Shantaram
A Novel
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Shantaram
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Narrated by:
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Humphrey Bower
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Written by:
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Gregory David Roberts
About this listen
Based on his own extraordinary life, Gregory David Roberts’ Shantaram is a mesmerizing novel about a man on the run who becomes entangled within the underworld of 1980s Bombay—the basis for the Apple + TV series starring Charlie Hunnam.
“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.”
An escaped convict with a false passport, Lin flees maximum security prison in Australia for the teeming streets of Bombay, where he can disappear. Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, the two enter the city’s hidden society of beggars and gangsters, prostitutes and holy men, soldiers and actors, and Indians and exiles from other countries, who seek in this remarkable place what they cannot find elsewhere.
As a hunted man without a home, family, or identity, Lin searches for love and meaning while running a clinic in one of the city’s poorest slums, and serving his apprenticeship in the dark arts of the Bombay mafia. The search leads him to war, prison torture, murder, and a series of enigmatic and bloody betrayals. The keys to unlock the mysteries and intrigues that bind Lin are held by two people. The first is Khader Khan: mafia godfather, criminal-philosopher-saint, and mentor to Lin in the underworld of the Golden City. The second is Karla: elusive, dangerous, and beautiful, whose passions are driven by secrets that torment her and yet give her a terrible power.
Burning slums and five-star hotels, romantic love and prison agonies, criminal wars and Bollywood films, spiritual gurus and mujaheddin guerrillas—this huge novel has the world of human experience in its reach, and a passionate love for India at its heart.
©2003 Gregory David Roberts (P)2006 Blackstone AudiobooksYou may also enjoy...
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![Shantaram [French Version] cover art](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/415Vmz6H2iL._SL320_.jpg)
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 77
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5 out of 5 stars
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Un magnifique vertige
- By Vickie Bonsaint on 2021-04-11
Written by: Gregory David Roberts
What the critics say
"Shantaram is a novel of the first order, a work of extraordinary art, a thing of exceptional beauty. If someone asked me what the book was about, I would have to say everything, every thing in the world. Gregory David Roberts does for Bombay what Lawrence Durrell did for Alexandria, what Melville did for the South Seas, and what Thoreau did for Walden Pond: He makes it an eternal player in the literature of the world." (Pat Conroy)
"[A] sprawling, intelligent novel…full of vibrant characters…the exuberance of his prose is refreshing…Roberts brings us through Bombay's slums and opium houses, its prostitution dens and ex-pat bars, saying, You come now. And we follow." (The Washington Post)
"Few stand out quite like Shantaram …nothing if not entertaining. Sometimes a big story is its own best reward." (The New York Times)
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What listeners say about Shantaram
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jason N. Matte
- 2018-09-18
Shantaram is perfection
This is a 43 audio-book and you will savour every word. The narrator is just top notch. There are dozens of characters that are woven into the fabric of this book, and the narrator does fun regional accents for all of them. My wife and I marveled at the consistency of each character and how Humphrey Bower brought them to life. We've been working away at this book when we travel to the in-laws (a six hour car ride), and we are down to the final 10 hours.
I read this when it first came out, but wanted to revisit it in spoken word format. No regrets.
If you like intrigue, well developed characters, and a walk on the dark side, do get this.
#Audible1
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- edgar stephens
- 2021-06-01
Beautiful
This book sucked me into its world and kept me there for 40 wonderful hours.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jonatan Baskin
- 2019-07-19
great
Loved the story. Interesting characters. Valuable lessons. I am going to get the second book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ryan B
- 2019-06-15
Soooo good
Very well written and performed. The writer took 13 years to write this book and it shows. He has such talent.
The reader is very talented as well. The performance is captivating.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2021-02-19
if I could give this 1000 stars I would.
some books remain in your heart forever! this is one of them. narrator was beyond amazing.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lyrica
- 2017-12-04
intense!
intense story, both heart warming and heartbreaking many times over. Beautifully written. Absolutely superb narration!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- thom wroz
- 2021-07-05
A must
This book touched my soul
Whether it is a true account of a remarkable life, or a remarkable product of an imagination, I loved every page. And Mr. Bower’s execution of the narrative and the characters was second to none.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- bob grewal
- 2022-02-19
Wow, just Wow
This book was the best book that I have ever listened to or read in my 72 years on this planet. The characters were so real that I could picture their faces. The details were so vivid, the carnage hurt and burned me like a wild fire. My senses were victimized by the most wonderful style of writing that I was privileged to hear on Audible. Thank you, I just finished this book and I am going to start it again tomorrow.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- B. Rae Duthie
- 2022-03-01
Excellent!
I read this book a couple of years ago & was glued to it until I finished it. It’s even better in the audio version. Superb writing & the narration is top notch.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- AJ
- 2020-02-10
fantastic
this might replace lonesome dove as my favorite book ever. wow. i hope audible can get the same voice actor to do the sequel book. fantastic
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