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Shantaram  By  cover art

Shantaram

By: Gregory David Roberts
Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
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Publisher's summary

Based on his own extraordinary life, Gregory David Roberts’ Shantaram is a mesmerizing novel about a man on the run who becomes entangled within the underworld of 1980s Bombay—the basis for the Apple + TV series starring Charlie Hunnam.

“It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured.”

An escaped convict with a false passport, Lin flees maximum security prison in Australia for the teeming streets of Bombay, where he can disappear. Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, the two enter the city’s hidden society of beggars and gangsters, prostitutes and holy men, soldiers and actors, and Indians and exiles from other countries, who seek in this remarkable place what they cannot find elsewhere.

As a hunted man without a home, family, or identity, Lin searches for love and meaning while running a clinic in one of the city’s poorest slums, and serving his apprenticeship in the dark arts of the Bombay mafia. The search leads him to war, prison torture, murder, and a series of enigmatic and bloody betrayals. The keys to unlock the mysteries and intrigues that bind Lin are held by two people. The first is Khader Khan: mafia godfather, criminal-philosopher-saint, and mentor to Lin in the underworld of the Golden City. The second is Karla: elusive, dangerous, and beautiful, whose passions are driven by secrets that torment her and yet give her a terrible power.

Burning slums and five-star hotels, romantic love and prison agonies, criminal wars and Bollywood films, spiritual gurus and mujaheddin guerrillas—this huge novel has the world of human experience in its reach, and a passionate love for India at its heart.

©2003 Gregory David Roberts (P)2006 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Shantaram is a novel of the first order, a work of extraordinary art, a thing of exceptional beauty. If someone asked me what the book was about, I would have to say everything, every thing in the world. Gregory David Roberts does for Bombay what Lawrence Durrell did for Alexandria, what Melville did for the South Seas, and what Thoreau did for Walden Pond: He makes it an eternal player in the literature of the world." (Pat Conroy)

"[A] sprawling, intelligent novel…full of vibrant characters…the exuberance of his prose is refreshing…Roberts brings us through Bombay's slums and opium houses, its prostitution dens and ex-pat bars, saying, You come now. And we follow." (The Washington Post)

"Few stand out quite like Shantaram …nothing if not entertaining. Sometimes a big story is its own best reward." (The New York Times)

What listeners say about Shantaram

Average customer ratings
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    4 out of 5 stars

Can be a bit of a slog at times

The story continually ebbs and flows, sometimes it can get monotonous but it keeps your interest and you want to just keep turning the pages

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Superb!!

I loved this story. I laugh out loud and cried. It's a story you must hear! It's so full of every feeling and emotion. I couldn't stop listening. By far, the best book I've read in YEARS!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Writing & performance a triumph

Meaning of life theme, varied and layered plot, rich and dimensional description, narrator’s astounding performance combine to make this an exquisite listen/read. Bravo, bravo to both Gregory David Roberts and Humphrey Bower!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Wow!!

Truly magnificent!!! An enchanting and life enriching story!! Humphrey took it to the next level!! Thoroughly enjoyed it!!

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Gripping story that stays with you.

This was a long listen but worth it. I didn't want it to end. I enjoyed the insight into his life and the details about inner city life in the slums that I had never heard before.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Hard to decide

There were so many beautiful passages in this book describing India as he saw it. These passages are then followed by an extremely verbose description that tends to get carried away with a running metaphor into an aphorism.( similar to my last sentence)

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best book ever!

incredible book. I loved it. romantic and adventurous. narrated by an incredible reader. storyline is in exotic India. in Bombay. what an introduction to the streets of India and a story about escape, survival, love, friendship and human fragility

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Wow!!

This captivating story and compelling imagery is a delight and heartbreaking all within the rich tapestry that is Shantaram. A vitally alive journey of courage and heart.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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a gift for words

shabtaram is one of the best books I have read and absolutely the best book I have ever listened to. the author has an incredible gift for language and imagry. there are many quotes and phrases I will use.
one caution - there is a LOT of profanity and drugs, including heroine, are discussed frequently. I would not recommend this for young readers, but college and possibly high school students will both enjoy it and learn how to write better. terrific book that I cannot recommend enough to the appropriate audience.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Touched upon every emotion!

One of the greatest books I have had the pleasure of reading. Truly a masterpiece!

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