Where to Start with Gregory David Roberts
There's only one place to start with Gregory David Roberts — Shantaram. Here's what to expect from the Bombay epic and whether The Mountain Shadow is worth reading after.
There is one answer: Shantaram.
It is his debut, his masterpiece, and the only necessary starting point. At 936 pages, it is a major commitment — but it is also one of the most immersive novels of the early 21st century, and the Bombay it renders has a reality that is hard to find anywhere else in fiction.
Start here: Shantaram
Lin, an escaped Australian convict, arrives in Bombay with nothing and falls into a life he could not have imagined: living in a slum, working as a street doctor, drawn into the local mafia, falling in love. The city is the protagonist as much as Lin — its heat, its density, its extraordinary human variety, its capacity for both violence and generosity.
Be prepared for the philosophical interludes: Lin meditates extensively on fate, freedom, love, and the nature of good and evil. These are either the best or the worst parts of the book, depending on your tolerance.
Then: The Mountain Shadow
Read Shantaram first. The Mountain Shadow is for readers who loved the first book and want to return to Lin and Bombay. It delivers more of the same — which is either a recommendation or a warning.
See the complete works
Gregory David Roberts Books in Order →
For the full Gregory David Roberts bibliography, reviews, and biography, visit the Gregory David Roberts author page on Editors Reads.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shantaram worth 936 pages?
For readers who connect with its world — Bombay, the underworld, the combination of crime and philosophy — yes. The length is a commitment, but most readers who start it find the world pulls them through. Readers who find the philosophical asides wearying in the first 100 pages are unlikely to change their minds.
