Book review

I found the Dan Brown series quite intriguing so when I saw one of the accolades on the book read ' The intelligent readers answer to the Da Vinci Code' by the Independent, I was hooked. Forty two Ringitts later, I am not so sure I will buy the Independent the next time I am in London. The book overall is quite cool, worth a read and consists of a simple diet of easy reading. The book has the usual double crossing, suspense and -I left all those clues for you to pick up- style of writing. Some archealogical facts that I did not know and I am slightly more knowledgeable on Jewish culture after the 700 pages. Not as well written as the Angels and Demons however the setting is different and potentially a more realistic one. The charm of Egypt and the wretched reality of everyday Isreali life comes across quite nicely. So if you have some extra Ringitts lying around and need a book to while time away on a beach, then this maybe the book for you. Overall 3 star rating (on a scale of 5). Big Book and took me a long time to read. I read some of the reviews on goodreads.com in which one the reviewers gave 5 stars for the book said it took her a year and 3 days to finish it. Its about a 1000 pages in very small font and excrutiating details about Bombay and the gangster psyche. Its very well written so much so that you take on the personalities of the characters in the book. The detailing in the book is spectacular and peculairities of translating certain Hindi Nuances into English is very well done, particularly the swear words. However I think this book is best enjoyed by someone who is an India-Lover or may have spent sometime there. Its not a really a book that explains India but more about how things tick in Mumbai for example how the Mumbai Police's corruption actually ensures that justice is served and decorum. Also explains the tight nexus between the underworld, food stalls, Bollywood, policemen and the slums in Mumbai. There are some missing spots in the book that make it difficult to beleive but prose and imagination make up for it. Overall a very nice book but not as good as Shantaram. Four stars! A pretty good weekend. Wanted to do some shopping but not sure if we are going or not Its Sunday night but no Passports yet and no news of them. Not sure if we will actually leave for Nigeria on thursday as planned!