Chicks On Lit discussion
This topic is about
Shantaram
Archive 08-19 GR Discussions
>
Shantaram next chunky with reading schedule
message 51:
by
Sheila , Supporting Chick
(new)
-
rated it 2 stars
May 08, 2016 07:56AM
Mod
reply
|
flag
Mod
"Dear Friends, Readers and Fellow Writers,
I retired from public life in January, 2014, and no longer attend breakfasts, brunches, lunches, afternoon teas, cocktails, dinners, events, festivals, speeches or launches. I don't do interviews any more, and don't have email, a mobile phone or a social media presence. All of my time is devoted to new projects and my family of loved ones.
I'm not running away from life: I'm moving into a creative seclusion. I love humanity and the world that sustains us, and I want to do as much new work in the coming years as possible.
I hope that those who'll miss my public life will be served by new writing from my private life. I hope that those I don't see, and those I can't respond to, will understand my decision when they see and hear the movies, music, graphic novels, essays, short stories and novels I'm working on now.
I leave the public world with a happy heart, knowing that it's the song not the singer that endures. If there's anyone out there who knows how to delete stuff from the internet legally and without compromising anyone's copyright, I'd appreciate it if you'd delete any pictures and film of me or references to me from the internet, especially deleting me from Wikipedia, leaving only my work. It would be very nice, to be erased from cyberspace, because it's not about me: it's about the art.
My literary agent, Joe Regal, and the head of Grove Atlantic, Morgan Entrekin, created a contract for the North American rights of The Mountain Shadow, which allowed me to keep the ebook, agreed to a limited license of the print publishing rights, and established a 50/50 partnership in benefit sharing. It's an evolutionary contract, and one that I hope challenges barriers of unfairness and indignity for other writers. I'm grateful to both men for being game changers, and bringing so much affectionate respect to our partnership.
Being able to retain the ebook rights, I was free to create the kind of ebook that I'd like to buy myself from any one of my favourite writers. I transcribed the text of the novel, but added some Bonus Features to the package.
There are about 24,000 words of deleted scenes, characters and dialogue, which I cut from all of the 23 drafts of the novel. Each deleted piece is annotated with the number of the last version in which it appeared before deletion.
There's an uncut, expanded version of the philosophical debate between Idriss and the sages who challenge him, without interjections.
There's a 180 question Q&A, which is my last interview for some time.
There's a comparison of four versions of Chapter One, from one of the earliest versions to the penultimate, so that readers can see the evolution of the work through many rewrites.
And there are 10 love poems from Lin to Karla, and from Karla to Lin, including the two from Shantaram and The Mountain Shadow.
If you want to buy the ebook, there's an icon somewhere on this site that will get you there. I hope that when other publishers see what writers can do with an ebook, they'll see the rational benefit in more equitable contracts. It was a pure pleasure putting the ebook extras together, and I hope you have fun wandering through the little forest of it.
Since this is a signing off message, I guess I should leave you with something from the slender perch of my experience. I've done wrong, I've made just about every mistake there is, and I dug a trench in my own honour. But as a sinner who tries to sin no more, and who knows that it's never too late to change if you never give up hope, here it is. Connection is everything. Connect with others, and with your spiritual self. Love the truth you find in other hearts, and always listen to the voice of truth in your own heart. Be as fair, honest, positive and creative as you can in all your thoughts, speech and actions. The heart of our human kind is tolerant, cooperative, caring and courageous. That's what we were in the first 100,000 years of our cultural evolution, and it's what we still are inside our common humanity. And when you honour the truth of others and follow your own heart, you walk in the light that you become.
Love and Faith,
GDR
http://www.shantaram.com/
I wonder about things similar to your comments Meg and Sheila. I wondered if when he started purging so much from his personal life and experiences in India if he was surprised at what came out and maybe how much. He seems to still be sorrowful for what he has done in his life and wondered if that affected his decision to leave public life?
@ Sheila I gave that some thought also. I feel that if he would have strictly adhered to the autobiographical content that it would have been really heavy and depressing to read given the sections we had read so far. I am not sure it would have sold very well.
Does anyone else wonder if the hashish smoking factored into the novel? There seems to be alo t of it during the dicussion chapters.
Are you surprised at the level of poverty and how the verge person lives?
Not at all. I kept thinking of "Behind the Beautiful Forevers" when we were given slum sceens.
Mod
I was more surprised about how quickly the author seemed to adapt to life in the slum, but maybe being an escaped convict he was adaptable to anything.
I thought about that too but I think prison life and slum life are very similar
He also seems to have the type of personality that allows for quite a bit of flexibility. He seems to just take things as they come, doesn't need to control his environment. He is very observant and is able to mimick social patterns easily. I am amazed at how quickly he became fluid in several local languages. Even natives did not learn the tongue of other groups.
Do you think his personality was molded by years in prison? Do you think the sub culture of the slums is equivalent to the sub culture of the prison systems?
I think how positive he was when describing the slum and the people in it. I think generally people have visions of violent and depression when discussing slums. However, the story puts the slum in a positive light- as a community that supports each other, where trust is so high that no one has to lock their door. I think it's crazy that he has all these medical supplies and no one tries to steal them. they all respect each other too much to do so.
In your response to question, I think life in the slums was a positive experience ... when he describes prison, he only has negative memories. So I don't think the cultures are equal at all. In prison, he struggles to survive. But when he is in the slums, he thrives.
Mod
I think the biggest difference between slum life to prison life is that in the slum you are still in control of yourself and your actions. You face deprivation and poor living conditions but your life is still your life under your control.
Well I am thinking more in line with the idea of setting up a system of survival
This section could have done with some comic relief. The prison part was difficult to read but very well done. I felt like I was right there.
The prison was brutal. Do you think it was first hand knowledge? Do you think it was accurate or embellished?
I was wondering the same thing, is this a first hand description of what goes on in a typical Indian prison? This amounts to torture. Amnesty International does not seem to be all over India as it is all over some other countries. But, then again, I am not reading AI reports like I used to.
Mod
I am still trying to figure out this book. It is supposed to be a novel, but seems to be based on the author's own life, and is written as a biography. But everything in it is starting to seem so exaggerated. So while I would guess that the author did go to prison and get beaten, I think his descriptions of what happened to him might be "over the top" and embellished to seem more dramatic. He sure seemed to be able to walk out, and recover quickly, when he was freed, which if his torture descriptions were accurate he should have been hauled out on a stretcher and taken to a hospital for long term rehabilitation.
This question has been nagging me too so I did a little googling. Roberts has reportedly stated that, while the characters are fictitious, the experiences are real. But he does seem a little batty, so who knows? For me it doesn't take away from what I'm finding to be an amazing novel (autobiography?).
I was happy in this last section to get more info on Karla. Now I feel there more information about her life and the reason she is the way she is sometimes. Especially to Lin's declarations. I am curious to know what others think of some of the philosophies. This section the evil powers and forgiveness. I am really enjoying these bits that are sprinkled in among the storyline. It has given me a lot of food for thought.
I got a bit behind but started to catch up quickly last night because I hadn't read for a few days and also this section for me has been good reading.
I also find the narrator a bit too "amazing" He comes off as a generally nice guy. He selflessly serves the poor in the slums. With only a First Aid certificate, he is compotent to function like a PA. He seems to be a man of extreme integrity. He is respectful to all, never acts in cowardess, seems only to have landed in jail because he became addicted to drugs and needed cash, yet fights with super human strength and has the skill of a trained fighter. He can take on multiple adversaries, even when some are bigger than him. If he is a good guy who got caught up in bad situation, where did he gain such incredible fighting skill? Everyone just looks on when someone is being harmed or becomes part of the mob, but he alone instinctively steps up to protect the vulnerable. The time when he steps in to protect the guy and his driver when a mob attacks them is a perfect example. I keep waiting for the cape to come out. And he is equally strong on the intellectual front. He learns multiple languages without effort. He trains in every aspect of the organized crime business and learns each easily. He argues religion and philosophy with the best of them.
Well I think you develop fighting skills in order to survive in prison. Also, I always am amazed how nonAmericans speak multiple languages so I am not surprised that Lin speaks multiple languages. That being said the other things seem to be with super powers; however, do you think the author sees himself in this light because he figured out how to survive?
If you know the answer to this please don't respondSpoiler if you didn't finish this week's reading
In this section Lin and Karla get back together and profess their love; however, Lin leaves and Karla is gone. Do you think she committed suicide? Why do you think Lin made his decision to leave her?
Mod
Well the part that disturbed me was when he said he looked back at the beach and she was gone. She was so adamant about his not leaving it sent red flags
Mod
Has your original impression of Karla changed?
Mod
I just read the beach sceen last night. Suicide never entered my head when I read it. I thought she just disappeared from his life.If Lin is supposed to be based on the author, he seems to have an extremely good impression of himself.
Bombay Hutments...http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dy...
http://static.englishdictionary.educa...
http://images.newsworldindia.in/2015/...
http://l7.alamy.com/zooms/7565d48907e...
World Trade Center Hutments...
http://l7.alamy.com/zooms/380de3abdff...
https://vernekarshweta.files.wordpres...
http://c8.alamy.com/comp/D2W530/mumba...
Mod
Mod
The more of this I read, the more I start to roll my eyes at the main character/author. He seems to be one of those people that sees and event, then goes to retell it to others and places himself in the superhero or savior roll. Or reads something on the news, and then tells everyone he knows he was actually there, front row. A total exaggerator.
Yes, a total egomaniac if this is autobiographical.
I wonder if you have to be an egomaniac to write an autobiography
I'm finding Lin to be more humble than egomaniacal. He is invested in helping others, admits to his failings, and tries to learn from his mistakes. It could be that parts of this semi autobiographical work were rewritten as the author would have liked to have events transpire rather than how they actually did. As for the beach scene, I saw Karla as being selfish and manipulative and was happy that Lin left. Funny how we can read the same book but take such different things from it.
Taylor wrote: "I'm finding Lin to be more humble than egomaniacal. He is invested in helping others, admits to his failings, and tries to learn from his mistakes. It could be that parts of this semi autobiographi..."I never cared much for Karla either, but I think this may be the author's fault because he doesn't really give us much to know about her besides how beautiful she is, and her mouth, and hair, and clothes, etc. Which is how he describes most of the female characters in the book. It's not unusual for male authors to have a difficult time creating female characters.
However, I think Roberts does a fine job of building the male characters in his book, with these he seems to be very perceptive and insightful... and his male Indian character portrayals are really excellent.
I think Lin is a strange mix of machismo and highly sensitive & vulnerable (I say as much in my review). I thought much of his prose, and his insights, were wonderful. Many chapters ended with some profound food for thought, and usually seemed to indicate a level of humility in Lin.
Mod
Janice, I agree, the female characters are not very vivid. Karla strikes me as a wounded animal. She retreats whenever something seems to get too close to that wound. She tries to project psychic strength, but that defensive posture seems to be protecting some invisible vulnerability.I am finding the prose getting a bit over the top. The metaphors and bits of pop wisdom strike me as something I would find in a freshman writing workshop.
my impression of Karla is currently changing .. I originally did not like her, but now I am starting to see that the Lin is the one messing everything up. Every time he gets the chance to be with Karla, he runs off on some new adventure in which he cannot return to her. why do you think he keeps choosing adventure over love?
I don't know that he's choosing adventure over love, but rather honouring prior commitments.
I think commitment to another human being scares him to death so he chooses other things to be more important
Given his past, I do believe he has commitment issues but that does not negate the other commitments which take him from Karla. As he stated, it is important to him to maintain his self respect by following through on these. And Karla really doesn't give him a lot to work with. I love the wounded animal analogy, Irene.
Well if you remember he went back to learning how to forge documents because he saw it as how he would be truly free. I don't think he saw that as a prior commitment
Forging documents was part of the work he agreed to do for Abdel so it was kind of his job.
I have most of the reading done for the coming week. There is a point in this upcoming section when Lin names a horse. He names it Claire in honor of a girl who left him because he was interested in so many things but could not commit to their relationship. So, his inability to commit to Karla, his running off, is a prior pattern for him. I think he is commitment phobic. Commitments force us to settle, to put another's needs and wants before our own. I don't think Lin wants limitations. He wants to be free to run off after the next adventure, the next opportunity to be a hero in his own eyes and to get the admiration of others. I think he is addicted to novelty and excitement. It replaces the heroine.
I thought heis description of going cold turkey was very well written
Mod
I am not enjoying this weeks reading as much. I am finding myself rolling my eyes and him and his adventures on this "trip". Does anyone think this guy actually did all of this stuff?
Sheila wrote: "I am not enjoying this weeks reading as much. I am finding myself rolling my eyes and him and his adventures on this "trip". Does anyone think this guy actually did all of this stuff?..."Since Roberts himself was arrested and jailed for smuggling heroin, I suspect he is very familiar with drug usage, and with withdrawals.
I finished last night and am glad to be finished. I thought this went on just a bit too long, too many fights.
