Shantaram

[freddie]

Shantaram is a book by Gregory David Roberts. I bought the book last year after hearing a radio interview with the author. The book is based on his real life adventures and is about to be made into a movie starring Johnny Depp. Hopefully they won't fuck it up. The novel covers his time in India and Afghanistan while on the run after escaping from prison in Australia. The Afghanistan bit is especially interesting considering what is going on there now. This is a long novel (almost 1000 pages) but one of my favourites. It's got adventure, philosophy, crime, poverty, love, suffering, violence, war, redemption and a fair bit of drug use (hashish, and a little heroin addiction). This guy no longer takes drugs. Check out his bio below. Who says drug users never amount to anything?

 

/www.shantaram.com/

 

* Born June, 1952, Melbourne, Australia

 

* Founder member, Anarchist People’s Liberation Army, 1969

 

* Union activist, Builders Labourers Federation, 1972

 

* Founder member, Australian Independence Movement, United Front Against Fascism, 1973

 

* Student Leader, Melbourne University, occupation of university Council Chambers, 1974

 

* Student Leader, Black Week Aboriginal Activism Movement, 1975

 

* Marriage break-up, loss of daughter in custody dispute, beginning of heroin addiction, 1976

 

* Armed robberies with toy pistol to support heroin habit, end year 1977

 

* Capture and imprisonment, 1978; Escape from Maximum Security Pentridge prison, 1980

 

* Helped by motorcycle gang, BLF Union, & revolutionaries to escape to New Zealand, 1980

 

* Fight conservation campaign to save sacred Maori mountain, Mount Maungahiha, 1981

 

* Escape from custody (twice) in New Zealand, end 1981

 

* Arrive in India, beginning 1982

 

 

FROM 1982 to 1990

 

* Six months in remote Maharashtrian village, learn to speak Marathi language

 

* Live in Bombay slum, establish and operate free clinic for slum dwellers

 

* Imprisoned in India for 4 months

 

* Recruited by Bombay mafia, training in currency crime, gold smuggling, passports

 

* Gunrunning operation to unit of mujaheddin fighters in Afghanistan

 

* Wounded in action, evacuated to Pakistan, recover and return to Bombay

 

* Appointed controller mafia forgery unit, write short stories, published in popular series

 

* Passport smuggler to Nigeria, Zaire, Iraq, Iran, Mauritius, Sri Lanka

 

* Establish casting agency for foreign extras in Bollywood movies, act in movies

 

* Arrive in Germany, work as singer, establish rock band, receive recording contract

 

* Manhunt by European police, escape custody in Italy & Switzerland, escape to India

 

* Act in Bollywood movies & TV dramas, establish travel agency in Bombay

 

* Passport smuggling to Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Nigeria, Zaire, Mauritius, etc.

 

* Break with Bombay mafia council, freelance drug smuggling missions to Europe

 

 

FROM 1990 to 2004

 

Captured Frankfurt, 1990, imprisoned in Preungesheim prison with terrorists, 1990-91

 

* Teach myself to read & write German, win concessions, extradited to Australia, end 1991

 

* 2 years solitary confinement, 4 years mainstream prison in Australia, begin novel, 1991-97

 

* Develop philosophical and cosmoogical model, "Resolution Theory"

 

* Released from prison, begin novel 1997, end parole 2002

 

* Sell rights Shantaram, in USA (St. Martin’s Press) & UK (TimeWarner Books UK)

 

* Publish Australian edition of novel, Shantaram, August, 2003

 

* Tour Australia, New Zealand, Europe, UK, Ireland, Hong Kong during 2004

 

* Sell movie rights to Johnny Depp, Brad Grey, Graham King, Warner Brothers, October 2004

 

* Sell Italian Translation rights to Neri Pozza, October 2004

 

* Begin writing screenplay for movie version of Shantaram, October 2004

[pipeman]

thanks for that mate, looks interesting think I'll check it out. Funny tho that I couldn't find a place on that website to order the book. Guess I'll try Amazon...

[Ace of Grace]

I have read this twice now and absolutely love it. It really is a fantastic book that gives great insight in to a whole different way of living.

 

Also highly recommend this http://www.marchingpowder.com/

[SmokyJoe]

Yes, both brilliant books, shantaram i love, definately one of my favorites. Another book along the same lines (so to speak) as marching powder is snowblind, a really good read.

[Frazz]

Snowblind - Robert Sabbag ....

A flat-out ballbuster.It moves like a threshing machine with a tank full of ether. This guy Sabbag is a whip-song writer. - Hunter S. Thompson

 

I think its an unputdownable, ball-tearing classic about the cocaine trade