My favorite book of all time, Shataram – a truly epic novel.
I didn’t write this review I’m about to quote off Amazon, but I could have….
“Shantaram is one of those books that you wait to find for five years, even a decade. You know how it is. You read a really great book and, on coming to the end page, immediately want to find another book just as good to fill its place. So you go out looking for such a book, but cannot find it. You look for a week, then a month, then months turn to years, and finally,5 to 10 years later, you finally find a book that is a really great read.
Shantaram is such a book. It is an A+ story that captivates you on page one and sustains the pace through every one of its 920 pages. It overflows with a wide range of characters of every moral persuasion, good and bad. And it is rich with the big themes on the nature of humanity and the human struggle to survive and thrive, for better or worse. In addition, the actual writing is superb, descriptive and often beautiful, without ever descending into sentimental or maudlin. Roberts always manages to find the right phrase or word to bring into clear focus the incredible wide range of experiences he paints. I might add, this is one book that I do not want to see as a movie, because there is no way that a mere movie could be a fraction as good as this glorious, three dimensional work.
I’ll be lucky if I have to wait only another 5 – 10 years to find another book this good.”
Oh, and it’s fiction, but based on a true story.
Have you read Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen, or Freedom by Jonathan Franzen?
Anything non-fiction that I’m reading these days is related to the treatment and prevention of cancer, so not liable to be of any interest to anyone who isn’t sitting in my little rowboat with me.
Eat, Pray, Love (if you haven’t already read it) by Elizabeth Gilbert.
@Liz_A - I’ve read Water for Elephants, not Freedom. @Alchemies - I’ve read this… Love this.
Hmmm… Have you read either of Tony Robbins’ titles? Awaken the Giant Within (I’m reading it right now… man, I’m learning some very cool things!) or Unlimited Power. Both are excellent exposes on how we think and feel (and how we create disempowering and empowering beliefs). So far, I’ve enjoyed each title equally. Would recommend Awaken the Giant Within likely a little moreso. Good soul-food, his stuff. Empowering!
I’d recommend “The Sparrow” by Mary Doria Russel (I know you’ve read something else by her). It’s probably my favourite adult book of all time. But then you’d have to get yourself “Children of God”, the sequel… there’s always the library!
There is only one book and it’s ULYSSES by James Joyce. Thread fixed. Now go buy the book. Hurry.
PS. The clouds are dancing with the breeze.
Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans… it is a beautiful story!
I keep coming back to see what other people suggest. I also loved The Sparrow. Excellent book!
Cutting for Stone is one of the best books I have read in a very, very long time. And I think you’d really enjoy it.
Pretty helpful material, much thanks for this article. 5web6. Thanks so much for the post, quite helpful piece of writing. here40. So, I don’t actually suppose it will have effect. 00check. The writer is totally right, and there is no skepticism.
Comments (14)
Fiction, or non-fiction?
@Liz_A - Either, both.
My favorite book of all time, Shataram – a truly epic novel.
I didn’t write this review I’m about to quote off Amazon, but I could have….
“Shantaram is one of those books that you wait to find for five years, even a decade. You know how it is. You read a really great book and, on coming to the end page, immediately want to find another book just as good to fill its place. So you go out looking for such a book, but cannot find it. You look for a week, then a month, then months turn to years, and finally,5 to 10 years later, you finally find a book that is a really great read.
Shantaram is such a book. It is an A+ story that captivates you on page one and sustains the pace through every one of its 920 pages. It overflows with a wide range of characters of every moral persuasion, good and bad. And it is rich with the big themes on the nature of humanity and the human struggle to survive and thrive, for better or worse. In addition, the actual writing is superb, descriptive and often beautiful, without ever descending into sentimental or maudlin. Roberts always manages to find the right phrase or word to bring into clear focus the incredible wide range of experiences he paints. I might add, this is one book that I do not want to see as a movie, because there is no way that a mere movie could be a fraction as good as this glorious, three dimensional work.
I’ll be lucky if I have to wait only another 5 – 10 years to find another book this good.”
Oh, and it’s fiction, but based on a true story.
Have you read Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen, or Freedom by Jonathan Franzen?
Anything non-fiction that I’m reading these days is related to the treatment and prevention of cancer, so not liable to be of any interest to anyone who isn’t sitting in my little rowboat with me.
Eat, Pray, Love (if you haven’t already read it) by Elizabeth Gilbert.
@Liz_A - I’ve read Water for Elephants, not Freedom.
@Alchemies - I’ve read this… Love this.
Hmmm… Have you read either of Tony Robbins’ titles? Awaken the Giant Within (I’m reading it right now… man, I’m learning some very cool things!) or Unlimited Power. Both are excellent exposes on how we think and feel (and how we create disempowering and empowering beliefs). So far, I’ve enjoyed each title equally. Would recommend Awaken the Giant Within likely a little moreso. Good soul-food, his stuff. Empowering!
@Alchemies - Thanks! They sound good!
I’d recommend “The Sparrow” by Mary Doria Russel (I know you’ve read something else by her). It’s probably my favourite adult book of all time. But then you’d have to get yourself “Children of God”, the sequel… there’s always the library!
There is only one book and it’s ULYSSES by James Joyce. Thread fixed. Now go buy the book. Hurry.
PS. The clouds are dancing with the breeze.
Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans… it is a beautiful story!
I keep coming back to see what other people suggest. I also loved The Sparrow. Excellent book!
Cutting for Stone is one of the best books I have read in a very, very long time. And I think you’d really enjoy it.
Pretty helpful material, much thanks for this article. 5 web 6. Thanks so much for the post, quite helpful piece of writing. here 4 0. So, I don’t actually suppose it will have effect. 0 0 check. The writer is totally right, and there is no skepticism.