Shantaram (Part 2 of 2 parts)

Product Description
[This is Part 2 of a 2-part Audiobook CD Library Edition in vinyl case.]

[Read by Humphrey Bower]

*
One of AudioFile's Best Audiobooks of 2007 *

This mesmerizing first novel tells the epic journey of Lin, an escaped convict who flees maximum security prison in Australia to disappear into the underworld of contemporary Bombay, a hidden society of beggars and gangsters, prostitutes and holy men, actors and exiles. Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, Lin searches for love and meaning while running a clinic in one of the city's poorest slums and serving his apprenticeship in the dark arts of the Bombay mafia. The keys to unlock the mysteries that bind Lin are held by two people: his mentor Khader Khan, mafia godfather and criminal-philosopher, and the beautiful, elusive Karla, whose passions are driven by dangerous secrets. Based on the life of the author, this extraordinary debut has the world of human experience in its reach.
Review
''[A] sprawling, intelligent novel . . . full of vibrant characters . . . Bombay itself is
Shantaram's strongest performance and Roberts' love of India and the people who live there is unmistakable and a joy to read about.'' --
Washington Post

''Utterly unique, absolutely audacious, and wonderfully wild,
Shantaram is sure to catch even the most fantastic of imaginations off guard.'' --
Elle

''
Shantaram had me hooked from the first sentence. It is thrilling, touching, frightening . . . a glorious wallow of a novel.'' --
Detroit Free Press

''Few stand out quite like
Shantaram . . . nothing if not entertaining. Sometimes a big story is its own best reward.'' --
New York Times

''[A] massive, thrillingly undomesticated potboiler . . . Roberts, who wrote the first drafts of the novel in prison, has poured everything he knows into this book and it shows. It has a heartfelt, cinemascope feel . . . A sensational read.'' --
Publishers Weekly (starred review)

''Elegantly written, page-turning blockbuster . . . An extraordinarily rich scene . . . splendidly evoking an India few outsiders know.'' --
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

''Vivid, entertaining. Its visceral, cinematic descriptive beauty truly impresses.'' --
USA Today

''Roberts graphically, even beautifully, evokes the milieu--he is as effective at imparting impressions as any good travel writer--in this complex but cohesive story about freedom and the lack of it, about survival, spiritual meaning, love, and sex; in other words, about life in what has to be one of the most fascinating cities in the world . . . Roberts is also a gifted creator of characters . . . It is difficult not to be ensnared by it.'' --
Booklist

''Crime and punishment, passion and loyalty, betrayal and redemption are only a few of the ingredients in
Shantaram . . . every single sentence rings true . . . [Lin is] a soldier of fortune, a picaresque hero: the rascal who lives by his wits in a corrupt society. His story is irresistible.'' --Amazon.com Review


''The story . . . is mesmerizing, especially with the narration of Humphrey Bower. Bower weaves a world of interesting characters, both Indian and expatriates, and makes even the exaggerated moments believable. He keeps pace beautifully with Roberts' writing style, which shifts continually from the descriptive and philosophical to the tragic to the broadly comic. Bower makes this unique milieu into one that's fascinating and compelling.'' --
AudioFile

''Few stand out quite like
Shantaram . . . nothing if not entertaining. Sometimes a big story is its own best reward.'' --
New York Times

''[A] massive, thrillingly undomesticated potboiler . . . Roberts, who wrote the first drafts of the novel in prison, has poured everything he knows into this book and it shows. It has a heartfelt, cinemascope feel . . . A sensational read.'' --
Publishers Weekly (starred review)

''Elegantly written, page-turning blockbuster . . . An extraordinarily rich scene . . .