Discussions
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bharti
I hv been born n brought up in Mumbai and I do love the city. But I could never have imagined a foreigner feeling so much for the city. Hats off to Shantaram
posted 5 years ago.
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hithaishy removed this reply 5 years ago
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jayantdubey
The description of mumbai is good. The story gets dreary but just keeps one involved. The author gives lots of philosophical thoughts that come from a gangster, a bit hard to believe though. Apart from that I think the book is alright
posted 5 years ago.
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supriyasodhi
You WILL NOT be able to put this down.. its amazingly real and the characters are so much so that you feel low when they do, celbrate when they do and feel the anger they feel in the book...i was quoting dialogues from the books for weeks after!!! awesome!
posted 5 years ago.
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tanu_shukla
i landed in mumbai last yr n one of d first places i visited was leo's... had read so much abt it thru Lin... n trust me guys, it is equally amazing.
This book seems so real when u live in the city that is revolves around. Its like all the characters have come alive.. n probably can be spotted somewhr or the other here. N the profound conversations between the Bhai n his gang... so intellectual n yet simple!!posted 5 years ago.
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devz
Initially was sceptical to read the book , considering it a long unwanted spwaning story .. But Shantaram is Amazing. You will feel yourself laughing and crying and feeling hurt and beaten up along with the author . So many different shades of human life captured in a single book . Brilliant.
posted 5 years ago.
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alakshendra
This book gives you a complete range of emotions. Love, hatred, frustation and what not. A must read
posted 5 years ago.
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Amit G
its a great book.
The writing style of the author is so very descriptive that the picture is formed in your head with all the colours of imagination.posted 5 years ago.
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bippat
Simply brilliant book ...it has all...love ,suspense,thrill..its a gripping book once u take it to read u just cant let it off
posted 5 years ago.
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sidafone
this one was fabulous.some of the people in this book prabhakhar,madame zhou,the mentor bhai....wow loved this one
posted 5 years ago.
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sidafone removed this reply 5 years ago
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wrong
Easy reference:
I've collected my favourite quotes/turns-of-phrase/conversations, broken them into parts corresponding to the 5 parts of the book. This book really has words/thoughts/phrases that stick with you forever.
url: kyakehnehai.blogspot.com/2007/07/shantaram.html
url: kyakehnehai.blogspot.com/2007/07/shantaram-part-two-gregory-david.html
url: kyakehnehai.blogspot.com/2007/07/shantaram-part-three-gregory-david.html
url: kyakehnehai.blogspot.com/2007/07/shantaram-part-four-gregory-david.html
url: kyakehnehai.blogspot.com/2007/08/shantaram-part-five-gregory-david.html
let me know if i missed any, i'll append. I'm going to reading the book for the fourth time in a few weeksposted 5 years ago.
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giantbee
IT'S A MIX OF FICTION AND NON FICTION . A GOOD READ..... GOT ME TURNING THE PAGES. GOT ME THINKING ABOUT MUMBAI AND THE PLACE WHERE HE USED TO MEET UP WITH HIS FRIENDS , I HAD TO WONDER IF I HAD ACTUALLY SAT IN THE SAME PLACE WHERE I USED TO HAVE MY LASSI .
posted 5 years ago.
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karan n
the book is really awesome...it took me a good 5-6 days of reading to finish it but the effort was worth it...it very beautifully showcases the triumph of human spirit in the midst adverse of circumstances.......the characters of karla and abdul kader khan are too engrossing...no wonder mr johnyy depp is making a movie on this book(for those of u who dnt know abt that.....it's being directed by meera nair....and big B will play abdul kahn......and mr johnny shantaram himself).....enjoi!!!
posted 5 years ago.
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shylajja
It has realities which you would never know being in mumbai from past soooo many years. Every detail has been fleshed out very nicely.
posted 5 years ago.
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shylajja
It has realities which you would never know being in mumbai from past soooo many years. Every detail has been fleshed out very nicely.
posted 5 years ago.
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sumeetsethi
The best quotes I hav ever read!!!!! The book provides a new outlook to life!!!!
posted 5 years ago.
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alpana w
i was in bombay at the same time as the author and for abt the same period but hey what a difference- i feel now that i just skimmed the surface while he explored the depths . i love his passion for life, for living and to top it alll he is amazingly romantic- how many men can desgribe their love's eyes as he does Karla's. i really am dying 2 meet this guy
posted 5 years ago.
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Muna G
Absolutely, couldnt agree more. This man is phenomenal..so deep, philosophical, romantic and the list goes on! Its would be an honour to meet this man..he has certainly lived his life to the fullest and I admire him for every part of it
posted 5 years ago.
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kuddliohm
Yeah, pretty much close to the truth in some areas. Just when you think, "Nah, that's not possible" up pops an explanation that goes to show that Roberts knows what he's talking about. Of course, some things HAVE to remain hidden as pinaki noted. Khaderbhai's specific business operations are not detailed for instance and the detail of the passport trade never goes beyond the obvious.
I also read somone write that the existentialist discussions between Lin and Khaderbhai were oh so boring. Couldn't agree more. Only a sense of duty got me through those few pages.
If the size of the book is amazing then it's even more amazing that Roberts could have written more. His life in the slum is a book in itself (oh, I forgot, that was "City of Joy"!).posted 5 years ago.
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Radhe J
this book is an interesting rea only because it take su into the hard face of india. most people look at india as a culturally vibrant rurally happy place. people do not understand tht none of tht exists anymore. when reading the book one must remember tht itis an emotional account of his journey in life and not merely and account of who what and where...it is not a tellingof incidents but of feeling. a lt of negative and positive responses come from individualsbased on this book.. id ask u to either read more or visit indiabefore u make and opinions of your own!! the book is a littl slow and boring in the middle but thn again it is the authors account of life. i think the book is pretty good but could have been worked on! its not a must read..but dont miss out on it!
posted 5 years ago.
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Pinaki
Why I am writing more about this book is for the promise G D Robert's experiences held. Somehow I feel the book lacked documentation. The flow is much more of an individual introspection than unbiased documenting of places, people and circumstances. What this book does throw up are very strong characters - which can be molded into far stronger on-screen characters. I think this book is an ideal storyline for a 'The-submissive-Indian'-myth-shattering script. Characters like Kaderbhai holds sway over all senses for a long time to come.
Till now I cannot recollect a single movie but of Coppola's 'Godfather' (Original) that has lived up to the standards of a great literary piece. This 'story-book' has a great chance of being the germ of a mind-boggling cinematic script. Would love to watch out for the same. But as they say, 'hope for the best and be prepared for the worst', because there are so many ways of making things go wrong and only one f***ing way to get it 'dead-right'...posted 5 years ago.
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Farhana L
excellent book.. captivating from the very first page.. very different story line.. but still keeps you hooked..
waiting for the movie.. n hoping its as good as the bookposted 5 years ago.
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brinda m
the book is just excellent.... it really got me hooked from the first page itself.... and some of his discussions on love and life are just so true and beautiful !
Lets hope the movie does equal justice...!posted 5 years ago.
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brinda m
the book is just excellent.... it really got me hooked from the first page itself.... and some of his discussions on love and life are just so true and beautiful !
Lets hope the movie does equal justice...!posted 5 years ago.
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brinda m
the book is just excellent.... it really got me hooked from the first page itself.... and some of his discussions on love and life are just so true and beautiful !
Lets hope the movie does equal justice...!posted 5 years ago.
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vinod poonacha
A fantastic first by Gregory David Roberts and Mumbai life as seen from his eyes makes a fascinating read especially after his story was torn down twice by some guards. The only drawback was when he switches to prose in between
posted 5 years ago.
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Zartea
I don't know if its for real or fiction. But it really captivated me. Our own desi mafia story a la' Maria Puzo. Unputdownable
posted 5 years ago.
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Heena S
its the best book evr read. very mature...one cant even think all of those events can happen to some one in ONE LIFE... and thst too is written very well...
posted 5 years ago.
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parampara
It makes for interesting reading. It brought back memories of Bombay. But I wonder whether all of it is true or whether there are parts that are fiction. The style in which it is written and the philosophical part made the work endearing.
posted 5 years ago.
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neha s
absolutely fascinating read...after a long time, a novel that stirred something inside me.
posted 4 years ago.
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Sameer G
Its a great read. A page turner if ever there was one, but I do agree with a post that doubts the veracity of the whole story. Some parts are so incredible that they do plants seeds of doubts. But nevertheless a must read. amazing story
posted 4 years ago.
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sundar_nagarajan
Great story, well told. The vibrant life of the city comes shining through. The author is good at interweaving the twist-and-turn plot with intellectual insights.
posted 3 years ago.
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scarhead
One of the reasons why we crave love, and seek it so desperately, is that love is the only cure for loneliness, and shame, and sorrow. But some feelings sink so deep into the heart that only loneliness can help you find them again. Some truths about yourself are so painful that only shame can help you live with them. And some things are just so sad that only your soul can do the crying for you. - Shantaram
posted 3 years ago.
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