I was recently asked 'What's your favourite travel book'?The first book that came to mind was Shantaram. This is a 900-page novel in tiny print so when I first picked it up, I wasn't looking forward to the experience. By the end of the book, however, I was wishing it would go on for another 900 pages.
It follows the story of Lin, an escaped criminal from Australia who finds himself hiding out in the city of Bombay, India. During his time in India, Lin lives with a family in a rural village, resides in a slum where he becomes the local 'doctor', falls in love with a woman who cannot love him back, is set up and thrown into an Indian prison where he is tortured, joins the Bombay mafia producing and smuggling false passports, assists in smuggling weapons into Afghanistan during the Soviet war and manages a Bollywood casting agency.
On his journey he meets a number of interesting characters including Prabaker - a street guide and friend who introduces Lin to the villages and slums of India, Karla - the strikingly beautiful Swiss-American woman with whom Lin falls in love and Abdul Khader Khan - the head of the Bombay mafia who teaches Lin about the philosophy of life and the universe.
Roberts weaves the story of Shantaram together with his beautifully descriptive prose, colourful characters and thought-provoking narrative. Much of the book appears to be based on Robert's own philosophy with a storyline created around it. There are quotes such as 'the truth is a bully we all pretend to like' that will stay with me for a very long time.
While this novel is ficitional, many of the facts reflect the life of Roberts. He did escape from an Australian prison, he did live in a slum in Bombay and he did join the mafia before he was recaptured. How much is based directly on his experiences is unknown. The film rights to the book were also bought by Johnny Depp in 2004 but no movie has yet been made.
If you're looking for a novel that gives you a taste of travel and philosphy, then Shantaram is the right book for you. Personally, it is one of my favourite books.
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