You sometimes come across books that make you pause and think, ponder over the bigger questions of life and you find yourself philosophising pain, hurt, joy, love and your very existence. They turn you into an Aristotle. This is the literature that you cherish long after having read them.
I have now added Shantaram to that list. It is profound, without being pretentious. It is clever, without being serious and it is so engaging that I read it in a week straight (might I mention at this point, its over 900 pages thick.)
Briefly, it is the story of an Australian fugitive on the run. Landing in Bombay after breaking jail, he refuses to leave the city. He's falls in love with the country and soon surrenders to India and its varied charms. From living in the slums, and playing the local doctor, to working for the mafia, he does it all.
But the book is as much about the story, as it is about the narrator and the characters he writes. The writing is impeccable. Gregory writes beautifully, and that is one of the things that sets this book apart. Gregory takes you on a journey, and you are soon at his mercy riding the roller coaster of his own emotions. His words have the power to make you laugh and cry. They wrench your heart and soar it high, as you join Lin baba in his adventures.
I've always thought, a great writer is always a great observer of life. And Gregrory proves this better than anybody else I have read. He observes, he thinks and he expresses. He had me hooked from the first sentence " 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." … Not once, but several times I found myself pausing and re reading sentences. The book is dog eared beyond repair.
Also as a brilliant story teller, he tells an engaging tale. The book is fast paced and characters enter and leave the plot with perfect timing. Humour is timely and mostly dry. Characterization is meaty and complete.
All in all, a brilliant book. A great read suitable for all tastes. It has it all - Drugs, Bollywood, mafia, murders, poverty, love and betrayal - a true 'masala' book as we would say in India!
Shantaram also happened to be the third good book I read in a row! Recommend all of them.
As an aside, and ironically all of these were recommendations from friends! So, while I am on book reviews, might be worth mentioning the others.
- Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams (and Mark Cawardine): Much like Hitchhikers Guide, Adams injects humour into this book as he travels through the world looking for endangered species. Its a fascinating account of some of the most interesting creatures around the world. Telling his experiences through his deadpanned British humour glasses, Adams points out human frailties. This, for example, "The great thing about being the only species that makes a distinction between right and wrong, is that we can make up the rules for ourselves as we go along."
Its an easy read and has some interesting facts that I didn't know.
Apparently, this was also turned into a BBC series, which I didn't know about, but guess what I am looking to watch now!
- World War Z by Max Brooks: Nothing you expect it to be! Yes, its zombie fiction, and yes it talks about the apocalyptic world. But the similarities with other 'zombie' books ends there. The visceral gore is missing, for one. WWZ is written as a series of interviews with survivors done by the UN, after the war against zombies is over. There is no central character, but as the interviewees come from a range of cultural and geographic backgrounds, Brooks has had the opportunity to also raise several political issues. The stories of survival by themselves are interesting and entertaining. The idea of WWZ marking the end of a world as we are aware of, is the central theme.
Again, and easy and interesting read.
Here's to more reading in 2012!
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