Shantaram

If I had known prior to reading this book that it was written by a convicted criminal, I would possibly have given it a pass. Someone in my hostel passed on the book to me, and I read it, oblivious to the background of its author. But I digress... the author is not the topic of discussion here, the book is.

When I am not reading a crime novel, the foremost thing I look for in a book is structure. Second to that, I look for style of writing. Both aspects are adequately taken care of in Shantaram, and the pace of the story makes one read it up without putting it down too many times. Whether it was the setting of the story or the sinister background of the author that made it interesting - I dont know... the story starts with the narrator arriving in Bombay, after having escaped prison in Australia. It takes a while for the foreigner to get used to living in an Indian slum, but as time passes by, he starts to appreciate the people around him, as well as their enterprise despite the squalid conditions in which they live. The rest of the story is about how Shantaram thrives in Mumbai, getting involved with the underworld, falling in love, going to prison and ofcourse, smuggling.

A different perspective on our culture and people, and a good read, for a nice lazy weekend :)

Btw, it figures along with The God of Small Things and Midnight's Children as a fav. on a blog by someone who describes herself as a pop culture junkie... Check out http://www.madnessandbeauty.com/2009/06/40-things-i-wish-i-had-known-before-i.html