BOTB: 50 Shades of Grey (Berrichonne) v Shantaram (KingShrimper)

[MK Shrimper]

And............

 

[Ricky Otto]

For those that haven’t read or heard of Shantaram, let me try and win your vote!

It is a work of fiction by Gregory David Roberts which echo parts of his life and it is a mystery as to what has been embellished. The author says that it is fiction designed to read like an autobiography and has admitted to amalgamating characters from his life so not to create too much confusion.

The book starts with the protagonist escaping from Pentridge prison in Australia and getting forged documents so he can travel to London via India. When arriving in India he decides to stay longer than 1[SUP]st[/SUP] planned and becomes a victim of a mass fire in the slums where his documents are destroyed and he is forced to abandon his plan to go on to London (all of this is true to Roberts life and can be corroborated by public record). He needs to earn money in the slums and sets up a medical practice in the slums treating victim of the fire and becomes a respected part of the community. He befriends some of the more unsavoury characters in the slums and goes on to a life of crime again as well as heroin addiction. The protagonist ends up in prison again, this time in India and it’s squalid conditions. To get by in prison he befriends some Afghans and upon his release gets involved gun running for the Afghans in the Soviet/Afghan conflict. A hippy at heart he despairs of what he has become and the story ends with him running off to Sri Lanka. Obviously there is far more depth including some great characters and a love story.

Warner Bros purchased the film rights when Johnny Depp expressed his love for the book and his desire to star in a film adaptation, the passion project never came to light with Depp though and he has decided to step back and be a producer due to age. The film is said to be going ahead with Joel Edgerton playing the lead. It was Depp’s publicised interest that encouraged me to read it and myself and everyone I know who have read it have been blown away.

'In the early 80s, Gregory David Roberts, an armed robber and heroin addict, escaped from an Australian prison to India, where he lived in a Bombay slum. There, he established a free health clinic and also joined the mafia, working as a money launderer, forger and street soldier. He found time to learn Hindi and Marathi, fall in love, and spend time being worked over in an Indian jail. Then, in case anyone thought he was slacking, he acted in Bollywood and fought with the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan . . . Amazingly, Roberts wrote Shantaram three times after prison guards trashed the first two versions. It's a profound tribute to his willpower . . . At once a high-kicking, eye-gouging adventure, a love saga and a savage yet tenderly lyrical fugitive vision.' Time Out

Even if that doesn’t appeal, it has to be better than 50 shades unless you are a 40 something housewife.

 

[MK Shrimper]

I've never heard of Shantaram, but I'd vote for Mein Kampf over 50SOG....absolute toilet.

I have a feeling that a certain exiled Shrimper is being pixie-ish!

 

[Razam]

For those that haven’t read or heard of Shantaram, let me try and win your vote!

It is a work of fiction by Gregory David Roberts which echo parts of his life and it is a mystery as to what has been embellished. The author says that it is fiction designed to read like an autobiography and has admitted to amalgamating characters from his life so not to create too much confusion.

The book starts with the protagonist escaping from Pentridge prison in Australia and getting forged documents so he can travel to London via India. When arriving in India he decides to stay longer than 1[SUP]st[/SUP] planned and becomes a victim of a mass fire in the slums where his documents are destroyed and he is forced to abandon his plan to go on to London (all of this is true to Roberts life and can be corroborated by public record). He needs to earn money in the slums and sets up a medical practice in the slums treating victim of the fire and becomes a respected part of the community. He befriends some of the more unsavoury characters in the slums and goes on to a life of crime again as well as heroin addiction. The protagonist ends up in prison again, this time in India and it’s squalid conditions. To get by in prison he befriends some Afghans and upon his release gets involved gun running for the Afghans in the Soviet/Afghan conflict. A hippy at heart he despairs of what he has become and the story ends with him running off to Sri Lanka. Obviously there is far more depth including some great characters and a love story.

Warner Bros purchased the film rights when Johnny Depp expressed his love for the book and his desire to star in a film adaptation, the passion project never came to light with Depp though and he has decided to step back and be a producer due to age. The film is said to be going ahead with Joel Edgerton playing the lead. It was Depp’s publicised interest that encouraged me to read it and myself and everyone I know who have read it have been blown away.

'In the early 80s, Gregory David Roberts, an armed robber and heroin addict, escaped from an Australian prison to India, where he lived in a Bombay slum. There, he established a free health clinic and also joined the mafia, working as a money launderer, forger and street soldier. He found time to learn Hindi and Marathi, fall in love, and spend time being worked over in an Indian jail. Then, in case anyone thought he was slacking, he acted in Bollywood and fought with the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan . . . Amazingly, Roberts wrote Shantaram three times after prison guards trashed the first two versions. It's a profound tribute to his willpower . . . At once a high-kicking, eye-gouging adventure, a love saga and a savage yet tenderly lyrical fugitive vision.' Time Out

Even if that doesn’t appeal, it has to be better than 50 shades unless you are a 40 something housewife.

sold it to me, and another one added to my reading list.:thumbsup:

 

[Berrichonne shrimper]

Sold to me also so kingshrimper gets my vote.

 

[Eastblack]

Shantaram.

Good book this, although I must admit I wasn't convinced the guy had done everything he claims in the book. Still a very good read though.

 

[Ricky Otto]

I think some of the stuff is made up, or taken from stories he has heard from others. The whole Afghan gun running thing has been disputed with many saying Roberts was a heroin addict in the slums at that time, it is sold as a work of fiction though. Still a great read and makes Mumbai/Bombay seem like an awesome place, it’s certainly near the top of my list for places to visit.

 

[Eastblack]

I think some of the stuff is made up, or taken from stories he has heard from others. The whole Afghan gun running thing has been disputed with many saying Roberts was a heroin addict in the slums at that time, it is sold as a work of fiction though. Still a great read and makes Mumbai/Bombay seem like an awesome place, it’s certainly near the top of my list for places to visit.

Initially, I was under the impression that this was his life story. I read it quite a few years ago, so perhaps the marketing of it has changed...

 

[RHB]

I've never heard of Shantaram, but I'd vote for Mein Kampf over 50SOG....absolute toilet.

I have a feeling that a certain exiled Shrimper is being pixie-ish!

Absolutely this!

 

[Ricky Otto]

Initially, I was under the impression that this was his life story. I read it quite a few years ago, so perhaps the marketing of it has changed...

Authors own words

"With respect, Shantaram is not an autobiography, it’s a novel. If the book reads like an autobiography, I take that as a very high compliment, because I structured the created narrative to read like fiction but feel like fact. I wanted the novel to have the page-turning drive of a work of fiction but to be informed by such a powerful stream of real experience that it had the authentic feel of fact."

I only discovered the book a couple of years ago, but it was def in the fiction section when I picked it up.

 

[OldBlueLady]

I forced myself to read the 50 Shades books to see what everyone was on about, they're poorly written and ill imagined so for that reason, even though I've never heard of the other one here, it gets my vote!

 

[Jam_Man]

For those that haven’t read or heard of Shantaram, let me try and win your vote!

It is a work of fiction by Gregory David Roberts which echo parts of his life and it is a mystery as to what has been embellished. The author says that it is fiction designed to read like an autobiography and has admitted to amalgamating characters from his life so not to create too much confusion.

The book starts with the protagonist escaping from Pentridge prison in Australia and getting forged documents so he can travel to London via India. When arriving in India he decides to stay longer than 1[SUP]st[/SUP] planned and becomes a victim of a mass fire in the slums where his documents are destroyed and he is forced to abandon his plan to go on to London (all of this is true to Roberts life and can be corroborated by public record). He needs to earn money in the slums and sets up a medical practice in the slums treating victim of the fire and becomes a respected part of the community. He befriends some of the more unsavoury characters in the slums and goes on to a life of crime again as well as heroin addiction. The protagonist ends up in prison again, this time in India and it’s squalid conditions. To get by in prison he befriends some Afghans and upon his release gets involved gun running for the Afghans in the Soviet/Afghan conflict. A hippy at heart he despairs of what he has become and the story ends with him running off to Sri Lanka. Obviously there is far more depth including some great characters and a love story.

Warner Bros purchased the film rights when Johnny Depp expressed his love for the book and his desire to star in a film adaptation, the passion project never came to light with Depp though and he has decided to step back and be a producer due to age. The film is said to be going ahead with Joel Edgerton playing the lead. It was Depp’s publicised interest that encouraged me to read it and myself and everyone I know who have read it have been blown away.

'In the early 80s, Gregory David Roberts, an armed robber and heroin addict, escaped from an Australian prison to India, where he lived in a Bombay slum. There, he established a free health clinic and also joined the mafia, working as a money launderer, forger and street soldier. He found time to learn Hindi and Marathi, fall in love, and spend time being worked over in an Indian jail. Then, in case anyone thought he was slacking, he acted in Bollywood and fought with the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan . . . Amazingly, Roberts wrote Shantaram three times after prison guards trashed the first two versions. It's a profound tribute to his willpower . . . At once a high-kicking, eye-gouging adventure, a love saga and a savage yet tenderly lyrical fugitive vision.' Time Out

Even if that doesn’t appeal, it has to be better than 50 shades unless you are a 40 something housewife.

And for those who havent read Shades of Grey its filth. Pure filth.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Shantaram wins! :thumbsup: