the novel unfolds in India in the 80's. It begins with the protagonist named Lin, having escaped from prison, comes to Bombay and gets acquainted with the guy from the slums - Prabaker. Soon they become friends, and Lin, hiding from the police, also settles in the slums, where he begins to treat people. The mother of Prabaker gives Lin a new name - Shantaram, which means "peaceful man." Soon Shantaram connects with the local mafia and all that’s where the all story becomes really interesting. The book is very long, but it reads in one breath. It’s written simply and with humor.

I really like how the author describes the life in the Bombay slums. It’s enjoyable to read how India changed the protagonist and what he learned from the inhabitants of this country. The characters in the novel are fleshed out well. After I read the novel, I felt like going to India. This action-filled novel is also profound. It contains philosophical and religious arguments. The love line in the novel is also present. The protagonist’s love interest appears in the narrative rarely, but aptly.

"Shantaram" is not without drawbacks. In my opinion, the book drags on too long. At some point, after the five hundredth page, Lin is leaving for Afghanistan on an assignment. To me, these Afghan adventures, lasting three hundred pages, seem a bit extraneous. The Indian adventures were quite plentiful.

Recently appeared the second book - "Shadow of the Mountain", which drags the story even further. It seems to me that the author simply could find the proper time to stop.

Therefore, my score: 8 out of 10.

Still, "Shantaram" is one of the most interesting books I've read in recent years. I recommend it.

Respectfully, @kiorsergey.