Nov 12, 2009 12:14 PM
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For all you people who have heard this name before, read further. For all those who haven't, it is one of those rare books that have made me look at life from an entirely new perspective. Well, to have a formal introduction, 'Shantaram' is a novel or you should say an autobiography by 'Gregory David Roberts'. This person has given an account of his life in the Bombay underworld in such a realistic way that even though one may not agree with the principles he lived upon, you cannot help but find your pieces of life matching with his in some or the other way.
The great thing about this book from a reader's point of view is the humongous use of mind-boggling and magnificent metaphors that the writer uses to describe every aspect of his life. This not only helps him in getting his point across to us clearly but also makes us give a piece of our own mind and reacting to similar situations in an imaginary sort of way.
But reality is reality, and why would one devote his/her time to read about a person who has 'been there, done that' everything possible in the underworld. Well, I thought of having a metaphor for myself whereby I created my own imaginary underworld(note: the definition of my underworld may differ from the actual one). Here I not only led a dual life(in my dreams offcourse) but also learnt a lot of what life has to offer me in the near future. So you can say I created a teacher for myself which gave me lessons I have still to learn but of which I already know the consequences.
I haven't divulged any details about this book because that was never my intention. I just wanted to tell you to have a go at his book not from an entertainer point of view(which this book surely is) but as a friend, a guide to hold your hand and lead you to a life whose surprises may not surprise you in a way harmful to you.
