Shantaram: A compulsory in any bookshelf

I have just gone through half of this 950-odd page beast, and it finds its place to my bookshelf (see the side bar). A gripping tale concocted by Gregory Robert that leaves one spell-bound, or should I say book-bound.

The story is about an escaped convict, Lindsay, who finds his destination in the slums of Bombay. He settles in the slums and runs a first-aid center there. He gets involved with mafia, and later the Afghan rebels. He also falls in love with Karla, a Swiss national who settled in Bombay. He is christened 'Shantaram' by the motherly Rukhmabai, and hence the title of the book.

A definite read for anyone. It scores 5 out of 5 with me.