Shantaram: A Novel, by Gregory David Roberts

Reviewed by Rachel Stoll

Questionably autobiographical, Shantaram: A Novel follows the story of Roberts, who renames himself Lin, short for Linbaba, meaning “man of god’s peace,” who has escaped from his 19-year prison sentence in Australia and finds himself in Bombay. A former heroin addict with a failed marriage and a record of armed robberies, Lin arrives in Bombay with no money, false papers, and no plans. Wandering the city, he meets a man named Prabaker, a street guide who welcomes Lin into his family and home in the slums, where Lin ends up becoming the local “doctor.”

Lin’s knowledge of medicine and first aid is limited to his childhood and prison experiences, but the diseases plaguing the slum are simple and common issues, such as rat bites and dysentery, so Lin makes a plausible “doctor.” As his six months in the slums progress, Lin trades with the Mafia for medicines and meets Karla, who is friends with the local ex-patriots and is unable to love. Lin’s near-obsessive love for Karla propels the plot of this long novel.

Lin and Karla’s friendship and connections further intertwine when Lin is thrown into Arthur Road Prison and upon his release gets heavily involved with money laundering and making false papers for the Mafia. He learns of Karla’s deep connections and becomes involved in the guerrilla war between the Russians and Afghani’s.

At over 900 pages, Shantaram holds attention and interest. While the story is captivating, Roberts frequently goes on tangents about philosophy, life, and his existential crisis, which occasionally leads the reader to skim through a few pages before returning to the story. Although this is supposed to be an autobiography of Roberts’ experience, which he started writing while in prison in India, it seems implausible but not impossible.

Overall, Shantaram is an experience of a book. Long with plot twists and philosophically deep, it’s hard to find a novel that mirrors the nature of India so well. Recommended to readers who are interested in India and are willing to take the tangents and crazy stories with a grain of salt.