"Linbaba is far more skillful as a fighter, it soon becomes apparent -- in spite of the book's title, a Marathi name given to him meaning "man of peace." "Shantaram" reveals its dark side when he is arrested without explanation and tortured in the notorious Arthur Road Prison -- an ordeal he barely survives. Khader buys his release, and as Linbaba seeks out his betrayer, he works as a counterfeiter and smuggler within Khader's criminal empire, ultimately abandoning a budding career as a Bollywood agent and joining a gunrunning expedition to Afghanistan. The warily affectionate multinational band of wiseguys lends Linbaba a sense of common purpose in a serious cause, though when Khader leads them in discussions on metaphysics and morality, it's hard not to think of Tony and Paulie Walnuts talking about coping skills.
A gentle giant on the scale of "Shantaram" can afford a few unintended giggles, but million-rupee questions remain: Why, given Roberts's wealth of material and penchant for soul-searching, didn't he write a memoir? And what of Linbaba's debt to society and, presumably, to his briefly mentioned young daughter back in Australia? What is he really after, anyway? But it seems unsporting to begrudge Roberts the license to thrill while having such a good time -- and "Shantaram," mangrove-scented prose and all, is nothing if not entertaining. Sometimes a big story is its own best reward. And there's always the next installment." _NewYorkTimes_