Shantaram

Today I finished Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. At 933 pages, it is quite an investment, but it is worth it. Based on a true story, the novel tells the tale of a former heroin addict/convicted armed robber who escapes from prison in Australia and makes his way to Bombay. He becomes completely entrenched in the dark underbelly of the city, which he manages to illuminate with his gorgeous prose and deep love for the place. The book chronicles his dizzying array of experiences, which include living and running a medical clinic in a slum, working for the Bombay mafia, getting imprisoned and tortured, relapsing into addiction, going on a mission to deliver arms to the Mujhadeen in war torn Afghanistan. Along the way there’s a love story and bursts of philosophy. He’s a beautiful writer. He may be a criminal, but he is a loving person with a big heart. He’s a complicated person in which you can really see the darkness and light of humanity at play. It took me 2 months to finish the book and I loved every page of it. I’m sorry to let it go, as I feel like I’ve said goodbye to a friend.

Here’s a quote that I love on the second to last page:
“Every human heartbeat, he’d said many times, is a universe of possibilities. And it seemed to me that I finally understood exactly what he’d meant. He’d been trying to tell me that every human will has the power to transform his fate. I’d always thought that fate was something unchangeable: fixed for every one of us at birth, and as constant as the circuit of stars. But I suddenly realized that life is stranger and more beautiful than that. The truth is that, no matter what kind of game you find yourself in, no matter how good or bad the luck, you can change your life completely with a single thought or a single act of love.”