"It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured."
-The first sentence in "Shantaram" written by Gregory David Roberts.

In a world of books, each written by authors trying to create the perfect first sentence or paragraph to impress and, hopefully, capture the reader, this sentence is a stand out. For anyone who has hefted this book off a shelf (and therefore is not immediately put off by nearly 1000 page novels), read the short bio of the author and then read this first sentence (conveniently reprinted on the back cover of the paperback edition!) it should be all that is necessary to engage the reader into beginning the exploration of a truly amazing novel.

It would be handy to say at this point that I "devoured" or "inhaled" this book. Thankfully, neither was the case. I would be the first to admit that mainstream fiction - "page-turner books", as I call them - have a place. I love having a good page-turner (think Grisham, Clancy, Brown etc) queued up in the reading pile when heading offshore for a more extended passage. They pass the time, are not too taxing for even the most sleep-deprived brain and, with their short chapters, always ending in a cliffhanger, drag the quite willing reader along in a rush to the climactic ending. None of this is bad but (Forgive me for this analogy) the experience is not unlike the average one-night-stand. Unfortunately, they are often equally forgettable.

Shantaram trusts itself and the reader enough to offer long chapters - one or two of which are sufficient for a single sitting. It is a book that can be savored - and - its epic journey from the highest points of Bombay to the lowest, from the best people imaginable to those most vile or violent is addictive.

I won't write a more complete book report - we all can easily access a synopsis of the plot or better reviews than I can write on any of the many screens in our lives. Suffice it to say that I recommend the read - it is extraordinary.

I will share two other quotes, which perhaps show some of the diversity of the subject matter of the book but are by no means the best quotes that might be offered. However, I do offer them here because they spoke to me - and I get to write whatever I want! What a feeling of power that is.

"A fanatic is one who cannot change his mind and won't change the subject." - Winston Churchill. There are many in our divided and divisive world today (myself, at times, included) who would do well to understand this quote well - and internalize its point.

"There's no animal in the world with a deeper sense of parody than a horse. A cat can make you look clumsy, and a dog can make you look stupid, but only a horse can make you look both at the same time." Having never had a relationship, even of the shortest duration (and they were always of very short duration!), with a horse which ended well - I absolutely got this quote!

After a relatively reading-limited summer - travelling and socializing with Cheryl and friends filled much of the time that might have been used for enjoying books - my fall has seen several good reads.

While "Shantaram" is clearly the highlight, there was also "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time"-Mark Haddon, "The Fort"- Bernard Cornwell, "The Days of Anna Madrigal"- Armistead Maupin (the latest and last of his very long-running "Tales of the City" series), "The Boys in the Boat" - Daniel James Brown, and "Under Enemy Colors" - S. Thomas Russell. I can heartily recommend all of these books but will offer a bit more than just a recommendation for "Under Enemy Colors".

I am a huge fan of the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brien and of the Horatio Hornblower books by C.S. Forester. They are my literary drug of choice and I do "inhale" them - but unlike the average page-turner, don't find them to be forgettable. I am a sailor and I love the sea and boats and ships - these books seem to be written just to engage me.

S. Thomas Russell has written 4 books in his "Charles Hayden" series - the first of which is "Under Enemy Colors". It is an exceptional and worthy addition to the genre. If I were to buy the other 3 books, they would be read all too quickly. I want to look forward to each one and therefore will ration myself to only a periodic dose.

In the meantime, I have a Grisham book in the queue awaiting my next passage.

Best to all.

The pic? - Cocktail hour at the Tiki Bar in Oriental with Maine friends, Mike and Dee from Rita Marie, David and Barbara from Cookie, Jay and myself from Kenlanu and Kelly Rae respectively and the "Big" Evergreen's, Phil and Sharon.

(I should explain that Phil and Sharon have a Cape Dory 36 named Evergreen. Friend Cheryl's Evergreen is a Cape Dory 31 - "Big" and "Little" Evergreen's respectively).