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Shantaram
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
- Length: 42 hrs and 59 mins
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Publisher's Summary
"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."
So begins this epic, mesmerizing first novel set in the underworld of contemporary Bombay. Shantaram is narrated by Lin, an escaped convict with a false passport who flees maximum-security prison in Australia for the teeming streets of a city where he can disappear.
Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend Prabaker, the two enter Bombay'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. Based on the life of the author, it is by any measure the debut of an extraordinary voice in literature.
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Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Memphis
- 06-16-14
One of My Favorite Books! Great Narration!
Really loved this book it's truly a modern classic. The narration is really excellent with amazing voices that add so much to the book. Only quibble is the women's voices are a bit strange at times, but totally a non issue in the end. I actually got a copy of this audiobook awhile ago from a friend which is the one I listened to, but wanted to support the author so I got it here too, plus I bought the actual book! Really good narrator!
33 people found this helpful
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- Michael
- 01-27-17
Unique and lovely book destined to be a classic
I enjoyed every minute of this long and varied, rich and nuanced, violent and sensitive, grimey and sensual novel. Shantaram repeatedly reminded me of Melville's juxtaposing intricate details of life in an unfamiliar and challenging environment with deep emotions, beliefs, and philosophy. We feel the life and contradictions in each character and see them transform, then transform again.
Sometimes when I come to the end of a lovely long book is grieve for it coming to an end. Shantaram was so full, and so complete, the ending felt deeply satisfying.
The narration was outstanding, with clear, distinct, and nuanced voices for each of the many characters.
29 people found this helpful
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- Ryan
- 08-03-16
One of the paramount experiences of my life
Please take the time to read, or better yet listen to Shantaram. Not only was the journey touching, insightful, beautiful and immersing, the performance contribution by Humphrey Bower cannot be overemphasized. I just finished a couple of minutes ago and am still in euphoric shock...so please forgive the brevity. This is a must, must experience story.
24 people found this helpful
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- Mickey
- 04-15-14
Probably the best performance I've listened to.
Much has been said and written about Shantaram. It is controversial because it is reported to be somewhat based on the author's real experiences in escaping prison in Australia and living in Bombay. However, Gregory David Roberts has been accused of exploiting the real people that his characters are based on and of making promises to the slum dwellers in Mumbai that he never follows through on. All that aside, it is an extremely interesting and emotionally compelling story in which you come to love the characters portrayed. Sure, the writing is sometimes not very good. In fact, I actually laughed at some of the prose describing the first time that Lin makes love with Carla. But, all in all, it was a story that I didn't want to end.
Humphrey Bower's performance was just fantastic. His pacing, creation of characters, accents and emotional performance was just perfect for this sweeping novel. I don't think I've ever heard as good a performance except maybe from Craig Wasson's narration of King's "11-22-63: A Novel". I will be looking for other books that he has narrated.
I thoroughly enjoyed Shantaram and was sorry when it was over. I hope that Gregory David Roberts' reported sequel is as good and the on again, off again, movie version doesn't ruin the book.
90 people found this helpful
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- Gunranjan
- 08-29-16
Brilliant..!!
The book in itself is very good and the narration couldn't have been better. loved it..
13 people found this helpful
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- Katie
- 07-20-14
All about the narration
If I was reading this book I doubt I would finish it. Although much of the story is fascinating, I think all the philosophy and self aggrandizement would get very tedious. However, the narration is absolutely brilliant - the characters come to life, the different accents are flawless, it is hard to believe that one reader could have such a diverse range. Humphrey Bower has raised the bar for all readers.
69 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 06-12-14
Wonderful Book
Any additional comments?
I loved every minute of this book. It is superbly written, and the performance of Humprey Bower really made it come to life. After listenning to this book, I am having hard time enjoying others.
Worth your time and credit.
Enjoy the book!
26 people found this helpful
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- Ricky
- 07-30-16
Great story, BEST vocal performance I've heard.
The story is worth making into two, 2 hour movies.
Then again, the performance of Humphey Bower is the best I've hear in all my years on Audible. I doubt a movie could surpass him.
11 people found this helpful
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- lynn
- 11-26-14
Sweeping, rich socio-cultural storytelling
Don't let the length scare you away! I'm an inveterate audiobook fanatic in scope and range of genre yet as a reader and professional writer, I maintain a pretty high bar---more is not better and this is a long listen. Shartaram is definitely in my top five.
Roberts delivers an amazing literary three punch with memorable, heartfelt characterization, an intriguing, magnetic storyline and painterly visual descriptions.
What puts Shantaram at the top are the deep moral and philosophical conversations woven into the characters and the story's exotic cultural journey. I will recommend this book to several constant readers but as an audiobook, Humphrey Bower (I would say his best work) makes Shantaram a stellar media performance experience.
29 people found this helpful
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- Bjorn
- 01-03-14
Fantastic book and a superb narrator
Where does Shantaram rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I bought this book since I’m a fan of the narrator Humphrey Bower, but the book exceeded all my expectation. It is well written, exciting, warm, surprising and fun to listen to. After more than 150 audible books, this is absolutely one of my favorites.
32 people found this helpful
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- zenihama
- 01-11-22
For those who believe in people
This is the kind of novel where, after finishing it, you go into a kind of mourning. Despite its extreme length, I didn't want it to end. I feel as though the many characters in the book, brought to life so vividly through Roberts' detailed descriptions, have enriched my understanding of what it is to be human.
After the protagonist, Lin, professes not to have any beliefs, one of the characters, Khaled, disagrees. "You believe in people," he says, and I think this statement is at the heart of this novel. Roberts presents a selection of raw unvarnished people from all walks of life who interact with Lin. These characters evoke a whole spectrum of feelings in Lin and in the reader who joins his journey. Whether we love or hate them, admire them or recoil from them in horror, or anything in between, they all have lessons to teach us.
Finally I have nothing but praise for Humphrey Bower's masterful narration. His ability to provide distinctive voices and accents to an enormous number of male and female characters from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the book. Bravo.