tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post3959997055494050456..comments2024-03-28T10:41:26.999-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: #FridayReads - ShantaramDanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-87923936492235403432016-08-16T20:59:37.411-06:002016-08-16T20:59:37.411-06:00Very readable, but full on.Very readable, but full on.Elle Carter Nealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02266309723919011181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-8415401915307081272016-08-15T15:59:02.762-06:002016-08-15T15:59:02.762-06:00Sounds like an intense book!Sounds like an intense book!Morgan Mandelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10118929301591850918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-87090729502140728922016-08-12T20:09:53.758-06:002016-08-12T20:09:53.758-06:00Maybe the audio book, Maryann? I didn't realis...Maybe the audio book, Maryann? I didn't realise it was such a long book, as I read the Look Inside at Amazon and then downloaded it for Kindle because I was hooked. Definitely a page-turner.Elle Carter Nealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02266309723919011181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-87940397299654384282016-08-12T20:03:23.055-06:002016-08-12T20:03:23.055-06:00Yes, Polly, after serving his sentence he is again...Yes, Polly, after serving his sentence he is again living in India where he now runs a charity. Elle Carter Nealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02266309723919011181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-81734687474947684782016-08-12T20:00:01.777-06:002016-08-12T20:00:01.777-06:00Linda, not only is this version 1000 pages, but Ro...Linda, not only is this version 1000 pages, but Roberts was forced to rewrite the entire manuscript a couple of times because he was writing it in prison and the guards found and destroyed the manuscript twice. He has done his time, as he was eventually captured when he attempted to travel to Germany. <br /><br />I found the protagonist at least partially a caricature because he turns into a bit of a superhero. Many of his escapades feel like they wouldn't be out of place in a Jean-Claude Van Damme or Bruce Willis action movie. One or two of these scenarios would have been okay, but he layers it on and on, fight scene after beat down after heroic action, until the suspension of disbelief is impossible to maintain. It's a caricature of the "bad boy" picked on because he looks tough, who can't catch a break no matter what he tries to do to turn his life around (it's always other people who won't leave him alone to get on with his life lawfully). A good editor would have made him pare this down in favour of the relationships and details of the other people he came in contact with who completely changed his perspective on various issues. Some of these characters were based on real people, and you can feel the deep and genuine love and respect the author has for these people - they changed his life dramatically.Elle Carter Nealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02266309723919011181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-15582499092377426562016-08-12T10:39:02.441-06:002016-08-12T10:39:02.441-06:00Sounds like an intriguing story, but 1000 pages? C...Sounds like an intriguing story, but 1000 pages? Can't make a commitment to that many since I still have limited reading time. Sigh....Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-91385999353835454312016-08-12T09:49:23.126-06:002016-08-12T09:49:23.126-06:00Definitely a story where truth is stranger than fi...Definitely a story where truth is stranger than fiction. I have some of the same questions as Linda. Is he still in India, definitely a place where you can get lost?Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-61118813900356832762016-08-12T07:16:04.077-06:002016-08-12T07:16:04.077-06:00A thousand pages? This was no small undertaking. K...A thousand pages? This was no small undertaking. Kudos to the author! Rather than a leisurely bedtime read, Shantaram is a commitment to a lengthy story, albeit a fascinating one if it lives up to the review, which I'm pretty certain it would. I'm curious--in what way is the protagonist a caricature? And I'm intrigued by your description of the supporting cast. Does this mean I will buy the book? Perhaps. One final question, is the writer still on the run?Linda Lanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16056682992943171805noreply@blogger.com