Shantaram (novel)
| novel | |
|---|---|
| title | Shantaram |
| transcription | Almut Münch, Sibylle Schmidt |
| country |
 Australia
|
| author | Gregory Roberts |
| publishing company | Scribe Publications |
| First publication | 2003 |
Shantaram is a key novel published in 2003 by Australian author Gregory Roberts , a former heroin-addicted bank robber who broke out of prison and fled to India , where he lived for over 10 years.
The novel is significantly influenced by actual events in the author's life. In 1978 Roberts was sentenced to 23 years in prison after convicting a string of 24 armed robberies of building societies , banks and businesses. The motive of his crimes was to finance his addiction to heroin, which the author attributes to his divorce and the removal of custody of his daughter. In July 1980 he escaped from the Australian Pentridge Prison in daylight and became one of the most wanted Australian criminals.
The book title "Shantaram" comes from the Indian regional language Marathi and means "man of peace".
Emergence
Roberts wrote a total of 13 years on the 1,000-page manuscript . The prison guards destroyed the first versions. The novel was translated from English by Almut Münch and Sibylle Schmidt and published in German by Goldmann Verlag in 2008.
action
The protagonist reached Mumbai using a forged passport in the name of Lindsay Ford. Mumbai was originally just a stopover on his journey from New Zealand to Germany , but he decides to settle in the city. Lin soon meets a local named Prabaker, whom he hires as a tour guide and who quickly becomes his best friend. He called him Linbaba. Both visit Prabaker's birthplace Sunder, where Prabaker's mother baptizes the protagonist with the name Shantaram ( English Man of Gods Peace ). The two are robbed on their way back to Bombay. Without money, Lin is forced to live in the slums , which offer him protection from the authorities and free accommodation. After an extensive fire in the slum on the day of his arrival, Lin sets up a free infirmary as his contribution to the community.
He learns a lot about the local culture and the peculiarities of this littered environment, gets to know and love the residents and speak their Marathi language fluently. He fights the outbreak of cholera and fires in the neighborhood, trades in lepers and learns how ethnic and marital conflicts are resolved in this close and diverse society.
The novel describes a number of foreigners of various origins as well as native Indians and illuminates the diversity of life in Bombay. Lin falls in love with Karla, a Swiss-American woman who does not return his love. He befriends local artists and actors and gets an extra role in a Bollywood production. The Mumbai underworld hires him for various criminal offenses such as drug and arms trafficking. Lin ends up in Bombay's "Arthur Road" prison, where he endures physical and psychological torture by the guards and endures inhumane conditions with hundreds of other prisoners.
Thanks to the protection of the Afghan mafia patron Abdel Khader Khan, Lin is finally released and works on the black market as a money changer and passport forger. On his trips organized by the Mafia, he comes to Africa and later smuggles weapons for the mujahedin freedom fighters to Afghanistan. When his mentor Khan is killed, Lin realizes that he has become who he never wanted to be and falls into a deep depression upon his return.
He now decides to fight for the things he is convinced are right and to lead an honest life. The story ends with his plan to travel to Sri Lanka , which suggests a sequel to the book.
authenticity
Based on Robert's well-known biography , many readers consider the novel to be largely realistic. Some parts of the book, such as Robert's criminal past and his outbreak, are publicly documented, while others are difficult or impossible to verify. The author repeatedly stressed that the story was largely fictional and that he condensed various elements of actual events and people into stories and people like Prabaker.
Reviews
"Some things are kitschy, a lot is closely observed, the lousy dumps, the village clans, the ascetics in their hashish madness, the children's slave markets, the crazy Indian dance of apparitions."
“But the book […] is more than an experience report. It's a declaration of love to Bombay. By describing countless details, the author paints a differentiated picture of the megacity. He describes their colors, smells, noises and moods so vividly that the reader can experience them. "
"But it seems unsporting to grudge Roberts the license to thrill while having such a good time - and" Shantaram ", mangrove-scented prose and all, is nothing if not entertaining. Sometimes a big story is its own best reward. "
“But it would be unsporting to envy Robert’s ability to thrill while having such a good time - and Shantaram, this mangrove-scented prose, is nothing more than entertainment. Sometimes a great story is the best reward. "
Web links
- Shantaram Official Website
- Shantaram in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Teja Fiedler: The robber chief . In: The star . August 30, 2008.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c George Negus: Greg Roberts. (No longer available online.) In: American Broadcasting Company . February 18, 2004, archived from the original on August 7, 2011 ; accessed on February 13, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ A b c Matthias Matussek : The Biker from Bombay . In: Der Spiegel . No. 38 , 2008, ISSN 0038-7452 , p. 176-180 .
- ↑ Kati Borngräber: A declaration of love to Bombay. In: The Berlin literary criticism . September 30, 2008, accessed February 13, 2015 .
- ↑ Megan O'Grady: Bombay or Bust. In: New York Times . December 26, 2004, accessed February 13, 2015 .
