AN ABSOLUTELY, MAGNIFICENT , MASTERPIECE!!

Words fail to describe how good this book is!! It is 43 hours long and I loved every minute. I can honestly say that there was not a moment that I was not gripped with this epic drama.

The story is set in India and is about an Australian fugitive and the friendships he makes with people in the slums, the local mafia and other foreign nationals. This book is based on
the life of the author who did all those things. It is unclear how much is fact and how much is fiction. However, I am sure that the author's experience contributes to the life-like characters and the feeling that you are in the heart of India as the story unfolds.

The book is a literary work of genius. Wonderfully written. There were so many thought-provoking moments.

The narration is brilliant and the narrator slips easily into the Hindi and Marathi. It is true that he does not express the voices of women as well, but this did not disrupt my enjoyment of this book. I believe this book took 13 years to write and you will be able to see why.

I loved it! Loved it ! Loved it!

This is a wonderful book, a masterpiece that is made up the stories of so many different characters that are all closely woven together, in a beautiful, colourful, warm, blanket. I can see why this book is an international bestseller.

This book is highly recommended! Do not be put off by the size of it, you will not be disappointed.

33 people found this helpful

An incredible piece of art (written & narrated)

I had read Shantaram in 2009 whilst travelling through India and loved the story so much that I recomended this book to all my friends and family. I wanted to read the book again but decided to listen to the audio version instead. I was concerned that i might not enjoy the experience as much and probably end up dissapointed as when you see a bad film version of a book you have loved and enjoyed so much. To my delight i was hooked right from the start. What an incredible performance by the narrator Humphrey Bower! It has been an amazing experience. Thank you for putting your heart and soul in this beautifully written book.

28 people found this helpful

Enjoy the Ride!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

To a friend used to the kinds of beautifully-crafted prose that might be expected in a typical work of literary fiction, and for whom the quality of the writing itself is important I would suggest they think twice before starting this book. As other reviewers have said, it contains a good deal of pompous, purple, cliche-ridden and dubious writing and is the worse for it. However to a friend who loves an adventure novel, a travel book and a ripping yarn, I would heartily recommend. The cast of characters is cliched, many of them horribly stereotyped, thin and poorly drawn, the first-person narrator comes across as a narcissistic twit and I'm astonished these problems with the book were not better addressed at editing stage. By contrast the characters of Bombay, of Pakistan and Afghanistan, of the bars and chai shops and streets and slums are deliciously, sensuously described and are the real stars of this huge great show of a novel. What Gregory David Roberts lacks in creating believable, sympathetic characters he more than makes up for in writing a romping good story, full of exquisite descriptive detail, brilliant highs and desperate, heart rending lows. Humphrey Bower's handling of the many voices, accents and dialects in this novel, and the range of feeling he communicates is a joy to listen to. I was close to giving up on the book after the first few chapters because the writing was annoying me so much. How grateful I am to have persevered; to have stopped judging the book by its faults, and to simply enjoy it for the rollicking good ride that it is.

Have you listened to any of Humphrey Bower’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I hadn't come across Humphrey Bower before but will now be seeking out more of his work: the reading was first-class.

19 people found this helpful

Changed my life

This book came to me at a time when I didn’t know it was what I needed. It was the most stunning, passionate, moving, vibrant, intricate and inventive story I have ever heard and it will mean a great deal to me for the rest of my life, I think. I was writing down quotes as I went and it was narrated exceptionally beautifully. I narrate audiobooks so I have extremely high expectations for how well it must be done, and for me, this felt like a masterclass, the standard of which I will aspire to reach in my own work. If you are hurting, if you have regrets, if you are soul searching or lost, or if you just bloody love India, I cannot recommend this novel highly enough. The way it intwines deep philosophical intellect and discussion into a thrilling, page turning plot without distracting, or being indulgent, but making it relevant to every move every character makes, and expanding the minds of the reader along the way, is quite astonishing. I am so glad I chose to listen to this book.

4 people found this helpful

fabulous!!!!

Absolutely loved every minute of it and didn't want it to end. it's been my best friend through my headphones on my early morning runs for three weeks and I've lost a great companion. Narration is fantastic and hats off to Humphrey Bower.

3 people found this helpful

Excellent reading of a great story

What made the experience of listening to Shantaram the most enjoyable?

I'd read the book before and really enjoyed it. I saw it was available on Audible and thought that, if well done, it would be a fantastic audiobook to get completely immersed in. I wasn't disappointed. The book is not without its flaws, but it's a compelling and epic story that I find myself totally hooked by.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hard to pick a favourite as there are so many compelling characters. I think the audio version of the book really brought out some of the more minor characters, for example Didier.

What about Humphrey Bower’s performance did you like?

I was impressed by his ability to voice all the characters. There are so many and I thought he did a really good job giving each an individual voice.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

So many - and impossible to say without giving major spoilers!

Any additional comments?

A great book, turned into a brilliant audiobook.

17 people found this helpful

True lies make excellent stories

This is a great story, an old fashion yarn, some of it is true some is writers licence, this is not a negative, if anything it makes the tale more interesting and characters more lovable; because y suspect that unadorned and unromanticized they would be run of the mill thugs or drug addicts. the writer loves to infuse this ruffians with noble ideas and grandiose motives for their dastardly actions, it gives him and his egoism a better defense and a more romantic persona.
The Bombay underworld and Bombay in the eighties open up to be explored in the pages of this book and this never disappoints giving us many surprises and unimaginable experiences, a little of rural India seeps through and glimps of what was to become the modern Muslim movement beginning to awaken from India to Afghanistan, during the russian occupation, some of those conversations are prophetic but unaware of their place in history.
The editor was not present enough in some places, this is a large book that could have been tighten up a little with out loosing any of its charm. For me the philosophising from some of the character was not handle properly, and was way too long, but that is a minor complaint when you consider all the good in this book.
You will not be disappointed, this is a fun and interesting read that lends itself to some investigation in the net, where you will find plenty of controversy on the veracity of some of the writers claims; I found that even the deniers some how proved that a lot the tale is true or based on fact.
The reader was excellent and made the book come alive.

12 people found this helpful

Loved it!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, his time in the real India being the an honest and colourful image.

2 people found this helpful

Great for a rookie!

If you could sum up Shantaram in three words, what would they be?

Brave, free, good

Who was your favorite character and why?

Having spent some time traveling in India I could relate to quite a few of the characters. Prabu is my favourite because he made me feel happy!

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The book gets darker as it goes on so I really enjoyed the naive getting to know India/ Mumbai in the beginning of the book.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I am unfortunately no copywriter...

Any additional comments?

This is a great book for all that love India. Gregory David Roberts has very much grasped how India is a very orderly mess. That's how I always felt about the place.

8 people found this helpful

Must read..

I was basically hooked into this book.. Can't believe I waited so long.. must read..learnt so many things that I did not know about India..

4 people found this helpful