Bombay
Bombay, or Mumbai, is a city made up of several islands. The ever-present sea is an important part of the novel's theme of exile, reminding Lin and his pals of their homes across the ocean, and the...
Madame Zhou's Palace
The creepy house of prostitution run by the mysterious Madame Zhou is scary precisely because it's so enigmatic. And in that way it mirrors Lin's experience throughout the novel, where he doesn't k...
The Prison
Lin only remembers the Australian prison he escaped from in flashbacks, and none of those memories have anything remotely positive attached to them. The prison in Shantaram represents the past. It'...