Cliquer sur une vignette pour aller sur Google Books.
Chargement... The Mountain Shadow (2015)par Gregory David Roberts
Books Read in 2015 (1,741) Chargement...
Inscrivez-vous à LibraryThing pour découvrir si vous aimerez ce livre Actuellement, il n'y a pas de discussions au sujet de ce livre. while I didn't find this sequel to be a chore to read, and enjoyed many of the characters; the story line was in need of a better setting. i liked the authors depiction of the slums . while i really loved reading Shantaram, I felt this read was a bit more like work. ( ) 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. Like other reviewers, I was prepared to like this book. I didn't DISlike it, but I certainly can't say I loved it either. The storyline was very weak - not much happened but it took 900 pages to get there. The story is still peppered with interesting characters, but they slipped in and out of the story in random places. I missed the life and heart of the slum setting of Shantaram - this city focused version had less grit, less emotional attachment. It had elements of a love story as Lin and Karla kept weaving in and out of each other's orbit, but it became exhausting. It had elements of friendship, gang war, spirituality, philosophy, etc. but overall, it didn't come together as the strong, epic novel that Shantaram was. There were some profound gems tucked into the philosophical / spiritual portions of the book, but there was too much of it for my taste. The ending was disappointing - it felt like a quick Hollywood wrap up touching base with each of the characters and settling them in place. Very unsatisfying. Overall a very long and very average book.
Having read the preceding Shantaram by the same author, I enjoyed this 900-pager a great deal, though at about page 700, I did feel that perhaps the editor might have shortened the text some. Lots of smash-bang action is combined with a good deal of popular philosophy. Not as striking a read as Shantaram, but way, way above an average read. "The narrative is for the most part lively, occasionally gripping. The book glistens with the shine of firsthand experience." "This series of robust, retro capers with contemporary trappings will have readers feverishly turning the pages." "The journey we go through is ludicrous, cheesy – a large portion consisting of a sage on a mountain-top expounding long lectures on the meaning of life." Appartient à la sérieShantaram (2) Est contenu dansDistinctions
The sequel to Shantaram continues Australian fugitive Lin's search for love and faith in a Bombay that has come under the rule of a new generation of mafia dons and where Lin becomes trapped by his married soulmate and an increasingly violent mission. Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
Discussion en coursAucunCouvertures populaires
Google Books — Chargement... GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)823.92Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 2000-Classification de la Bibliothèque du CongrèsÉvaluationMoyenne:
Est-ce vous ?Devenez un(e) auteur LibraryThing. |