It has been years since I've read a book by such a descriptive writer. He is rapidly becoming a favorite of mine. This book (shantaram) was recommended to me by one of friends from Russia “Dinara”
First of all, this book is over 800 pages, so I found it a little challenging to start because I didn't want to carry it around with me to read on the bus (too bulky) and I was so tired each night that I couldn't read more than a page or two. But I finally got a chance to read a small chunk of it in one sitting and that was it for me. I loved it and couldn't put it down.