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Shantaram #2
The Mountain Shadow
A sequel to SHANTARAM but equally a standalone novel, The Mountain Shadow follows Lin on further adventures in shadowy worlds and cultures. It is a novel about seeking identity, love, meaning, purpose, home, even the secret of life...As the story begins, Lin has found happiness and love, but when he gets a call that a friend is in danger, he has no choice but to go to his aid, even though he knows that leaving this paradise puts everything at risk, including himself and his lover. When he arrives to fulfil his obligation, he enters a room with eight men: each will play a significant role in the story that follows. One will become a friend, one an enemy, one will try to kill Lin, one will be killed by another...Some characters appeared in Shantaram, others are introduced for the first time, including Navida Der, a half-Irish, half-Indian detective, and Edras, a philosopher with fundamental beliefs. Gregory David Roberts is an extraordinarily gifted writer whose stories are richly rewarding on many levels. Like Shantaram, The Mountain Shadow will be a compelling adventure story with a profound message at its heart.
872 pages, Paperback
First published October 13, 2015
About the author
Gregory David Roberts
14 books4,063 followersGregory David Roberts (GDR) is an Australian artist, composer, songwriter, and author of Shantaram, its sequel, The Mountain Shadow, and The Spiritual Path.
Following the breakdown of his marriage and the loss of custody of his daughter, he turned to heroin to numb the pain, and crime to feed his habit. In 1978, Roberts was sentenced to 19 years in prison for armed robbery (with a plastic weapon), he escaped and spent eight years in Bombay as a fugitive. Here he established a free medical clinic for slum-dwellers and worked as a counterfeiter and smuggler for a branch of the South Bombay mafia.
Recaptured and extradited to Australia, he served out his sentence, which included two years in solitary confinement as a punishment for his escape. The time in solitary was to become a turning point in his life. When released, Roberts completed writing Shantaram and it was published in 2003 to critical acclaim. He returned to Mumbai where he set up a personal initiative to assist the city's poor with lifesaving healthcare.
In the years that followed he became an in-demand public speaker and philosopher and received thousands of messages from readers saying the book had been “life changing”. Roberts went ‘off-grid’ in 2014 to look after his sick parents and pursue a spiritual path of devotion.
In 2019, he established a multimedia company, Empathy Arts, and the following year released his debut album Love&Faith, which was recorded at Geejam Studios in Jamaica. The same year saw the release of his first non-fiction book The Spiritual Path.
Roberts’ life affirming messages on social media, of taking personal responsibility, never giving up, living a purposeful life and embracing our common humanity, have resonated with people across the world.
In October 2022, the TV series Shantaram based on the book, aired on AppleTV+. Roberts currently resides in Jamaica, where he continues to write, produce music and create art.
Following the breakdown of his marriage and the loss of custody of his daughter, he turned to heroin to numb the pain, and crime to feed his habit. In 1978, Roberts was sentenced to 19 years in prison for armed robbery (with a plastic weapon), he escaped and spent eight years in Bombay as a fugitive. Here he established a free medical clinic for slum-dwellers and worked as a counterfeiter and smuggler for a branch of the South Bombay mafia.
Recaptured and extradited to Australia, he served out his sentence, which included two years in solitary confinement as a punishment for his escape. The time in solitary was to become a turning point in his life. When released, Roberts completed writing Shantaram and it was published in 2003 to critical acclaim. He returned to Mumbai where he set up a personal initiative to assist the city's poor with lifesaving healthcare.
In the years that followed he became an in-demand public speaker and philosopher and received thousands of messages from readers saying the book had been “life changing”. Roberts went ‘off-grid’ in 2014 to look after his sick parents and pursue a spiritual path of devotion.
In 2019, he established a multimedia company, Empathy Arts, and the following year released his debut album Love&Faith, which was recorded at Geejam Studios in Jamaica. The same year saw the release of his first non-fiction book The Spiritual Path.
Roberts’ life affirming messages on social media, of taking personal responsibility, never giving up, living a purposeful life and embracing our common humanity, have resonated with people across the world.
In October 2022, the TV series Shantaram based on the book, aired on AppleTV+. Roberts currently resides in Jamaica, where he continues to write, produce music and create art.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,196 reviews
October 22, 2015
Like many others, I loved Shantaram, and so I approached this sequel with an equal mix of anticipation and trepidation. Could Gregory David Roberts repeat the magic? The short answer is no. This book isn't nearly as good as Shantaram, and worse, it has the potential to make Shantaram seem worse in retrospect. But having said that, it's not a total disaster either. I read it in a week, and despite its near 900 page length, I never lost interest nor found it hard to stay with.
The Mountain Shadow is set two years after the events of Shantaram. Lin is still living in Bombay and working as a forger for his mentor Khaderbhai's mafia organisation, now run by Sanjay Kumar and known as the Sanjay Corporation. He is living with his girlfriend Lisa (I didn't remember her, but she was in the previous book towards the end), and while he still carries a torch for Karla, he hasn't seen her for two years, since she married Ranjit, an aspiring politician.
In the first 100 pages three key events happen. Lin meets an Irishman by the name of Concannon, he is kidnapped by a rival gang who want information about the Sanjay Corporation and his girlfriend Lisa tells him that she wants to see other people. These three things will set a train of events in motion that drive the remainder of the plot. Apart from brief forays to Sri Lanka and to a spiritual retreat, the action is set entirely in Bombay and many familiar characters will appear, among them Didier, Abdullah, Madame Zhou and Karla. As in the previous book, Bombay is itself a key character in the book, with all its corruption and chaos, millionaires, gangsters, holy men and slum dwellers.
This book is overwritten. It's full of flowery sentences like: "She was a river, not a stone, and every day was another curve in tomorrow's plain" or "Night is Truth wearing a purple dress, and people dance differently there". If it wasn't for the author's postscript telling us that he doesn't endorse drug taking, I would have sworn that he was stoned throughout the writing of this book. So many sentences read like the kind of thing you think is brilliant when you come up with them at 3am, but realise in the cold light of day that they are tripe. Where was the editor in this process, I wondered?
The characters all spend huge amounts of time smoking marijuana and exchanging dialogue that feels like it belongs in a fortune cookie, eg: "A heart filled with greed, pride or hateful feelings is not free" or "It's the things that make us one, that make us worth having" or "Money's a river: some of us go with the current and some of us paddle to the shore". It's these empty platitudes that take the place of character development. I've now read 1700 pages of Lin's adventures and I still couldn't really tell you what Karla is like. Too many characters can be summarised in pithy descriptors like "angry lesbian", "spoiled heiress", "free-spirited Aquarian" or "foul-tempered crusader" - they aren't real or rounded people.
And yet, for all these flaws, there's something likeable in these pages. I can't say with hand on heart that "you should read this", but it's not a write off either and it ends on a genuinely touching and uplifting note.
The Mountain Shadow is set two years after the events of Shantaram. Lin is still living in Bombay and working as a forger for his mentor Khaderbhai's mafia organisation, now run by Sanjay Kumar and known as the Sanjay Corporation. He is living with his girlfriend Lisa (I didn't remember her, but she was in the previous book towards the end), and while he still carries a torch for Karla, he hasn't seen her for two years, since she married Ranjit, an aspiring politician.
In the first 100 pages three key events happen. Lin meets an Irishman by the name of Concannon, he is kidnapped by a rival gang who want information about the Sanjay Corporation and his girlfriend Lisa tells him that she wants to see other people. These three things will set a train of events in motion that drive the remainder of the plot. Apart from brief forays to Sri Lanka and to a spiritual retreat, the action is set entirely in Bombay and many familiar characters will appear, among them Didier, Abdullah, Madame Zhou and Karla. As in the previous book, Bombay is itself a key character in the book, with all its corruption and chaos, millionaires, gangsters, holy men and slum dwellers.
This book is overwritten. It's full of flowery sentences like: "She was a river, not a stone, and every day was another curve in tomorrow's plain" or "Night is Truth wearing a purple dress, and people dance differently there". If it wasn't for the author's postscript telling us that he doesn't endorse drug taking, I would have sworn that he was stoned throughout the writing of this book. So many sentences read like the kind of thing you think is brilliant when you come up with them at 3am, but realise in the cold light of day that they are tripe. Where was the editor in this process, I wondered?
The characters all spend huge amounts of time smoking marijuana and exchanging dialogue that feels like it belongs in a fortune cookie, eg: "A heart filled with greed, pride or hateful feelings is not free" or "It's the things that make us one, that make us worth having" or "Money's a river: some of us go with the current and some of us paddle to the shore". It's these empty platitudes that take the place of character development. I've now read 1700 pages of Lin's adventures and I still couldn't really tell you what Karla is like. Too many characters can be summarised in pithy descriptors like "angry lesbian", "spoiled heiress", "free-spirited Aquarian" or "foul-tempered crusader" - they aren't real or rounded people.
And yet, for all these flaws, there's something likeable in these pages. I can't say with hand on heart that "you should read this", but it's not a write off either and it ends on a genuinely touching and uplifting note.
April 25, 2016
I think it is very unhelpful that people are writing reviews for this book when they have not read Shantaram. This a a sequel to the book, if you have not read the first book you are not aware of what this book is based on. Also, it is ridiculous to write a review when you have only read a small portion of the book. READ THE WHOLE BOOK FIRST!
December 16, 2023
This was an epic sequel to shantaram, one of my favorite books. It took me close to a year to listen to it. Not because it was boring or I lost interest, but only because I wanted it to last as long as possible. The prose was hauntingly beautiful, so it felt like having small bites of delicious chocolate every now and again. Not too often, or I wouldn’t have appreciate the lovely sizzling in my brain from reading a sentence that just hit home. The plot was complex, leading you into a world completely different from our ordinary lives. The slum, the criminal gangs and the philosophical mountain retreat isn’t my typical venue in books, but I loved it. And then there was Karla and shantaram themselves. The banter, their intelligence, their love. They will forever be special characters for me, and I’ll see them in my minds eye as long as my memory lasts.
August 16, 2015
"There's a deep connection between gangsters, faith and death. All of the men in the
Sanjay Company felt that their souls were in the hands of a personal God, and they were all devout enough to pray before and after a murder".
The Cycle Killers ...were young. They rode their polished chrome bicycles through the streets
of Bombay at suicide speeds.
Lin, ( or sometimes called Shantaram), who was back from Goa.. having been gone for two years...kept realizing how much things
had changed since he had been away.... ( most of his friends were gone, lush gardens around the mansion was a shamble as the mansion itself deteriorated, and more violence to
be concern with).
I might have stayed in Goa, myself, permanently, If I were Lin. Those beaches are lovely!
However,
Lin certainly knew very little about the den of the Cycle Killers.....
who wore "brightly colored tight fitting undershirts, known as banyans, white stovepipe
jeans, and the latest fashion brand of running shoes".
"They all slicked their hair back with perfumed oil, wore ostentatious caste-mark tattoos on their faces to protect them against the evil eye, and cover their own eyes with identical mirror – finish aviator sunglasses, as polished as silver bicycles.
"They were, by general agreement among discriminating criminals, the most efficient knife– men money could buy, surpassed in skill by only one man in the city: Hathoda, The nice master
for the Sanjay Company".
Lin was having rough days being back in Bombay. Not only with the Cycle Killers and the
challenges with the Sanjay Council, but he runs into Ranjit, who married the woman he not
only once loved, but still loves: Karla. He would always love Karla he realizes - and feels protective of her. At the same time, he has a girlfriend, Lisa, so of course he feels guilty for his
thoughts.
On top of everything else, his soul has just been crushed when he learns he had been manipulated, used, and, "collected", by his adopted father, Khaderbhai.
"But the collector was dead, and I was still an exhibit in the museum of crime he created and left to the world. Sanjay had used me to test his new gun – running contact contact and that made it clear: I had to leave the collection and find my freedom again as soon as possible."
"The Mountain Shadow", is as much of a juicy read ...filled with adventure, conflicts, imagery,
great characters, and passion as Gregory David Robert's first book: "Shantaram".
Robert's is a natural storyteller. The dialogue between the characters feels very natural ...
and - personally-I felt like I was right back living in India myself.
Through Robert's writing- wonderful storytelling- ( with both books)- is a template for a
spiritual journey on which you meet different aspects of yourself and spirit.
"One of the Great mysteries of India, and the greatest of all it's joys, is the tender warmth of the lowest paid. The man wasn't angling for a tip: most of the man who use the washroom didn't give one. He was a simple kind man, in a place of essential requirement, giving me a genuinely kind smile, one human being to another".
"It's that kindness, from the deepest of the Indian heart, that the true flag of the nation, and the connection that brings you back to India again and again, or holds you there forever".
Wonderful!
Thank You to Grove Atlantic Publishing, Netgalley, and Gregory David Roberts, ....a *dazzling*
ineffable joy!
Sanjay Company felt that their souls were in the hands of a personal God, and they were all devout enough to pray before and after a murder".
The Cycle Killers ...were young. They rode their polished chrome bicycles through the streets
of Bombay at suicide speeds.
Lin, ( or sometimes called Shantaram), who was back from Goa.. having been gone for two years...kept realizing how much things
had changed since he had been away.... ( most of his friends were gone, lush gardens around the mansion was a shamble as the mansion itself deteriorated, and more violence to
be concern with).
I might have stayed in Goa, myself, permanently, If I were Lin. Those beaches are lovely!
However,
Lin certainly knew very little about the den of the Cycle Killers.....
who wore "brightly colored tight fitting undershirts, known as banyans, white stovepipe
jeans, and the latest fashion brand of running shoes".
"They all slicked their hair back with perfumed oil, wore ostentatious caste-mark tattoos on their faces to protect them against the evil eye, and cover their own eyes with identical mirror – finish aviator sunglasses, as polished as silver bicycles.
"They were, by general agreement among discriminating criminals, the most efficient knife– men money could buy, surpassed in skill by only one man in the city: Hathoda, The nice master
for the Sanjay Company".
Lin was having rough days being back in Bombay. Not only with the Cycle Killers and the
challenges with the Sanjay Council, but he runs into Ranjit, who married the woman he not
only once loved, but still loves: Karla. He would always love Karla he realizes - and feels protective of her. At the same time, he has a girlfriend, Lisa, so of course he feels guilty for his
thoughts.
On top of everything else, his soul has just been crushed when he learns he had been manipulated, used, and, "collected", by his adopted father, Khaderbhai.
"But the collector was dead, and I was still an exhibit in the museum of crime he created and left to the world. Sanjay had used me to test his new gun – running contact contact and that made it clear: I had to leave the collection and find my freedom again as soon as possible."
"The Mountain Shadow", is as much of a juicy read ...filled with adventure, conflicts, imagery,
great characters, and passion as Gregory David Robert's first book: "Shantaram".
Robert's is a natural storyteller. The dialogue between the characters feels very natural ...
and - personally-I felt like I was right back living in India myself.
Through Robert's writing- wonderful storytelling- ( with both books)- is a template for a
spiritual journey on which you meet different aspects of yourself and spirit.
"One of the Great mysteries of India, and the greatest of all it's joys, is the tender warmth of the lowest paid. The man wasn't angling for a tip: most of the man who use the washroom didn't give one. He was a simple kind man, in a place of essential requirement, giving me a genuinely kind smile, one human being to another".
"It's that kindness, from the deepest of the Indian heart, that the true flag of the nation, and the connection that brings you back to India again and again, or holds you there forever".
Wonderful!
Thank You to Grove Atlantic Publishing, Netgalley, and Gregory David Roberts, ....a *dazzling*
ineffable joy!
November 19, 2015
Maybe I remember Shantaram through rose-coloured glasses, but I have a vivid sense of loving it so much. The writing was exquisite; it felt like I was in India, and could smell the slums and feel the heartache of everyone's struggles.
The Mountain Shadow seems like it's written by a completely different person. The vivid detail is lost, replaced instead by abstract metaphors that make the author come across as arrogant and full of himself. The storyline did not interest me at all. It largely focussed on the war between two rival gangs. Shantaram's love, Karla, returned, and he described her eyes as "Queens" on a chessboard. This was the most overused description in the book. I kid you not, if you have the ebook and do a search for "queens", it would return over 100 matches. Every time she looked at someone, she "flashed them her queens".
He also felt it necessary to split the book into 15 parts. There was nothing distinctly different about each part so this division was unnecessary. And who writes a book that goes up to Part 15 anyway?! I'd give it a miss.
The Mountain Shadow seems like it's written by a completely different person. The vivid detail is lost, replaced instead by abstract metaphors that make the author come across as arrogant and full of himself. The storyline did not interest me at all. It largely focussed on the war between two rival gangs. Shantaram's love, Karla, returned, and he described her eyes as "Queens" on a chessboard. This was the most overused description in the book. I kid you not, if you have the ebook and do a search for "queens", it would return over 100 matches. Every time she looked at someone, she "flashed them her queens".
He also felt it necessary to split the book into 15 parts. There was nothing distinctly different about each part so this division was unnecessary. And who writes a book that goes up to Part 15 anyway?! I'd give it a miss.
January 3, 2016
This book is a considerable letdown from Shantaram. First, one of the most enjoyable, and admirable, parts of Shantaram was the incredible character development. Nine years after reading it, I can still visualize Prabaker, Karla, and Khaderbhai. The Mountain Shadow introduces no memorable characters, and even cheapens the few who carry over from Shantaram. The interaction between Lin and Karla feels more like a gameshow of one liners than a relationship of soulmates. Second, Shantaram was special in that it brought India to life with the sights and smells of the slum, the intricate caste system, the religious melting pot of the city, etc. This novel could have been set anywhere, as the author routinely fell into overly flowery, yet not descriptive, language to describe the setting and atmosphere. Last, this novel lacked direction...or a plot. It mindlessly meandered through 100's of pages. If it were not for my fond memory of Shantaram, I would have tossed this book aside a few chapters in.
January 23, 2016
I think I should get a medal for managing to finish the drivel that was this book! What a slog - I'm so pleased I'm done!
I LOVED his first book Shantaram - we read it as a Bookclub book and we all found it beautifully written, with a host of unforgettable characters. I didn't want it to finish - I had to slow down so I could spend a few more magical moments following Lin's adventures in India. So when Mountain Shadow came out I was so excited to read the next instalment. I'm so sorry I did as it has now ruined Shantaram for me.
This book was just too much - badly edited from the start with rambling passages about smoking chillums, getting high, killing people, killing more people, practicing to kill people, getting high again, running from killers, all interspersed with pages and pages of soppy lovey dovey passages and heavy 'philosophy' - again all clearly written by someone who was high as a kite!
The characters - bar one or two - had lost all their charm. I just didn't care about any of them any more - and I cried my way through Shantaram!
If you liked Shantaram, don't read this book. It is self indulgent and a complete waste of time. Such a shame!
I LOVED his first book Shantaram - we read it as a Bookclub book and we all found it beautifully written, with a host of unforgettable characters. I didn't want it to finish - I had to slow down so I could spend a few more magical moments following Lin's adventures in India. So when Mountain Shadow came out I was so excited to read the next instalment. I'm so sorry I did as it has now ruined Shantaram for me.
This book was just too much - badly edited from the start with rambling passages about smoking chillums, getting high, killing people, killing more people, practicing to kill people, getting high again, running from killers, all interspersed with pages and pages of soppy lovey dovey passages and heavy 'philosophy' - again all clearly written by someone who was high as a kite!
The characters - bar one or two - had lost all their charm. I just didn't care about any of them any more - and I cried my way through Shantaram!
If you liked Shantaram, don't read this book. It is self indulgent and a complete waste of time. Such a shame!
December 9, 2016
Finally taking the time to read the sequel to Gregory David Roberts' epic novel, Shantaram, I was pleased that I made the effort. Much like the original novel, it is chock full of linguistic complexities and subtleties embedded through the easy-flowing text. As the story opens, the reader is taken two years past the end of Shantaram, presumably the latter portion of the 1980s, with Lin in a stable relationship with Lisa, whose presence peppered the narrative of the past novel as her character developed. Alongside this revelation, the writer learns that Lin is still firmly involved in the Bombay Mafia and has taken up control of the passport forgery business. However, Lin has an epiphany of sorts after meeting a rough and highly unique Irishman, Concannon, whose stubbornness is matched only by his refusal to conform. As Lin decides to put the Mafia behind him, he must plan his exit carefully, so as not to become a complete pariah. One issue he must confront is the constant attacks from a rival gang, the Scorpions, who will stop at nothing to kill him and take over his business. As the novel progresses, Lin comes face to face with Karla again, the woman he loved since arriving in India and for whom his feelings have not dissipated in the two year hiatus. This love is diluted more because of his relationship with Lisa and Karla's marriage (a protest union) with Ranjit, but Roberts explores the lingering nature of these two characters and the magnetism they possess. As Lin gathers new and excited characters throughout his adventures, his focus is on rebuilding a friendship with Karla and helping her shed the weight of a husband with whom she has no true passion. After a terrible event hits Lin to his core, he seeks revenge in the only way he knows how, by ridding himself from the perpetrator. This brings Lin and Karla closer, forcing them to come to terms with their love for one another and pushes them to work as a team for the first time; the cohesive unit that Lin sought from his earliest days with her. With adventures that take Lin up the side of a mountain and into the Sri Lankan Civil War, Roberts matches the power of Shantaram while offering new insight into the life of a man who is off the grid while being so very connected to those around him. A powerful novel that tells so much in its massive narrative.
Similar to the previous novel, the story weaves together a collection of vignettes within Lin's Indian life, though is more grounded and faces a day to day existence now that roots are firmly planted in Bombay. Roberts uses this follow-up to explore Lin's choices to stay in India and how he has developed as a man, working on the black market while being kind of heart. Lin struggles, as any character might with all he faces, though does his best to look out for himself. Roberts tosses many new characters into the narrative, but the core group from the previous novel return, their lives also enriched with two additional years in India. While Roberts does say this novel reads effectively as a standalone, I would argue there is an essential flavour that is lost on the reader who has not lived through Shantaram. There are portions that read very quickly and with great ease, particularly the gang clashes, which had me feeling as if it were a rejuvenated West Side Story. Other portions were thick with philosophy and the inherent complexities of the universe. Mention of illicit drugs peppered the narrative and I felt, at times, as if I needed to be under the same influence in order to fully grasp the depth and esoteric nature of what Roberts presented. That being said, there was a powerful momentum that pushed the story along, both the amorous thread that Lin and Karla shared, as well as a chance for the protagonist to shed those parts of his Indian past and rediscover himself. This is a love story, wrapped in a philosophical treatise, enveloped in a struggle against conformity and tied up with a bow of seal-fulfillment. There is just so much to explore that this review can never truly encapsulate all that I learned and wanted to share.
I did say, during my Shantaram review, that I was not sure how well I would do having to read this novel, rather than letting Humphrey Bower take the helm, as an audiobook narrator. It was a struggle, not because the text was hard to read, but in missing the nuances and accents, I was not able to take the same journey that had me so impressed while reading Shantaram. The length of time it took me to complete this book should not be indicative of its lack of worthiness, but that parts were so deep that I could only digest them in small portions, without the help of a stellar audio narrator.
Kudos, Mr. Roberts, for another outstanding piece that has touched me to my core and left me wondering if there is more for Lin to discover.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Similar to the previous novel, the story weaves together a collection of vignettes within Lin's Indian life, though is more grounded and faces a day to day existence now that roots are firmly planted in Bombay. Roberts uses this follow-up to explore Lin's choices to stay in India and how he has developed as a man, working on the black market while being kind of heart. Lin struggles, as any character might with all he faces, though does his best to look out for himself. Roberts tosses many new characters into the narrative, but the core group from the previous novel return, their lives also enriched with two additional years in India. While Roberts does say this novel reads effectively as a standalone, I would argue there is an essential flavour that is lost on the reader who has not lived through Shantaram. There are portions that read very quickly and with great ease, particularly the gang clashes, which had me feeling as if it were a rejuvenated West Side Story. Other portions were thick with philosophy and the inherent complexities of the universe. Mention of illicit drugs peppered the narrative and I felt, at times, as if I needed to be under the same influence in order to fully grasp the depth and esoteric nature of what Roberts presented. That being said, there was a powerful momentum that pushed the story along, both the amorous thread that Lin and Karla shared, as well as a chance for the protagonist to shed those parts of his Indian past and rediscover himself. This is a love story, wrapped in a philosophical treatise, enveloped in a struggle against conformity and tied up with a bow of seal-fulfillment. There is just so much to explore that this review can never truly encapsulate all that I learned and wanted to share.
I did say, during my Shantaram review, that I was not sure how well I would do having to read this novel, rather than letting Humphrey Bower take the helm, as an audiobook narrator. It was a struggle, not because the text was hard to read, but in missing the nuances and accents, I was not able to take the same journey that had me so impressed while reading Shantaram. The length of time it took me to complete this book should not be indicative of its lack of worthiness, but that parts were so deep that I could only digest them in small portions, without the help of a stellar audio narrator.
Kudos, Mr. Roberts, for another outstanding piece that has touched me to my core and left me wondering if there is more for Lin to discover.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
December 15, 2015
Regret is a nicer self that we send into the past from time to time, even though we know it's too late to change what we said, or did.
I loved the descriptions of Bombay and its people. I fell in love with characters already known to me like Didier, but also a whole cast of new ones like Naveen and Oleg. Unfortunately there are also many things I did not like about this book. The main character Lin is one-dimensional, just too good to be true. The whole guru/self-help/new-agey element felt forced, and not connected to the rest of the story. Lastly, the writing sometimes felt prententious. If you have not read Shantaram I highly recommend it, it's an amazing read with some of the most unforgettable characters I've ever "met", but I think you can safely skip this 2nd book in the series.
The Story: As flamboyant as is the life of this novel’s hero, the author’s experience has been even more so. Sentenced to 19 years in prison in Australia for armed robbery in 1978, Roberts escaped in broad daylight two years later and hid in India for a decade. Six more years in prison followed, during which he wrote Shantaram (2003). It was an instant best seller; the film rights were sold for $2 million. In this second installment of Aussie criminal-on-the-run Lin’s action-packed life, he’s in Bombay, forging documents for a new Mafia family while mourning the loss of his mentor and his beloved, who married a tycoon.
November 28, 2015
While I have to agree that this was not as good as GDR's Shantaram, I cannot see any reason for 3 stars. Personally, I think it deserves 4.5 stars, but not 5.
GDR's novels are very spiritual, and I would say that there was less story in The Mountain Shadow and more philosophy, which at times did read a little like Chinese fortune cookies. Some of the pithy quotes though were quite funny or memorable. As before, Lin/Shantaram is a criminal, making his money from forging documents and then by running an illegal money changing business; however, he has a huge heart. We find him adrift as the book opens, because the love of his life, Karla, has married a media magnate and aspiring politician. As in Shantaram, Lin assembles a wonderful list of friends from all walks of life and cultures, many are lost souls like himself: gangsters, street people, gurus, and even an heiress. There is much mayhem (and drug use) in the book, as the criminal underworld and police are constantly at war, and emotional highs and lows, as Lin's friends have extraordinary luck, both good and bad. I missed the slums, which were such a wonderful backdrop in the first book; however, the slums did provide an important safe haven. In the end, I think the message is a positive message about love, faith, religion, ethics, and the human spirit.
GDR's novels are very spiritual, and I would say that there was less story in The Mountain Shadow and more philosophy, which at times did read a little like Chinese fortune cookies. Some of the pithy quotes though were quite funny or memorable. As before, Lin/Shantaram is a criminal, making his money from forging documents and then by running an illegal money changing business; however, he has a huge heart. We find him adrift as the book opens, because the love of his life, Karla, has married a media magnate and aspiring politician. As in Shantaram, Lin assembles a wonderful list of friends from all walks of life and cultures, many are lost souls like himself: gangsters, street people, gurus, and even an heiress. There is much mayhem (and drug use) in the book, as the criminal underworld and police are constantly at war, and emotional highs and lows, as Lin's friends have extraordinary luck, both good and bad. I missed the slums, which were such a wonderful backdrop in the first book; however, the slums did provide an important safe haven. In the end, I think the message is a positive message about love, faith, religion, ethics, and the human spirit.
July 23, 2018
90% nonsense, 10% alright that is what I think of this book and even then I think I'm being generous. Where to start! All the characters are the same none of them have any personality they all just say stupid things like "yaar that's so cool" or speak in aphorisms. The only people who I have any clear idea of as a person are Didier and maybe Abdullah, all the other characters are far too shallow with no real personality, they are essentially just names. This really didn't help with the story as I couldn't build any kind of connection with any of the characters even Lin the main character comes across as arrogant and annoying.
The story in general is weak, there's no real core to it, just things happening that are kind of linked and not really that interesting or dramatic. Most of the things that happen don't even involve the main character either. Its also very cheesy especially the last few chapters where it all ends very 'nicely'.
Then there's the philosophy which seems like the whole point of the book. Its boring, offensive, arrogant, nonsense. Its clearly the authors belief and maybe he is trying to start a religion but it's pretty arrogant how he talks through some 'great' spiritual leader idris and tries to make Lin act as the reader, asking probing questions yet all he can think of is 'so how do you know we're all attached to a great big tendency field?'. It's ridiculous and even more offensive when characters start saying how genius this idiot is for coming up with it all, Karla listens and says 'it's like being in smartass heaven'! It's such a load of rubbish! He even uses some dopey character to help explain the teachings too, so the reader can easily follow what it all means!
There's then a whole part about how Lin is a writer and everything he does is 'writer things' and then a Russian guy turns up who is also a writer (like seriously?!) so the author can show off about how much he knows about Russian literature. Then everyone it turns out can't talk normally and they all just start saying clever aphorisms to each other like 'Karla is the horse and your job is to ride it'. Then they all become detectives and it's just awful as who is really a detective in real life unless they are in the police? Then all the dramatic things that the main character kept building up, saying things like, 'if I'd known then how terrible it would get', don't actually happen and instead they just come out with more clever things to say.
Overall there are some nice descriptions of India, although I think it's a bit of a rose tinted view that all poor people are really kind and generous and it's so great living in a slum. Some of the ideas of characters are interesting even if they have no substance, like Madam Zou. I read this hoping for Shantaram with less philosophy but instead I got philosophy with less Shantaram. I would say there is a good book somewhere in the 900 pages but the characters are so one dimensional I don't know if there is. Blue Hijab marriage counselling wtf?!
The story in general is weak, there's no real core to it, just things happening that are kind of linked and not really that interesting or dramatic. Most of the things that happen don't even involve the main character either. Its also very cheesy especially the last few chapters where it all ends very 'nicely'.
Then there's the philosophy which seems like the whole point of the book. Its boring, offensive, arrogant, nonsense. Its clearly the authors belief and maybe he is trying to start a religion but it's pretty arrogant how he talks through some 'great' spiritual leader idris and tries to make Lin act as the reader, asking probing questions yet all he can think of is 'so how do you know we're all attached to a great big tendency field?'. It's ridiculous and even more offensive when characters start saying how genius this idiot is for coming up with it all, Karla listens and says 'it's like being in smartass heaven'! It's such a load of rubbish! He even uses some dopey character to help explain the teachings too, so the reader can easily follow what it all means!
There's then a whole part about how Lin is a writer and everything he does is 'writer things' and then a Russian guy turns up who is also a writer (like seriously?!) so the author can show off about how much he knows about Russian literature. Then everyone it turns out can't talk normally and they all just start saying clever aphorisms to each other like 'Karla is the horse and your job is to ride it'. Then they all become detectives and it's just awful as who is really a detective in real life unless they are in the police? Then all the dramatic things that the main character kept building up, saying things like, 'if I'd known then how terrible it would get', don't actually happen and instead they just come out with more clever things to say.
Overall there are some nice descriptions of India, although I think it's a bit of a rose tinted view that all poor people are really kind and generous and it's so great living in a slum. Some of the ideas of characters are interesting even if they have no substance, like Madam Zou. I read this hoping for Shantaram with less philosophy but instead I got philosophy with less Shantaram. I would say there is a good book somewhere in the 900 pages but the characters are so one dimensional I don't know if there is. Blue Hijab marriage counselling wtf?!
December 23, 2019
"Шантарам" е планина, а това е бледата й, красиво изписана сянка.
Много дълго отлагах 'Сянката на планината" ... добре де, 2 години не е и толкова много, но след като една книга като "Шантарам" те е всмукала в Индия, сдъвкала и сетне изплюла досущ като паан, се предполага, че ще си строго нетърпелив към продължението. Наопаки, когато чух че ще излиза продължение, ме загложди онази прогнила мисъл. "За какво, Яр?" За пари ли, или от любов към писането? "Шантарам" казваше токова много, че не можех да си представя какво още има да се каже в същия стил, за същите места и с останалите измежду живите същи герои. Да, единствено - трябваше романът межди Лин и Карла да се случи все някак.
Като цяко книгата е много добре описан бандитско-философски приключенски роман. Просто повечето герои са бандите, или философи, или светци, а в някои случаи и трите, но при всички случаи се опитват да бъдат поне две от тези категории. Изгубих ли Ви? ... Е, сега разбирате как се чувствам. Защо "много добре описан" - като че ли цялото усилие е вложено в думите - тяхната подредба, благозвучие, формите и похватите и някъде на заден план остава клетият сюжет. Не, че нищо не се случва - напротив. Но случките са някак по енерция от предния роман. Не мисля, че е възможно да се чете без първо да сте чели Шантарам, а и не виждам, защо някой ще прави такава грешка, но все пак да предупредя. Та, както Христо Блажев беше писал в ревюто си: “Сянката на планината” ще си остане в сянката на “Шантарам”.
Новите герои не можаха да заместят в сърцето ми старите. Новите водачи на мафията не стъпват и на малкия пръст на стария. Нямаше толкова силен образ като малкия вечно усмихнат Прабакер. И трудностите и успехите на Лин бяха умело изцедени от въздуха, а не течащи от фонтана на първичното вдъхновение. Ако преди искрата движеше огъня на бомбайските улици да се разгаря, сега той е умело обдухван от специален писателски мех за разпалването им. Кръвта в тази книга се върти от изкуствени системи, не се изпомпва от сърцето.
Може би, ако се чете (слуша) напушен, то това ще е върховното четиво, но няма как да знам. Леенето на мъдрост след мъдрост, подклаждани от наргиле с най-чистите опиати на планината не е упражнение като леенето на метал в подготвена форма. Формата тук превъзхожда съдържанието. Думите превъзхождат смисъла. И колкото земна беше "Шантарам", толкова устремена да се извиси в балон от димни облаци е "Сянката".
Имам някакво усещане за книгите като интуиция и си знаех, че не бих прочел тези 900 стр. със същия интерес като в предходната част. Затова се възползвах от варианта със слушане, за да потвърдя първоначалното си усещане. Езикът е красив, не може да се отрече и разговорите между героите са в познатото темпо и стил. Отделни сценки могат да доставят читателско задоволство. Ако сте много големи фенове на Шантарам - сигурно е неизбежно да я прочетете. Аз честно ще си призная - не съжалявам, че я изслушах, но не бих отделил толкова време и място в лавицата си за нея. По-скоро бих прочел още веднъж "Шантарам".
Много дълго отлагах 'Сянката на планината" ... добре де, 2 години не е и толкова много, но след като една книга като "Шантарам" те е всмукала в Индия, сдъвкала и сетне изплюла досущ като паан, се предполага, че ще си строго нетърпелив към продължението. Наопаки, когато чух че ще излиза продължение, ме загложди онази прогнила мисъл. "За какво, Яр?" За пари ли, или от любов към писането? "Шантарам" казваше токова много, че не можех да си представя какво още има да се каже в същия стил, за същите места и с останалите измежду живите същи герои. Да, единствено - трябваше романът межди Лин и Карла да се случи все някак.
Като цяко книгата е много добре описан бандитско-философски приключенски роман. Просто повечето герои са бандите, или философи, или светци, а в някои случаи и трите, но при всички случаи се опитват да бъдат поне две от тези категории. Изгубих ли Ви? ... Е, сега разбирате как се чувствам. Защо "много добре описан" - като че ли цялото усилие е вложено в думите - тяхната подредба, благозвучие, формите и похватите и някъде на заден план остава клетият сюжет. Не, че нищо не се случва - напротив. Но случките са някак по енерция от предния роман. Не мисля, че е възможно да се чете без първо да сте чели Шантарам, а и не виждам, защо някой ще прави такава грешка, но все пак да предупредя. Та, както Христо Блажев беше писал в ревюто си: “Сянката на планината” ще си остане в сянката на “Шантарам”.
Новите герои не можаха да заместят в сърцето ми старите. Новите водачи на мафията не стъпват и на малкия пръст на стария. Нямаше толкова силен образ като малкия вечно усмихнат Прабакер. И трудностите и успехите на Лин бяха умело изцедени от въздуха, а не течащи от фонтана на първичното вдъхновение. Ако преди искрата движеше огъня на бомбайските улици да се разгаря, сега той е умело обдухван от специален писателски мех за разпалването им. Кръвта в тази книга се върти от изкуствени системи, не се изпомпва от сърцето.
Може би, ако се чете (слуша) напушен, то това ще е върховното четиво, но няма как да знам. Леенето на мъдрост след мъдрост, подклаждани от наргиле с най-чистите опиати на планината не е упражнение като леенето на метал в подготвена форма. Формата тук превъзхожда съдържанието. Думите превъзхождат смисъла. И колкото земна беше "Шантарам", толкова устремена да се извиси в балон от димни облаци е "Сянката".
Имам някакво усещане за книгите като интуиция и си знаех, че не бих прочел тези 900 стр. със същия интерес като в предходната част. Затова се възползвах от варианта със слушане, за да потвърдя първоначалното си усещане. Езикът е красив, не може да се отрече и разговорите между героите са в познатото темпо и стил. Отделни сценки могат да доставят читателско задоволство. Ако сте много големи фенове на Шантарам - сигурно е неизбежно да я прочетете. Аз честно ще си призная - не съжалявам, че я изслушах, но не бих отделил толкова време и място в лавицата си за нея. По-скоро бих прочел още веднъж "Шантарам".
Read
September 11, 2017Skończyłem. Co za ulga. 00,00 gwiazdek.
Podtrzymuję wszystkie wnioski, które zamieściłem w zapiskach podczas czytania.
Dodałbym tylko do listy bohatera - mędrca-guru, który wygaduje banały przez dobre 10 rozdziałów tocząc filozoficzne dysputy - oczywiście - z głównym bohaterem, gangsterem.
Ta książka jest pretensjonalna, egzaltowana, głupia i pod każdym względem zła.
Pod żadnym pozorem nie należy jej czytać. Nawet nieświadoma zabawność niektórych fragmentów nie wynagradza męki, jaką się przechodzi, czytając całość.
Na koniec mały apel:
Ludzie - jeżeli będziecie w księgarni i będzie was kusić - oddajcie pieniądze i karty kredytowe najbliższemu bezdomnemu. Jeżeli zaś, ktoś da Wam tę książkę w prezencie - zerwijcie stosunki.
:-)
Podtrzymuję wszystkie wnioski, które zamieściłem w zapiskach podczas czytania.
Dodałbym tylko do listy bohatera - mędrca-guru, który wygaduje banały przez dobre 10 rozdziałów tocząc filozoficzne dysputy - oczywiście - z głównym bohaterem, gangsterem.
Ta książka jest pretensjonalna, egzaltowana, głupia i pod każdym względem zła.
Pod żadnym pozorem nie należy jej czytać. Nawet nieświadoma zabawność niektórych fragmentów nie wynagradza męki, jaką się przechodzi, czytając całość.
Na koniec mały apel:
Ludzie - jeżeli będziecie w księgarni i będzie was kusić - oddajcie pieniądze i karty kredytowe najbliższemu bezdomnemu. Jeżeli zaś, ktoś da Wam tę książkę w prezencie - zerwijcie stosunki.
:-)
April 20, 2018
"Korku zincirli bir kurttur. Yalnızca onu serbest bıraktığınızda tehlikeli olur. Hüzün unutuşta tükenir. Tek bir gülümseyiş en amansız öfkeyi bile öldürebilir. Sadece umut sonsuza dek var olur çünkü bize ait değildir. Umut atalarımızdan kalmadır. Cesurca aşklarıyla bize içimizdeki iyiliği miras bırakan ilk insanlardan.
Ve umut denen kadim tohum onu besleyen her kalbi onarır. Bütün kalpler umudun bize tanıdığı seçeneklerle uyum içinde atar; geçmişin gölgeleri ve yeni günün temiz ve parlak sayfaları arasında."
//
İnsan bir kitabı ne kadar çok sevebilirse, o kadar çok seviyorum.
Hiç bitmesin doyumsuzluğu, öte yandan iyiki bitti sevinci, kazandığım dostlar ve yitirdiklerimin hüznü. Ne diyeceğimi bilemiyorum gerçekten.
Ve umut denen kadim tohum onu besleyen her kalbi onarır. Bütün kalpler umudun bize tanıdığı seçeneklerle uyum içinde atar; geçmişin gölgeleri ve yeni günün temiz ve parlak sayfaları arasında."
//
İnsan bir kitabı ne kadar çok sevebilirse, o kadar çok seviyorum.
Hiç bitmesin doyumsuzluğu, öte yandan iyiki bitti sevinci, kazandığım dostlar ve yitirdiklerimin hüznü. Ne diyeceğimi bilemiyorum gerçekten.
December 28, 2015
Having read Shantaram over a decade back, I was waiting for this sequel for quite a long time. And it has truly been worth the wait. The only other author who had a gap of over five years but came back with a bang was Greg Iles.
Linbaba aka Shantaram continues from where he left and covers the next few years in the same alleys of South Mumbai - the relentless and murky underworld that is scarcely visible to the ordinary dweller of Mumbai. One gets a real close view of the violent thinking as well as the day to day lives, the perennial gang wars, the drug addiction, shady deals, black market transactions et al, and what makes this an exclusive read is the authenticity an Australian writer has been able to achieve.
There are various struggles of the author, both internal as well as external, his exposition of the philosophy of love and the futility of hate, greed and violence - all of which are so inextricably linked with the narrative that one lives these lives alongside the author. That in itself is a monumental achievement.
A masterpiece without doubt!!!
Linbaba aka Shantaram continues from where he left and covers the next few years in the same alleys of South Mumbai - the relentless and murky underworld that is scarcely visible to the ordinary dweller of Mumbai. One gets a real close view of the violent thinking as well as the day to day lives, the perennial gang wars, the drug addiction, shady deals, black market transactions et al, and what makes this an exclusive read is the authenticity an Australian writer has been able to achieve.
There are various struggles of the author, both internal as well as external, his exposition of the philosophy of love and the futility of hate, greed and violence - all of which are so inextricably linked with the narrative that one lives these lives alongside the author. That in itself is a monumental achievement.
A masterpiece without doubt!!!
February 19, 2016
I picked up The Mountain Shadow (TMS) with a lot of hope, because I loved Shantaram. But an artist can only ever have one masterpiece. And I think Greg Roberts had already made his, before he started writing TMS.
TMS has the following problems:
It’s very long, without needing to be.
It’s got some extremely weird philosophy about the meaning of life and complexity and love and the nature of evil. The problem with random philosophizing in a novel is that there will be no academic debate over it, and philosophy, when not debated on, is always the weaker for it. An example: “…Will, our human will, is in a constant state of superposition, interacting with, and not interacting with the spiritual tendency field, like the photons of light from which it’s made”.
It does not have the beautiful human moments that Shantaram did. Shantaram’s best parts are when Roberts describes life in the slum. I’m not saying TMS should have had slum life. Obviously, it couldn’t have. But the lack of those beautiful human stories makes TMS shallow.
TMS has the following problems:
It’s very long, without needing to be.
It’s got some extremely weird philosophy about the meaning of life and complexity and love and the nature of evil. The problem with random philosophizing in a novel is that there will be no academic debate over it, and philosophy, when not debated on, is always the weaker for it. An example: “…Will, our human will, is in a constant state of superposition, interacting with, and not interacting with the spiritual tendency field, like the photons of light from which it’s made”.
It does not have the beautiful human moments that Shantaram did. Shantaram’s best parts are when Roberts describes life in the slum. I’m not saying TMS should have had slum life. Obviously, it couldn’t have. But the lack of those beautiful human stories makes TMS shallow.
December 28, 2015
This book doesn't come close to Shantaram. I knew when I heard there was a sequel that it could go either way. Unfortunately, I wish I hadn't picked it up. The writing feels a lot shallower and lacking in substance compared to the first novel, as does the plot line and the characters.
The philosophy in Shantaram added to the story, but in the Mountain Shadow, I felt that it was put there for the sake of it. I read the entire book (I hate leaving a book unfinished) and while I didn't hate it, I didn't particularly enjoy it.
My speculation is that Shantaram contained so much more of Roberts' heart, and used a lot more of his truth, than the Mountain Shadow. I didn't find myself wrapped in the Mountain Shadow's story, or wanting to turn the pages like I had in Shantaram, and when characters were lost, I didn't feel for them like I had with the prequel. The dialogue didn't feel as genuine, and neither did the relationships.
The philosophy in Shantaram added to the story, but in the Mountain Shadow, I felt that it was put there for the sake of it. I read the entire book (I hate leaving a book unfinished) and while I didn't hate it, I didn't particularly enjoy it.
My speculation is that Shantaram contained so much more of Roberts' heart, and used a lot more of his truth, than the Mountain Shadow. I didn't find myself wrapped in the Mountain Shadow's story, or wanting to turn the pages like I had in Shantaram, and when characters were lost, I didn't feel for them like I had with the prequel. The dialogue didn't feel as genuine, and neither did the relationships.
Want to read
February 24, 2012I cannot wait for this book to come out. I'm thinking it won't be released by the end of the month though. . ..
August 14, 2017
“Сянката на планината” ще си остане в сянката на “Шантарам”: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
Дълго чакахме това продължение. Грегъри Дейвид Робъртс ни праща обратно в Бомбай, където се случиха толкова много неща. Неговият герой отдавна вече не е чужденец, а свой, приет и при мафиотите, и при бедняците. Преодолял болките от първата книга, загубите на приятели, които разкъсваха сърцето му пак и пак, битките, които понякога печелеше, понякога губеше. Лин броди по своите улици, върти си далаверите, които в Индия са същностна част от живота на всички, намерил е най-близкото подобие на любов, след като истинската му се е омъжила за друг. Нищо вече не е същото – и все пак всичко си тече нормално. До момента, в който войната между престъпните групировки, която витае във въздуха, не избухва, Лин е ударен в сърцето точно когато най-малко очаква, близките му до един са в опасност, а Клара, любовта… тя пак се завръща, сякаш никога не си е отивала. В планината го очаква мъдростта, а в града – смъртта. И яхнал своя мотор, той търси своето място в свят, който е освирепял и жадува кръв. И ще си я получи.
Изд. "Zамония"
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
Дълго чакахме това продължение. Грегъри Дейвид Робъртс ни праща обратно в Бомбай, където се случиха толкова много неща. Неговият герой отдавна вече не е чужденец, а свой, приет и при мафиотите, и при бедняците. Преодолял болките от първата книга, загубите на приятели, които разкъсваха сърцето му пак и пак, битките, които понякога печелеше, понякога губеше. Лин броди по своите улици, върти си далаверите, които в Индия са същностна част от живота на всички, намерил е най-близкото подобие на любов, след като истинската му се е омъжила за друг. Нищо вече не е същото – и все пак всичко си тече нормално. До момента, в който войната между престъпните групировки, която витае във въздуха, не избухва, Лин е ударен в сърцето точно когато най-малко очаква, близките му до един са в опасност, а Клара, любовта… тя пак се завръща, сякаш никога не си е отивала. В планината го очаква мъдростта, а в града – смъртта. И яхнал своя мотор, той търси своето място в свят, който е освирепял и жадува кръв. И ще си я получи.
Изд. "Zамония"
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
January 30, 2016
I really don't know how this book got such a high rating. After the brilliance of Shantaram of which I was a huge fan I just felt pissed off by this book. The schmaltzy romantic crap with the secretive Karla that kept beaming her "queens" at him, to the lame philosophical ramblings that took up way too much of this book to the unbelievable doings and words of the characters. C'mon. Is a character like Madame Zhou even remotely realistic?
It truly came across like a different author. Maybe because the bulk of Shantaram was based on real happenings and this one pure fiction did it come across as just a book written through ego maybe?
Nothing here was even remotely believable. I felt as though I was reading a script for Neighbours.
I ended up skipping huge chunks of this book. Skimming more than I ever have. Where the hell was the editor???? There was way to much book for the story it contained.
I knew it would have a hard time living up to Shantaram but I didn't have any idea just how badly this would bomb. In my eyes anyway.
I originally gave this two stars but the more I think about I want to take one away.
It truly came across like a different author. Maybe because the bulk of Shantaram was based on real happenings and this one pure fiction did it come across as just a book written through ego maybe?
Nothing here was even remotely believable. I felt as though I was reading a script for Neighbours.
I ended up skipping huge chunks of this book. Skimming more than I ever have. Where the hell was the editor???? There was way to much book for the story it contained.
I knew it would have a hard time living up to Shantaram but I didn't have any idea just how badly this would bomb. In my eyes anyway.
I originally gave this two stars but the more I think about I want to take one away.
September 20, 2015
The Mountain Shadow by Gregory David Roberts- From an excerpt of this novel, I was able to determine that this sequel to Robert's first novel, Shantaran, is every bit as enjoyable. It is easy to get right into this story, with its colorful poetic prose and exotic backgrounds. Once again we find Lin(Lindsay) on the streets and backwaters of Bombay(Mumbai), associating with drug dealers, bandits and thieves. The story is told in such a dizzying style, like a stream-of-consciousness narrative that leaves you breathless at times, or turning back to make sure you understand what just happened. The characters- Naveen, the half-Indian, half-Irish Private Detective, Vikram, the old friend, Concannon, the ex-UVF mercenary, all are carefully splashed about the pages as they come to life. I'm looking forward to reading the complete novel when it comes out in October and can heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys intrigue and adventure or just a good read.
September 5, 2021
Kaip ilgai aš gyvenau kartu su šia knyga, nuostabi apimtis - 784pusl :)) Pirmoji dalis "Šantaramas" paliko neišdildomą įspūdį, atrodė, kad būtinai reikia perskaityti ir šią. Tie patys veikėjai, ta pati vieta, veiksmas vyksta toliau. Kas sužavėjo - prasmingai išreiškiami jausmai žodžiais, gyvenimo prasmė, tiesa ir neteisybė, pagarba, draugystė ir meilė.. Kas nepatiko, tai, kad viskas pernelyg ištempta - daug detalių ir įvykių, kurie nei svarbūs, nei įdomūs. "Šantaramui" neprilygs niekas ❤️
🖋️ Gangsteriai, tikyba ir mirtis glaudžiai susiję. ..gaujos vyrai manė, kad jų sielos - asmeninio Dievo rankose, ir visi buvo tokie pamaldūs, kad melsdavosi prieš žmogžudystę ir po jos.
🖋️ Aš buvau sutrikęs. Ir purvinas. Ir sumuštas. Turėjau rasti išeitį. Turėjau liautis kristi.
🖋️ Kartais svetimos meilės atspindyje pamatyta netektis tampa nepakeliama: per sunku vėl išvysti tai, ką turėjai ir nebeturi.
🖋️ Mes esame tai, ką darome, o ne ką mąstome ar sakome.
🖋️ ..aš atleisdavau sau nuodėmes.
🖋️ ..norėti daugiau yra ženklas, kad turi per mažai.
🖋️ ..žmonės išsiskiria, nes niekada iš tikrųjų nebuvo kartu.
🖋️ Skausmas tėra įrodymas, kad aš gyvas.
🖋️ ..kartais išsekusias jėgas atstoja valia ir baimė prarasti mylimų žmonių pagarbą.
🖋️ Mes net pasikeitę esame tokie, kokie buvome.
🖋️ Kiekvienas atsisveikinimas yra paskutinio atsisveikinimo generalinė repeticija.
🖋️ Ištikimybės reikia, kai myli per mažai. Kai meilės pakankamai, ištikimybės klausimas tiesiog nekyla.
🖋️ Saugumas yra urvas, jaukus šiltas urvas, bet šviesu ten, kur pavojai.
🖋️ Apmaudas yra nepatenkintas poreikis ar noras.
🖋️ Noriu žinoti, ką reiškia būti savimi, kai niekam savęs nedaliju.
🖋️ Gamta visada gydo, jei jai leidžiame.
🖋️ Moterį, kuri protingesnė už tave, mylėti baisu - ji nuolat įmina tave į purvą, o tu tuo mėgaujiesi.
🖋️ Lemtis atveda tave ten, kur trokšti, o laikas pasirūpina, kad akimirka būtų netinkama.
🖋️ Stovėdamas ant priekinės kalėjimo sienos, tarp sargybos bokštų, buvau ramus. Siaubo nejaučiau, nes žinojau: jei sargybiniai šaus į mane, krisiu į laisvę.
🖋️ Likimas niekada nekovoja sąžiningai. Likimas prisėlina ir puola iš pasalų.
🖋️ Ilgai mazgojau jausmus sau nuo veido.
🖋️ Bene nuoširdžiausiai žmogaus jausmus išreiškia nelinksmas juokas.
🖋️ Tikėjimas - medis, neduodantis pavėsio.
🖋️ Mano širdis buvo laivas vidury jūros, ir kartais aš, įlipęs į baimės stiebą, išskėsdavau rankas audrai, niokojančiai pasaulį.
🖋️ Reikia galvoti tik apie tai, kas mus jungia, nes tik tai ko nors verta.
🖋️ ...viena moters meilės palaiminta akimirka užgydė visas žaizdas.
🖋️ Vyrai vengia kalbėti apie meilę taip atvirai: įsprausti moteriai į ranką pistoletą, pridėti jį prie širdies ir pasakyti: "Taip mane galima nužudyti." Bet aš nebijojau. Tebūnie.
🖋️ Smurtas, tironija, priespauda, neteisybė yra kalnai gyvenimo kelyje. Gyventi - reiškia įveikti šiuos kalnus. Saugiausia būtų kalną apeiti. Bet ši kelionė suės jums visą gyvenimą, nes, nusprendę apeiti kalną, taip ir eisite ratu, ir vienas iš kalnų taps jūsų likimu. Vienintelis būdas eiti į priekį, neįstrigti šiame rate ir išvengti bėdos su naujais kalnais - užkopti į viršūnę ir pereiti į kitą pusę.
🖋️ Gangsteriai, tikyba ir mirtis glaudžiai susiję. ..gaujos vyrai manė, kad jų sielos - asmeninio Dievo rankose, ir visi buvo tokie pamaldūs, kad melsdavosi prieš žmogžudystę ir po jos.
🖋️ Aš buvau sutrikęs. Ir purvinas. Ir sumuštas. Turėjau rasti išeitį. Turėjau liautis kristi.
🖋️ Kartais svetimos meilės atspindyje pamatyta netektis tampa nepakeliama: per sunku vėl išvysti tai, ką turėjai ir nebeturi.
🖋️ Mes esame tai, ką darome, o ne ką mąstome ar sakome.
🖋️ ..aš atleisdavau sau nuodėmes.
🖋️ ..norėti daugiau yra ženklas, kad turi per mažai.
🖋️ ..žmonės išsiskiria, nes niekada iš tikrųjų nebuvo kartu.
🖋️ Skausmas tėra įrodymas, kad aš gyvas.
🖋️ ..kartais išsekusias jėgas atstoja valia ir baimė prarasti mylimų žmonių pagarbą.
🖋️ Mes net pasikeitę esame tokie, kokie buvome.
🖋️ Kiekvienas atsisveikinimas yra paskutinio atsisveikinimo generalinė repeticija.
🖋️ Ištikimybės reikia, kai myli per mažai. Kai meilės pakankamai, ištikimybės klausimas tiesiog nekyla.
🖋️ Saugumas yra urvas, jaukus šiltas urvas, bet šviesu ten, kur pavojai.
🖋️ Apmaudas yra nepatenkintas poreikis ar noras.
🖋️ Noriu žinoti, ką reiškia būti savimi, kai niekam savęs nedaliju.
🖋️ Gamta visada gydo, jei jai leidžiame.
🖋️ Moterį, kuri protingesnė už tave, mylėti baisu - ji nuolat įmina tave į purvą, o tu tuo mėgaujiesi.
🖋️ Lemtis atveda tave ten, kur trokšti, o laikas pasirūpina, kad akimirka būtų netinkama.
🖋️ Stovėdamas ant priekinės kalėjimo sienos, tarp sargybos bokštų, buvau ramus. Siaubo nejaučiau, nes žinojau: jei sargybiniai šaus į mane, krisiu į laisvę.
🖋️ Likimas niekada nekovoja sąžiningai. Likimas prisėlina ir puola iš pasalų.
🖋️ Ilgai mazgojau jausmus sau nuo veido.
🖋️ Bene nuoširdžiausiai žmogaus jausmus išreiškia nelinksmas juokas.
🖋️ Tikėjimas - medis, neduodantis pavėsio.
🖋️ Mano širdis buvo laivas vidury jūros, ir kartais aš, įlipęs į baimės stiebą, išskėsdavau rankas audrai, niokojančiai pasaulį.
🖋️ Reikia galvoti tik apie tai, kas mus jungia, nes tik tai ko nors verta.
🖋️ ...viena moters meilės palaiminta akimirka užgydė visas žaizdas.
🖋️ Vyrai vengia kalbėti apie meilę taip atvirai: įsprausti moteriai į ranką pistoletą, pridėti jį prie širdies ir pasakyti: "Taip mane galima nužudyti." Bet aš nebijojau. Tebūnie.
🖋️ Smurtas, tironija, priespauda, neteisybė yra kalnai gyvenimo kelyje. Gyventi - reiškia įveikti šiuos kalnus. Saugiausia būtų kalną apeiti. Bet ši kelionė suės jums visą gyvenimą, nes, nusprendę apeiti kalną, taip ir eisite ratu, ir vienas iš kalnų taps jūsų likimu. Vienintelis būdas eiti į priekį, neįstrigti šiame rate ir išvengti bėdos su naujais kalnais - užkopti į viršūnę ir pereiti į kitą pusę.
October 26, 2022
What a let down, what a disappointment, what a fizzer, what was he thinking?
I wonder if it is really the same guy who wrote Shantaram.
When Roberts kept pushing back the release date I assumed he was crafting a slick sequel and wanted it to be even better than Shantaram and was polishing and editing and honing, but this is the emperor's new clothes. Some of the dialogue is bucking infantile. "I danced in the rain like a candle unlocked by love's thunderous embrace, knowing that inspiration is the keeper of beauty's innocence" " The true test of love's compassion is the acceptance of mediocrity's honest flamboyance" "The heart achieves contentment when honesty stares unflinching at the necklace of remembrance" stuff LIKE that.
There couldn't have been an editor involved, at least not one with veto because there is a metric tonne of shallow light weight platitudinous BULLSHIT that froths about all through the novel, they even have a TRITE OFF contest where Karla and Lin try to out " Aphorise" each other, and some of them are horrendous -" the heart only grows when truth and peace coalesce around the bubbling fountain of beauty's child" type of meaningless trash.
I think the author got stuck on the blog page with sycophantic adorees and he became complacent and spoiled by being able to spurt out crap and still have everyone gush adoringly about how deeply they'd just been touched by his piecing insight.
I had huge high hopes for this novel, I enjoyed Shantaram immensely, but my feeling is that Roberts MISUNDERSTOOD why people liked that book so much, as though he thought we were all going crazy over the witty sayings and the one dimensionally boring unattainable Karla.. my least favorite character, as soon as she turns up Lin has to start phrasing all his speech like a wannabe cool love struck schoolboy using "1980's Best Pick Up Lines" interspersed with the Reader's Digest book of "How to live your Life, one catchphrase at a time"
Whereas Khaderbhai not only got away with the metaphysical philosophy, it was great, he was a strong character and one I was intrigued by, here we have Khaderbhai's "teacher" who somehow isn't even a pale imitation of his student.
Could Gregory Roberts have not cottoned on to WHY we all loved his first work?
I couldn't care less about bloody Karla even after hundreds of pages in both books, my first feeling was always ' Oh no here comes that boring bitch again'
Whereas little Prabaker stole my heart with his 'big smile' and 'teeny pieces'
I have never been more disappointed and underwhelmed, doesn't feel like the same writer, feels ghost written by piece of software.
If SHANTARAM was the mountain then this really is the SHADOW, a pale and unconvincing one.
and.....I'm pissed off that I checked the release date every month for about ten years, got all excited many times just to be let down again and again as the bloody release date got pushed back again and again ... and for what? for this?
I wonder if it is really the same guy who wrote Shantaram.
When Roberts kept pushing back the release date I assumed he was crafting a slick sequel and wanted it to be even better than Shantaram and was polishing and editing and honing, but this is the emperor's new clothes. Some of the dialogue is bucking infantile. "I danced in the rain like a candle unlocked by love's thunderous embrace, knowing that inspiration is the keeper of beauty's innocence" " The true test of love's compassion is the acceptance of mediocrity's honest flamboyance" "The heart achieves contentment when honesty stares unflinching at the necklace of remembrance" stuff LIKE that.
There couldn't have been an editor involved, at least not one with veto because there is a metric tonne of shallow light weight platitudinous BULLSHIT that froths about all through the novel, they even have a TRITE OFF contest where Karla and Lin try to out " Aphorise" each other, and some of them are horrendous -" the heart only grows when truth and peace coalesce around the bubbling fountain of beauty's child" type of meaningless trash.
I think the author got stuck on the blog page with sycophantic adorees and he became complacent and spoiled by being able to spurt out crap and still have everyone gush adoringly about how deeply they'd just been touched by his piecing insight.
I had huge high hopes for this novel, I enjoyed Shantaram immensely, but my feeling is that Roberts MISUNDERSTOOD why people liked that book so much, as though he thought we were all going crazy over the witty sayings and the one dimensionally boring unattainable Karla.. my least favorite character, as soon as she turns up Lin has to start phrasing all his speech like a wannabe cool love struck schoolboy using "1980's Best Pick Up Lines" interspersed with the Reader's Digest book of "How to live your Life, one catchphrase at a time"
Whereas Khaderbhai not only got away with the metaphysical philosophy, it was great, he was a strong character and one I was intrigued by, here we have Khaderbhai's "teacher" who somehow isn't even a pale imitation of his student.
Could Gregory Roberts have not cottoned on to WHY we all loved his first work?
I couldn't care less about bloody Karla even after hundreds of pages in both books, my first feeling was always ' Oh no here comes that boring bitch again'
Whereas little Prabaker stole my heart with his 'big smile' and 'teeny pieces'
I have never been more disappointed and underwhelmed, doesn't feel like the same writer, feels ghost written by piece of software.
If SHANTARAM was the mountain then this really is the SHADOW, a pale and unconvincing one.
and.....I'm pissed off that I checked the release date every month for about ten years, got all excited many times just to be let down again and again as the bloody release date got pushed back again and again ... and for what? for this?
March 29, 2018
Ако „Шантарам“ сякаш извираше от сърцето и душата на автора, то „Сянката на планината“, изглежда, е писана от пресметливия му ум и изцяло с комерсиална цел.
Авторът отново е решил да разгърне въображението си на около 900 страници и по някаква непонятна за мен причина е разделил книгата на цели 15 отделни части. Структурата изобщо не се оправдава със сюжетните линии, но може би се обяснява с копнежа на Робъртс да улесни работата на някое филмово студио, което да откупи правата и за тази книга.
В продължението на „Шантарам“ срещаме някои познати герои от предишната творба и насилието и престъпните дейности отново преобладават за фон. Пиенето, пушенето и употребата на наркотици също са неизменна част от случващото се. Диалозите обаче често са скучновато написани. Четях глава след глава с откровена досада и стигнах до последната страница само и единствено на инат с надеждата, че може би финалът ще оправдае загубата ми на време, но се оказа толкова захаросан, че едва не се разболях от диабет…
Цялото ревю - тук: http://azcheta.com/syankata-na-planin...
Авторът отново е решил да разгърне въображението си на около 900 страници и по някаква непонятна за мен причина е разделил книгата на цели 15 отделни части. Структурата изобщо не се оправдава със сюжетните линии, но може би се обяснява с копнежа на Робъртс да улесни работата на някое филмово студио, което да откупи правата и за тази книга.
В продължението на „Шантарам“ срещаме някои познати герои от предишната творба и насилието и престъпните дейности отново преобладават за фон. Пиенето, пушенето и употребата на наркотици също са неизменна част от случващото се. Диалозите обаче често са скучновато написани. Четях глава след глава с откровена досада и стигнах до последната страница само и единствено на инат с надеждата, че може би финалът ще оправдае загубата ми на време, но се оказа толкова захаросан, че едва не се разболях от диабет…
Цялото ревю - тук: http://azcheta.com/syankata-na-planin...
February 23, 2017
Are you serious when you say that the same person who authored the brilliant "Shantaram" also wrote this drivel of a book?
What a 900+ pages of drag constituting trite unpleasant unnecessary conversations between uninteresting characters !
Such a letdown!
What a 900+ pages of drag constituting trite unpleasant unnecessary conversations between uninteresting characters !
Such a letdown!
July 6, 2023
Tam bir hayal kırıklığı. İlk kitabı Shantaram bir efsanevi eserdi nerdeyse kendi tarzında tabiki. Bu ise yazarın sadece para amaçlı yazmış olduğu düşüncesini veren bir kağıt parçası. Bu kadar anlamsız ve boş yazan David Roberts ne yazık ki bu fiyaskosuyla ilk romanını bile aşağılamış değerini düşürmüş oldu. Mutlaka hiç bir zaman bir edebiyat harikası olarak düşünmedim ama zevkle okuduğum harika bir macera kitabıydı ilk kitabı. neyse yazarla artık işim bitti diyebilirim.
May 27, 2021
DNF at 69%. I shouldn't be surprised that I didn't enjoy this. I Didn't like the first one. But I got so tempted when I saw this in the library to give the author another go and hopefully enjoy this more but I did not.
July 8, 2022
Навіть назва сама натякає, що книга є тінню оригіналу.
Ледве доповз до середини, далі читати немає ні сил ні бажання, суцільне розчарування.
Ледве доповз до середини, далі читати немає ні сил ні бажання, суцільне розчарування.
November 7, 2017
What more is left to be said?
It's brilliant. Not the kind of brilliance that you'd expect in a gripping story. The kind you can expect in a compelling BOOK. I know that my statement seems contradictory. But, here's an explanation.
The books in this series are not stories. I never read the stories in them. What concerned me was the message. The presence of a Soul within it. It speaks of Love, Life, and Destiny. It's not all story. A story can be in anything, say, a picture in a frame or a view outside your window. But, a book cannot be in anything else.
Read it for the book, the friend, the teacher in it.
It's brilliant. Not the kind of brilliance that you'd expect in a gripping story. The kind you can expect in a compelling BOOK. I know that my statement seems contradictory. But, here's an explanation.
The books in this series are not stories. I never read the stories in them. What concerned me was the message. The presence of a Soul within it. It speaks of Love, Life, and Destiny. It's not all story. A story can be in anything, say, a picture in a frame or a view outside your window. But, a book cannot be in anything else.
Read it for the book, the friend, the teacher in it.
December 1, 2015
If you loved Shantaram like I did, you need not waste your time with this wretched sequel. The Mountain Shadow sucks. A book that's 90 per cent dialogue should be a major indication that something is amiss. It's not a novel; it's a 900 page screenplay that no studio on earth would pay a penny for. A complete deception. The author is obviously back on hard drugs and needed to produce something to sustain his habit. What a shame.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,196 reviews