Book Review: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

"You went nuts about Shantaram." He said in a teasing tone.
"I still am" in awe of endurance a character could contain.

"The world and I are not on the speaking terms, the world tries to win me back but it doesn’t work. I guess I’m just not forgiving type”

Shantaram is one of those rarest reads that lead me to a post-Shantaram phase for a very long time. I was unable to connect to any other book I read. I went back again, and then again, to re-read my favourite excerpts from the book. One day, I ended up browsing on google that which books could be a good read after Shantaram and, to my surprise I found a couple of random forums discussing the same effect of the book on them. 

"A lot of bad stuff in the world was not really bad until someone tried to change it."

Book is possibly a true account of writer's journey to the Mumbai Slums and underworld after his stint in Australian prison for the robbery. He has beautifully connected the dots of his life to make it a fiction and classic worth reading once. We see the streets of Mumbai from a foreigner perspective but if you have ever stayed there you will realise how honestly he has caricatured the heart and soul of the city. Book really touched the untouched strings of my heart and inspired me to come out of a difficult phase of life and hence, the picture here describes my journey to the book.

“I don’t know what scares me more, the madness that smashes people down, or their ability to endure it."

This book makes you ponder that what life actually has in store for you or for ‘Shantaram’. I sometimes wonder how much a human can bear, how much I can put up with and then I see events unfolding for Shantaram. Reading a book like this one gives you strength and courage to put up with the harsh uncertainties of life. It can be very well kept in your bookshelf alongside any of Ayn Rand's work. It took me two months to complete the book as every page introduced a new set of beliefs, a new set of answers to the questions I have never been able to frame. 

“Fate is a way of beating us in a fair fight, is to give us warnings that we hear, but never heed.”

"If fate doesn't make you laugh, then you just don't get the joke."

“There is a toughness that is found in the worst sorrow.”

“Depression only happens to people who don’t know how to be sad.”

“She would’ve done anything for him. Some women are like that. Some loves are like that. Most loves are like that, from what I can see. Your heart starts to feel like an overcrowded lifeboat. You throw your pride out to keep it afloat, and your self-respect and your independence. After a while you start throwing people out – your friends, everyone you used to know.And it’s still not enough. The lifeboat is still sinking, and you know it’s going to take you down with it. I’ve seen that happen to a lot of girls here.”

I have seen a lot of girls like this quote from the book. I guess I was one of them. It has nothing to do with the gender I guess. You deep dive introspecting your own actions and inactions while going through the thought process of writer. As soon as you feel disillusioned with the sadness imbibed in the life of Lindsay alias Shantaram, a character full of life - Prabakar pitches in to save you. I guess life is also like that. As soon as you feel that life is no fun, something happens, someone steps in your life to bring the spice back. He or she doesn’t have to be the lover always, it can be a friend, a mentor, a colleague or a family.

And lastly book reminded me so much of my days in Mumbai. 

“A man opposite me shifted his feet, accidentally brushing his foot against mine. It was a gentle touch, barely noticeable, but the man immediately reached out to touch my knee and then his own chest with the fingertips of his right hand, in the Indian gesture of apology for an unintended offence. At first, on that first journey..I found such sudden politeness infuriating after the violent scramble to board the train. It seemed hypocritical for them to show such deferential concern over a nudge with a foot, when, minutes before, they’d all but pushed one another out of the windows.”

You can experience the lines if you have travelled in local (train) of Mumbai. I also felt a bit annoyed in my first few journeys, passengers solicit your forgiveness for touching your foot mistakenly and as soon as the local stopped they forget and crush your same foot to get out of the coach. It takes a few journeys to learn

“The amount of force and violence necessary to board the train.”

“Noone in the world of Bombay, knew who I was. In that moment, in those shadows, I was almost safe.”

“And that heart, for me, was the city. Bombay. The city had seduced me. I was in love with her.”

I was and will always be in love with Bombay.

It was a huge book with around 900 pages, the more I read of it, more I wanted to give up on it. There were pages when I wanted to just wrap up and finish as I didn’t want to end up with tears. 

At times I felt I should have felt sad but then I wanted to continue and a sudden tranquility prevailed as I reached through the end :)