Fiction
Verdict: Read It (4/5)
Overview:
The Mountain Shadow was a surprise find at Bookworm. It's the second novel from Gregory Roberts, following the infamous Shantaram. I read Shantaram as well, so this would be the second novel. As Shantaram was influential in my decision to relocate to India, I definitely wanted to read the follow up.
Lin Baba makes his return appearance to continue bringing us through the life of crime, love, and friendship in Mumbai.
What I Enjoyed:
Gregory Roberts is a good writer (or has an excellent editor!) and has interesting experiences to share. I think most of the fascination for me was a follow-up for the first novel and to see if his story resonated with mine. While the plot meandered quite a bit, the pacing was good. The characters are well-developed and entertaining.
What I Disliked:
While I liked the epic romance story with Karla, it got a bit much at times. I also got the distinct impression that Lin Baba thought himself quite the Bollywood hero at times. Not a turn-off exactly, but it was amusing. This novel also had me questioning if anything new was coming to the table, or if the author was simply capitalizing on previous success. Nothing wrong with that of course if the story is good, but the plots were similar enough to make me wonder.
Summary:
If you enjoyed Shantharam, you'll enjoy this as well. It's not a short read, it took me a good amount of time. I personally liked Shantharam better, though it's been so long now I need to go back and read it again. If you've run to India for some reason you might resonate with this novel. Read it!
~Becky~
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