It was about 2 years ago my friend had strongly recommended "Shantaram", a book based on a Australian prisoner who broke the prison and sought refuge in Bombay during 1970s to me and when I found one in a book store while browsing through the books recently, I knew I would take it.
It is a one hefty book with 600-700 pages and I usually complete reading a book in one go. But looking at this one it seemed impossible.I started with the book and the beginning wasnt as impressive as I had a pictured . It took me 1 month to finish reading first 100 pages for it was slow and somewhat boring and also unreal. But as I progressed with the book, I garnered interest and have to say that this is as good as any Masala Indian Bollywood Blockbuster.
The book contains a promising plot and is told in a very compassionate manner.I could not imagine the incidences the author has been able to incorporate , the prison breaker-illegal immigrant- the slums of Bombay -a Mafia -amidst a war in Afghanistan. The book hooks you to itself and the story telling is amazzing.
I think this is one book with such detailing of Indian ideologies and erstwhile Bombay.