Shantaram book review

On a holiday in Turkey, I settled down to read the book Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.

The book is a work of fiction but is based loosely on the life of Gregory after his escape from an Australian prison.

The story starts with the main character "Lin", who is on the run, having just arrived in Mumbai (Bombay) in the 80's. Lin ends up living a fascinating life and experiences the joys and hardships of Mumbai at the time.

In the book, it is hard to distinguish where the border lies between fiction and reality. The descriptions within the book are incredibly detailed. The story gets introduced in such a way and the character portrayals are so good, that one can mistake them as facts. These detailed descriptions are most prevalent and appreciated in the first half of the book. As the book progresses, they increasingly feel dragged out. Towards the end, one wants to get to the point.

Overall, the book is a particularly enjoyable read. I recommend it but keep in mind, that it takes work to get through.