Life of Pi by Yann Martel
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Book Reviews of Life of Pi
Book Review: Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright...
Summary: 5 Stars
LIFE OF PI, Yann Martel's fanciful castaway tale, is one of those amorphous books which can take many shapes under the eyes of many readers. Some readers may see a survival story a la ROBINSON CRUSOE. Other readers may see a religious fable. Others still may take it as a sea-faring, coming-of-age tale. It is all of these things, of course -- testament to Martel's storytelling ability.
The first 93 pages are devoted to young Pi Patel's youth in Pondicherry, India, where his father serves as the keeper of that sleepy town's zoo. The slow pace here is remarkable only for Pi's fascination with religion -- he becomes an acolyte of sorts to Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. With a passionate belief in one God, Pi cannot fathom the divisions so apparent to practitioners of these religions who claim theirs as the one true faith.
Key to the novel is Pi's disdain for agnostics (even worse than atheists) and their rather arrogant doubt. In contrast to faith, such disbelief is coined "a dry, yeastless factuality." Better to embrace the sheer joy of story, of religion, of wonder. This all is played out in most engaging fashion in Part Two -- the bulk of the book -- which tells the tale of the sinking of a ship transporting Pi's family and many of the zoo animals to Canada. Pi survives on a lifeboat that also is clung to by a hyena, an orangutan, and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker you'll never forget.
The heart of the book is Martel's graphic descriptions of survival at sea with a twist, that is, sharing a lifeboat with one of the world's most accomplished killers. Does the tiger symbolize doubt, agnosticism, Darwinian might, faith, man's animal nature? The reader can go many ways with it, just as a believer can find many routes to his God.
Bookending LIFE OF PI's central survival-at-sea story is a short and humorous section involving Pi's questioning at the hands of two Japanese Ministry of Transport officials looking for the cause of the ship's sinking (it was a Japanese-registered cargo ship). Their complete disbelief at his story mirrors nicely the agnostics' disdain for fanciful stories as found in the Bible and other religious texts. Martel wisely avoids the soapbox, however, including a liberal dose of humor in this back-and-forth exchange between boy and inquisitors.
If they can clear the lazy pace of Part One, impatient readers will no doubt thrill at the realistic (and scientifically accurate) descriptions of the killing necessary to survive as rendered in Part Two; patient readers, meanwhile, will luxuriate in both the Darwinian and the mythic/religious angles offered in addition to the central plot of a castaway. Food for thought, then, in this tale of a starving boy and his hungry tiger learning to live as one in harmony while tossing about on an existential sea. Surely tigers everywhere will consider it "The Greatest Story Ever Told," and you'll come out learning more about animal psychology, religion, and life than you ever thought you could from a single book. Not a bad exchange for a 300-plus page run of fiction, I'd say. A slice of Pi for every reader, then. Enjoy.
Book Review: The Life of Pi
Summary: 5 Stars
The Life of Pi
Yann Martel, ISBN 0-15-602732-1. 319 p. Canada: Random House, 2001. $14.00.
Pi Patel is a quiet boy. He grew up being ridiculed and under the eye of a zoo keeping family. He focuses much on his religion, being a Hindu, Muslim, and Christian is hard to keep up with. His academic studies are important to him, but the zoo his family owns is a also a large part of who he is.
Yann Martel opens The Life of Pi, with much background information on the main character, Pi Patel. Much on of the beginning may seem pointless and like a lot of useless information, but as the story progresses, the large abundance of background information comfortably finds its place in the story.
Pi and his family soon find themselves on a boat to Canada: Their old home was not fit for a zoo any longer due to new governmental control. As their voyage is taking place, the boat Pi and his family are on, the "Tsim Tsum" sinks and leaves Pi a castaway in the massive Pacific Ocean. However, he is not alone in his new home. Pi is grouped with a hyena, a zebra with a broken leg, an orangutan, and much to his despair, a 450-pound Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker. Soon all of the castaways are disposed of by Richard Parker, except Pi. Pi, driven to do anything to stay alive, braves Richard Parker's territory and uncovers a locker that saves his life. In the locker Pi finds the necessary tools and items he uses to stay alive for the rest of his days on the lifeboat. After much deliberating with himself over how to deal with Richard Parker, he realizes he must tame Richard Parker to stay alive. Using his cunning and wits, Pi tames Richard Parker using only a whistle, the lifeboat, and the Pacific Ocean. Over time, Pi eventually loses hope and goes blind from malnutrition. He finally lays back and accepts his death. However, after some strange events, Pi finds himself on a mysterious island. Here he replenishes himself and the Tiger, and sets off in the lifeboat again. Pi eventually lands in Mexico, and to the end the book, is interviewed by the owners of the shipping company that owned the boat "Tsim Tsum." Like the book, The Outsiders, the end of the book is where the story first starts, back with the author writing the story we had just read.
The Life Of Pi is a great book. The author writes in a very catchy manner, incorporating religion and philosophy into the book that makes the reader think hard about what is happening in the book. Yann Martel hypnotizes the reader and often throughout the book one might mistake the story they are reading for a true tale, but is ultimately brought back to reality with the knowledge they are just reading an amazingly well written, fictional book. Although the book has its deep, pensive depressing parts, humor finds its niche in the book as well. One might find themselves laughing at the lengths Pi goes to keep himself alive. The book seems written for an older audience; however, many teens are mature enough to grasp the story of tattered human being. Overall, The Life of Pi is an amazing book for anyone who wants to enjoy a well-written book.
Book Review: To "Believe in God"
Summary: 5 Stars
Life of Pi is a powerful and touching novel about a "story that will make you believe in God," in which the son of a zookeeper whose family is immigrating to Canada. They sell off all the zoo animals they can, pack up the rest, and board an old Japanese cargo ship bound for North America. Unfortunately, en route, their ship sinks with a "monstrous metallic burp", leaving only Pi, a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a tiger named Richard Parker left alive on a single life boat. Nature quickly takes its course, leaving just Pi and the tiger left to battle for survival. In order to survive, Pi must sustain his own needs while still avoiding certain death by tiger.To this end he finds himself hoarding fresh water, fishing daily, and capturing live sea turtles with which he sates his own hunger and that of his unlikely companion. With his intimate knowledge of animals and animal psychology, he sets out to "train" Richard Parker" that he himself is the alpha male, and thus has rights to his own territory. While this procures only a very precarious safety for Pi, it is enough to save him from his companion, as long as his companion is provided for.
Oddly enough, rather than hating the tiger that plagues him constantly, Pi finds that Richard Parker becomes his greatest ally, for of all the dangers facing Pi, the most dangerous is his own mind. Without the will to survive and the drive to do what needs to be done, he would have perished. Richard Parker provided exactly the motivation that Pi needed. It was his presence that forced Pi into action and kept him keen and alert enough to fight for survival for nearly nine months at sea.
This story in itself is highly entertaining. The writing style alone is exquisite and absolutely hilarious. What really makes this novel great, however, is the story under the story. This novel is not about a boy who survives impossible odds; it is about the power of faith and the human spirit. No matter what happens, Pi never loses his innocence. He never loses his faith in God, and he never loses his wonder at the world around him.
Faith is something that our world sorely lacks these days. There are few people of true faith. Author Yann Martel said that the difference between belief and faith is that "With faith you let go. You trust. Whereas with belief you cling." Many of us have belief in a religion, a way of life, certain morals, or other similar and inflexible human codes of law. But what we lack is the ability to completely give ourselves over a faith in the unknown. We can't let go. What is amazing about this story is that this lone boy turned nearly savage by his experiences still retains more faith than most of us have in a lifetime. He accepts his fate with what seems like impossible resolve. Any lesser person would have simple jumped in the sea and drowned themselves to end the suffering. One wonders what it takes to obtain such faith, let alone to keep it through such an ordeal. In many ways, this story really does "make you believe in God."
Book Review: Life Of Pi
Summary: 5 Stars
This novel showed an intriguing introspection of a mature adolescent's life. Pi Patel is he intelligent son of a zoo owner living in Pondicherry, India with his mother and father. Pi spends most of his time at the zoo; it is the only place he is accepted by someone or something and he able to think there without being interrupted. As the reader you are told alluring stories of how animals behave in their new habitats and how various animals interact with each other. In the story we grow with Piscine Patel through his life until an event that will completely change his life forever.Pi is an interesting sixteen year old Hindu child that is now a practicing Christian and Muslim. He is moving with his family to Canada along with their zoo animals. Boating through the Pacific Ocean to Canada the Japanese cargo ship they are on sinks. Pi is left by himself on the life boat while his family is still sleeping in the cabins and all of the zoo animals are trapped beneath in the cargo area. Pi is the only human who makes it alive safely and along the way he is joined by a wounded zebra, orangutan, spotted hyena, and Richard Parker, the 450 pound Bengal Tiger. Struggling through the incoherent, stark black nights and 227 unbearably long days we are swept into the adventures created within his psyche the struggles of his unexpected journey, and the myriad of thoughts spinning through his head. For instance, Pi often thinks that everyday will be the day he will be rescued, everything will be perfect, his family will join him on the boat along with Ravi his best friend, and they will then move about their lives. Pi is afraid of the nights. He doesn't know if there will be a ship that will pass by and if it does, will it see him. One by one, these animals are eliminated off of the rescue boat and all that is left is Richard Parker and Pi.
This captivating novel makes you want to keep on reading. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes a thought provoking and audacious plot. The book can be at times, slow moving, but without the details you wouldn't completely understand the climax of the book. Besides having a completely engaging story line, there is also a great deal to learn from this book. Martel understands and tells us about animal behavior, the importance of how the habitat must be thoroughly perfect and similar to the old habitat, and the way the food must be placed and served or the animal won't eat it. Not only that, but there is much more to learn. Religion is a major key in the conflict of the book. The reader is presented with the different religious philosophies and how some of the beliefs of Pi differ from his beliefs and this is why he practices so many religions.
The end of this novel is simply the best part. The way that Martel wraps up the ending scenarios is very periodically done. Without the knowledge of survival, religion, and even the smallest amount of enthusiasm, Pi Patel never would have survived his long journey.
Book Review: Soul-Searching Fiction: A Mini-Review of "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Summary: 5 Stars
Now I understand what all the fuss has been about over this prize-winning book! It took me awhile to get around to reading "Life of Pi," the genre-bending novel by Yann Martel. I thank my friend, Andrew Cvitanov, for recommending this book to me. Depending upon what page you are on and which of the one hundred chapters you are currently ingesting, the book feels like a tragedy, a comedy and a romance. Yann does a magical job of bringing us on a journey - a voyage, if you will - of deprivation, intrigue, challenge, terror, mystery and epiphany.
I will not give away any of the interesting and surprising plot twists, but I will reveal that the author leads the most discerning readers down some interesting philosophical paths - exploring issues of metaphysics (the nature of reality) and epistemology (how do we know what we know?). He uses rich language of metaphor and allegory as he holds a mirror to the human soul and asks us to examine - to compare and contrast - ourselves with the rest of the created order.
At its core, this is a deeply spiritual book. On a technical level, I take issue with some of the underlying theology of the author; he is more syncretistic and pantheistic than I am comfortable with in my own belief system. But those theological differences did not prevent me from marveling at Martel's adroit ability to weave a tale that poses deep existential questions.
Martel, speaking through the voice of his protagonist, Piscine "Pi" Patel, makes some stunning and extraordinary observations about animal behavior, including the human species, that by themselves make this book a worthwhile read:
"Sometimes I got my majors mixed up. A number of my fellow religious-studies students - muddled agnostics who didn't know which way was up, who were in the thrall of reason, that fool's gold for the bright - reminded me of the three-toed sloth; and the three-toed sloth, such a beautiful example of the miracle of life, reminded me of God."
"I never had problems with my fellow scientists. Scientists are a friendly, atheistic, hard-working, beer-drinking lot whose minds are preoccupied with sex, chess and baseball when they are not preoccupied with science." (Page 5)
"I'll be honest about it. It is not the atheists who get stuck in my craw, but agnostics. Doubt is useful for a while. We must all pass through the Garden of Gethsemane. If Christ played with doubt, we must we. If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer, if He burst out from the Cross, `My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' then surely we are permitted doubt. But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation." (Page 28)
This is a terrific book to read along with family and friends. My edition of the book contains an appendix with twenty-three intriguing discussion questions about the book and its meaning.
Enjoy.
Al