I’ve taken on a reading project this summer that is a bit ambitious and breaking some rules.
Of course, it is not ambitious by Harry Potter standards. The teens in my house parked themselves in front of the 652-page book and didn’t stop until the end. There were brief breaks for the bathroom, two hours of shut-eye, reading while eating, and the book was finished.
Why can’t I approach my 933-page book with the same gusto?
I’m reading “Shantaram.” I am spending my summer in a slum in India with an escaped convict who is finding his soul. This book is slowly making its way around the globe, both in the story and in reality.
It was first published in Australia two years ago. I can’t believe it’s not been wildly talked about. Part of my glee is that I am reading a secret. No one I speak to has heard of it.
This book has broken all of my usual reading rules. Truth be told, I’m using this book to get out of my reading rut and try something new.
Rule No. 1: I don’t read anything as large as the Bible or a phone book. This is a fat, heavy book.
Rule No. 2: I read books written by women. “Shantaram” is written by a man, Gregory David Roberts.
Rule No. 3: I read only memoirs. “Shantaram” is based on the author’s life so it is almost a memoir, but some of it is fiction. Part of the intrigue is guessing which parts of this book are fiction and which parts are true.
I got into this 933-page book because a friend called and said, “I think you will love this book.”
Believe it or not, the first Harry Potter book arrived at my doorstep the same way.
It was before the book was famous. At the time, I felt like I was reading an incredible secret, too.
I have a good feeling about this book. It is Roberts’ first. He writes rich, descriptive scenes in vivid detail. By his own admission, he has been a thief, a con artist, a drug addict and an escaped convict. His book is well crafted, and it seems impossible to define him by his crimes. He is, above all else, an exceptional writer.
I bought the book in July. It is now August, and I’m only half way through. At Page 520 of “Shantaram,” I could wait no longer to find out the ending. I squeeze my reading in between all the other things.
Also, my progress is delayed because one of my daughters keeps pilfering the book from my nightstand. “Go reread your Harry Potter series,” I want to say.
I called my friend who recommended “Shantaram.”
“I have survived cholera, I’m learning how to alter passports and trade currency on the black market, and you are the only other person I have met who has read this book. Tell me it has a satisfying ending.”
He begs me to sit down and finish the book.
“Stop feeding your kids, stop cleaning the house, stop writing, and for gosh sakes, don’t sleep,” he said. “Go finish the book so I have someone to talk to about it.”
That’s it, my final reading rule.
Rule No. 4: I read after all my chores are done.
Not anymore. I’m getting in my car, running away from the kids and my work to finish my book.
Gregory David Roberts, the escaped convict, underworld criminal author, is inspiring me to break some rules.
It’s almost always good to be ambitious. Sometimes, it is good to break the rules.
E-mail Sarri Gilman at features@heraldnet.com.
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