Lin, an Australian heroin addict and armed robber, escapes from prison and flies to Bombay on a false passport in the early 1980s. A street guide named Prabaker befriends him, takes him to his home village, and helps him settle into a slum where Lin opens a free clinic for its residents and receives the name Shantaram.
Lin falls for Karla, an enigmatic Swiss-American woman in the expatriate crowd at Leopold's cafe, and is drawn into the circle of Abdel Khader Khan, a philosophical mafia boss. He works in currency black markets and passport forgery, survives a brutal stint in Arthur Road prison, and eventually joins a mission into Soviet-occupied Afghanistan.
Gregory David Roberts drew on his own escape from an Australian prison and years in Bombay, although how much is literal remains debated. The book is long, emotional and full of aphorisms; many readers adore its love for the city, while others find it overwritten. An Apple TV+ series followed in 2022.
Book details
| Author | Gregory David Roberts |
|---|---|
| First published | 2003 |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Literary fiction |
| Type | Fiction |
| Pages (approx.) | 933 |
| Setting | Bombay and a village in Maharashtra, and Afghanistan, 1980s |
Themes
- Redemption
- Exile and fugitive life
- Love
- Crime and morality
- Friendship
Who should read it
Readers who want an immersive, romantic adventure through 1980s Bombay and don't mind length.