I have not yet been to India but Roberts' description of Bombay in the first hundred pages of the novel include a few sides to the city that I was not aware existed. Though a work of fiction, Roberts spent significant time in Bombay and Shantaram's main character Lin (a name picked up soon after arrival into the city) was no doubt influenced by the author's experiences.
The book weighs one and a half pounds and includes over 900 pages of text. (My recommending friend's comment was that it is a hard book to read in bed. I agree.) In the acknowledgements, the author mentions the first two drafts were ruined in prison. I am impressed he pushed for the third version which after thirteen years would be the finished text. The charm? We will see.
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