tuffrr

I've just finished this book by Gregory David Roberts and have to say that this would be probably the best book i have read.

The story is based on the authors own life beginning from when he broke out of prison in Australia and fled to Bombay.

Below is taken from th blurb....

Shantaram is a novel based on the life of the author, Gregory David Roberts. In 1978 Roberts committed a series of robberies while addicted to heroin, and was sentenced to nineteen years’ imprisonment. In July 1980 he escaped over the front wall of Victoria’s maximum-security prison, in broad daylight, thereby becoming one of Australia’s most wanted men for what turned out to be the next ten years.

His journey took him to New Zealand, Asia, Africa, and Europe, but his home for most of those years was Bombay — where he established a free medical clinic for slum-dwellers, and worked as a counterfeiter, smuggler, gunrunner, and street soldier for one of the most charismatic branches of the Bombay mafia.

Shantaram deals with all this, and more. It is an epic, mesmerising tale of crowded slums and five-star hotels, romantic love and prison torture, mafia gang wars and Bollywood films, and spiritual gurus and brutal battlefields. It weaves a seamless web of unforgettable characters, amazing adventures, and superb evocations of Indian life.

Mephisto2

I have a personal issue with criminals writing books and making a profit from their past crimes.

Another good example, also from Australia, is the Chopper series of "autobiographical" books by Mark "Chopper" Read. Not only has it been made into a movie, but he seems to be celebrated (dare I say eulogised?) by some people in this country and certain cliques of the media. It sickens me. The guy is a convicted mass murderer.

In the UK, at least, they passed a law that prevented convicted criminals from making money from books, films, news stories based on their crimes. Personally, I think each country should follow suit.

It may be a good read, but why line the pocket of this ex-drug addict, armed robber, self-confessed "counterfeiter, smuggler, gunrunner and street soldier?"

/rant off

Mr Mephisto

diergray

It does sound interesting but the phrase "prison torture" has me a little concerned.

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maximus

i am def. getting that book, sounds very interesting.

on the point of not being allowd to make money telling your story of being a criminal, with all the other "non-criminal" ways of making money in the world, it only seems fair to let him publish a book about his life. do you buy clothing made in third word countries in sweatshops? that doesnt seem fair for those giant corperations to make money like that with all those people suffering. how about ciggarettes, those companies are killing people and they know it, that doesnt seem fair for them to make a profit off of that.

the united states s based on free speech, and i would hate to see peoples birth given right to "express his opinions or views" just because some people dont agree with how he got those views.

but it looks like a great book!

/end rant

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Jim Kata

When did this come out? Is it possibly out of print? I went to amazon and they didn't have it.