C'est la vie!!

This is my second book for the orbisterrarum 2009 challenge.
When i picked up Shantaram and started reading , I suddenly started paying more attention to places that were mentioned in the book. For starters , shantaRam's oft visited hangout was the Cafe Leopold ( where the first terror attack started on 26/11). Also there is a constant mention about the Taj Mahal hotel , the Colaba streets ,etc which have all become a house hold name after the dreaded terror attacks.Anyways that apart,this book is an intersting read and all of its 900 + pages is filled with so many characters , incidents ,learnings and what not.
The story of the bokkin short is about an Australian criminal who sets foot on the Indian soil (Mumbai to be precise) to start life afresh as an anonymous person. But he just has no idea whats in store for him . He starts off as a local doctor in the slum , serves a sentnece in Mumbai's Famous Arthur Road prison, acts in a few movies that need firangis , fights the mujahideen in Afghanistan and what not. In short this book is a spiritual journey of a man and triumph of a human searching for love
Gregory David paints really vivid pictures of all the people and places that the main character Lin (a.k.a Shantaram) encounters. His writing takes into account every minute detail - the way he describes Cafe Leopold and its surroundings,his characterisation of people like Didier, Prabhakar and Karla is impecabble.His narration of the life style of people in the Mumbai slums would give Danny Boyle a run for his money .
Well , what do I have to say abt the book ? Its definitely a must -read. Reading about India (Mumbai) and Indians from a foreign author is definitely an experience that you must have. The story and characterizations are so awe inspiring. However I felt that at some point hte number of characters kept increasing and sort of threw me off track . Also the enormity of the book made reading it a little tedious. Overall a good read and a good learning experience