This is my favourite book of all time, when I finished reading it I felt as if a friend had left. Exotic setting and wonderful character depth!! The first paragraph is one for the ages.

Read this book. It is terrific

This is the first book I have felt the need that i must write a review. From the open line i was hooked. This Book has everything, from action to romance and philosophy. This will be a book i ll read again and again, and that is saying something considering its not a small book.

Stars: 6.0

The sensational epic novel Shantaram by Australian author Gregory David Roberts is one that I don't think I will ever forget for as long as I live. It is the best book I have ever read and giving it 5 stars just isn't enough to express how much I loved it and what a profound effect its author has had on the way I look at the world.

This is a book I savored like a last bottle of water in the desert, while reading several others in between over a period of five months, because I never wanted it to end. Its gripping, visceral descriptions of prison life will make you squirm in your seat and its heartrending passages about the loss of loved ones will have you weeping uncontrollably, but it will also make you daydream, smile, and laugh out loud.

The theme of Shantaram is the exile experience, alienation, and man's quest for meaning. It's also about shame and self-loathing, sadness and hope, fear and forgiveness, poverty and true wealth, understanding and catharsis. And above all, it is about love.

Shantaram (which is actually the second book in a trilogy that has not yet been published) for the most part takes place in Bombay (Mumbai) and the author's knowledge and love for the Indian people is so intoxicating and infectious that it will make you want to visit India with the hope that you will come to know its people in the same way. He describes the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and feel of India (as well as his romantic retreat in Goa and the war torn and ravaged Afghanistan) with as much perfect detail, love and care as a famous artist put into his masterpiece with each strategic brush stroke.

Shantaram is the story of the indomitable spirit of a man who has lost everything - whose will to survive is astonishing - and the lengths to which he will fight to climb out of the abyss, absolutely astounding. The main character who has a number of names: Linbaba, Lin, Shantaram…is a man who feels damned and beyond redemption because of the crimes he's committed (robbery, smuggling, gunrunning, counterfeiting, and working as a street soldier for the Bombay mafia) but who manages to find light, peace and salvation through the relationships he shares with the people he loves.

"It's forgiveness that makes us what we are. Without forgiveness, our species would've annihilated itself in endless retributions. Without forgiveness, there would be no history. Without that hope, there would be no art, for every work of art is in some way an act of forgiveness. Without that dream, there would be no love, for every act of love is in some way a promise to forget. We live on because we can love, and we love because we can forgive."

Based on many of the true life experiences of Gregory David Roberts - who after the failure of his marriage in Australia became a heroin addict, robber, inmate, escapee, and finally a refugee hiding out in India - Shantaram is stellar fiction that will leave you with many questions about how much of the story actually happened and how much was devised by Roberts' literary genius. You may also find yourself falling in love with its author because of his intellect, charisma, and the sheer magnitude of his gigantic heart.

This book should be required reading for every college and university student on the planet. It's a story that should be read, if possible, before embarking on the major part of your life's journey. It is filled with so many exquisitely written passages and profound and remarkable quotes that you will be able to find something in it to express almost every situation you could possibly encounter.

The characters, particularly his closest friends outside of the mafia council, such as Prabaker, Johnny Cigar, Qasim Ali Hussein and the slum dwellers, and the European crowd from Leopold's Bar: Karla, Lisa, Didier, Ulla and Modena, Maurizio, Lettie and Vikram, Scorpio George and Gemini George, as well as Abdullah, Khader Khan and the other members of the Bombay mafia, are richly developed and fully realized and as a reader you become invested in them as you experience their joys and tragedies. I believe that some of these characters were amalgamations of several different people who Roberts knew in India in the 80s, but the world he creates through their eyes is as complex and colourful as the one we live in at this moment. Rarely, have I read a book that so completely transported me into the author's world and seldom have I thought of one so much after I'd put the book down.

As I read the last few pages of this giant tome, tears trickled down my face, because of what Roberts had written in ending this part of his tale, and because I had come to the end and now I have to wait for the sequel to be published; hopefully in September 2011. Having a writer's work that is this good, to look forward to, is something exceptional indeed. Gregory David Roberts' life has been beyond extraordinary.

I was excited to start reading the book as I have been very interested lately in reading about India, people and culture. I found the book to be very long in some parts, almost not believable since it was about the author's life experience's.

I picked up this book at the airport waiting for a flight. What a rich experience. The writing is so rich. The pictures he paints for us to experience make every experience so real. At times there is so much to take in emotionally that I have to put the book down and digest it all. Definately worth a read especially to understand the inner workings of India and this one man's journey to understand the deeper meaning of life.

Loved the book. Roberts passion for India and its people is inspiring. There are a few sections that are tough to get through, but if you keep going, you will find a truly remarkable journey.

One of the most brilliant books I have ever read. I definitly recommend it.

I so enjoyed this book. Roberts gave me a taste of India that I haven't encountered in other books as well as a look at the seamier side of life. Roberts writes well and is humourous in his ability to try to replicate some of the cultural nuances he encounters. Close to the end of the book, the story seemed to veer off track, but then righted itself for the ending. A very enjoyable read.

If the authors autobiography is to be believed, this book is an amazing achievement and really worth the read. I did enjoy most of it.
I felt it was a very good book but not over the top great. At about a thousand pages long, whole sections could have been left out without ruining the core story. Or at very least split it into a separate book. The first 100 pages weren't entirely smooth but serve to set up the characters and a bit of the story line. The next 500 pages were exceptional in painting a really beautiful, vivid picture of people places and events. That section is what sold me on the book. At the end of that section I really cared for these fictional characters and wanted to know more about them.
But then the next 400 or so pages were boring and I felt extraneous to the story - the part where he goes off to war in Afghanistan. The outcomes contained in the 500 or so pages could have been summarized in a few paragraphs and been just as effective.
And then his writing style is unique. It is almost like he took beautifully conceived ideas, wrote long flowing sentences and then dropped them into the narrative.
Perhaps he was writing under the influence (ha) or perhaps like his fictional story, these words and ideas are someone else's that he incorporates into the story?
If you like long epics read this.

This book is a must read for anyone. I fell in love with its characters instantly. Especially Prabaker!! He was definately my favorite. Gregory David Roberts is a fantastic writer. It really felt like I was in India. I could see the sights, hear the sounds and smell the city. It made me fall in love with the country and made me excited to go and experience it myself.

oh my god, this book was amazing. someone recommended it because we were talking about rohinton mistry's "a fine balance". yes, it's 900 pages, but what pages! from the start it grabs you & won't let you go. the way mr roberts writes, it just made me totally want to go to india & have an adventure like that; it didn't matter about the poverty or dangers, it was all so fabulous & romantic. i fell in love with india totally because of his words & descriptions. i can't wait for the movie with johnnie depp, i think he'll do it justice, but i think of the author as blond...
this movie will not be able to capture all the wonderful experiences that the book gave us, so i urge everyone to read it before the movie & it becomes this huge deal!

I am not one to read autobiographies, but this one is a lot like an action movie. Shantaram is dramatic, poetic, passionate, deep, everything a great book needs to be to hold the reader's interest. This book opened my eyes to facts about my own country that I wasn't remotely aware of. Gregory David Roberts has experienced facets of the world that we can only read about and make ourselves content with, and read this book we absolutely must!

I LOVED this book. I knew I was in for a treat, because my friends who lent it to me did so by saying: "You are SO lucky!" I jumped on the Shantaram train and read like a fiend for days. This is a great vacation book, cold winter day book or anytime book. What a fun read.

I couldn't finish it, too boring

What a life Gregory David Roberts has had! I was in India when I read Shantaram by this author, and noticed how thorough and accurate he is in describing Indian culture, people, and places. But by no means is the book ever dull or tedious in its description and the plotline constantly sizzles with tension, love, action... you will feel every human emotion while reading this 900 page book. Even though it's a long read, you will never want to put the book down; suspense, action, comedy; the relationships and characters are so real. It's surprising to note that, besides the plotline and GDR's character, the book is largely fiction. You really won't believe it once you've read it. The scenes are vivid: from the dirty but bright Bombay streets to it's dim and dank alleyways, all the way to a Bollywood film set and its characters. No detail is left alone; the traffic is particularly realistic, as I remember all too well.
Most notably, there is none of the cliche India in this novel (if you are looking for a travel- type book chok-full of descriptions of bazaars, spices, and mysticism, this is not for you!)
What else could you want from a fiction novel?
This is the real India.

This book was recommended to me by a friend who said it was a fascinating read - it was an understatement! Initially daunted by the sheer size of the novel, I was drawn in from the very first sentence and found I could not put it down. Gregory David Roberts is certainly one of the most gifted story tellers, taking you to places that will long remain in your mind.
I would highly recommend this book.

I received this book as a Christmas gift and haven't been able to put it down since then. The author's writing style is so beautiful, especially the manner in which he describes the people he meets and the landscapes of Bombay and other areas he visits in India. His story, as well as the way he expresses his thoughts and those of other characters, is truly inspirational, to say the least. I can't wait for the movie (apparently to star Johnny Depp as the lead and perhaps some Bollywood actors).

Every page of this book has impressed me, every page has made me think and has challenged my heart and spirit. This book is work of genius. I will never forget this book...