Richard Parker: A True life incident and a major spoiler:



In the summer of 1884, four English sailors were stranded at sea in a small lifeboat in the South Atlantic, over a thousand miles from land. Their ship, the Mignonette, had gone down in a storm, and they had escaped to the lifeboat, with only two cans of preserved turnips and no fresh water. Thomas Dudley was the captain, Edwin Stephens was the first mate, and Edmund Brooks was a sailor—“all men of excellent character,” according to newspaper accounts.

The fourth member of the crew was the cabin boy, Richard Parker, age seventeen. He was an orphan, on his first long voyage at sea. He had signed up against the advice of his friends, “in the hopefulness of youthful ambition,” thinking the journey would make a man of him. Sadly, it was not to be.

From the lifeboat, the four stranded sailors watched the horizon, hoping a ship might pass and rescue them. For the first three days, they ate small rations of turnips. On the fourth day, they caught a turtle. They subsisted on the turtle and the remaining turnips for the next few days. And then for eight days, they ate nothing.

By now Parker, the cabin boy, was lying in the corner of the lifeboat. He had drunk seawater, against the advice of the others, and become ill. He appeared to be dying. On the nineteenth day of their ordeal, Dudley, the captain, suggested drawing lots to determine who would die so that the others might live. But Brooks refused, and no lots were drawn.

The next day came, and still no ship was in sight. Dudley told Brooks to avert his gaze and motioned to Stephens that Parker had to be killed. Dudley offered a prayer, told the boy his time had come, and then killed him with a penknife, stabbing him in the jugular vein. Brooks emerged from his conscientious objection to share in the gruesome bounty. For four days, the three men fed on the body and blood of the cabin boy.

And then help came. Dudley describes their rescue in his diary, with staggering euphemism: “On the 24th day, as we were having our breakfast,” a ship appeared at last. The three survivors were picked up. Upon their return to England, they were arrested and tried. Brooks turned state’s witness. Dudley and Stephens went to trial. They freely confessed that they had killed and eaten Parker. They claimed they had done so out of necessity.

A surface level read of this book will result in a slow drawn out tale about a boy, his family and survival against the odds with a tiger. A deeper read will have you thinking about the role faith plays in providing a moral compass for humanity, the survival instincts of animals and whether we as humans can transcend our base nature when faced with imminent death. Despite being deeply religious, Pi accepts that rescue is less likely so principals and morality are washed away. For some people the abandoning of fundamental beliefs would feel like accepting the gentle turning of the tide, and for others a violent maelstrom at sea. This wonderful novel weaves in magical realism to provide a surreal experience for us as we observe Pi's internal conflict. I have just had surgery on my back so listened to much of this whilst on some fairly serious medication which made the experience quite harrowing in parts. There are some awful animal deaths in this book. Like utterly traumatising. Anyway, if you like books that explore human nature then I think you would probably enjoy this novel. As Pi's father observes, the most dangerous animal in the zoo is man. I think the ending is incredibly poignant as this novel is also about stories and the versions we accept as truth. Thoroughly recommend!

CW: Horrific animal deaths described on page.

Pi talks about survival in a way which is full of fiction yet commendable. From Pondicherry to Toronto he endures an endless life threatening gimmick.

Richard Parker, a Bengali tiger who survives along with Pi is intense, subliminal yet authoritative in claiming his share despite being caught in the life and death situation.

Pi is confused, irritated, tormented but determined to get to his destination. Despite losing all his family and animals which he dearly loved and adored, he keeps going strong through each obstacle and learning all the way. One thing which helped him survive was his way of dealing with time, he forgot the very notion of it so time didn’t matter much. Hence he was able to survive for 227 days in the Pacific Ocean, equal to over seven months.

One thing which held importance in Pi’s life was the closure of things as it helped him let go off things. But Richard Parker's sudden departure left a void in his life, as he missed him dearly.

Blog | YouTube  | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Richard Parker Is Unforgettable

Very rarely does a character stay with you for life. But this story is one that I will carry with me.

Life of Pi starts in India with a boy named Piscine Molitor Patel, also known by his nickname Pi. His family historically has operated a zoo but decides to relocate to Canada. Things don’t go quite as expected when the ship carrying them to Canada sinks.

Pi spends 227 days searching for land with a tiger named Richard Parker.

Parallels to Real Life

Did you know that Jose Salvador Alvarenga was adrift for 438 days at sea? He went fishing off the coast of Mexico on November 17, 2012. After drifting for more than a year, he spotted Marshall Islands and swam to shore.

Deep Questions

There were some really interesting questions that are raised in the Life of Pi:

What gets you up in the morning? What wakes you up out of your bed and inspires you to put one foot in front of the other, to make this existence meaningful and worthwhile? What is your tiger?

Why are the stories that we tell ourselves important?

Book Versus Movie

As someone who has both read the book and viewed the movie, I would recommend reading the book before watching the movie. However, both are excellent, and I really enjoyed the vibrant, rich colors in the movie.

Overall, an unforgettable book that will always make me think twice before boarding a boat. Now, I just need to find a cat to adopt and name him Richard Parker…….

2025 Reading Schedule
JantA Town Like Alice
FebtBirdsong
MartCaptain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
AprtWar and Peace
MaytThe Woman in White
JuntAtonement
JultThe Shadow of the Wind
AugtJude the Obscure
SeptUlysses
OcttVanity Fair
NovtA Fine Balance
DectGerminal

Connect With Me!
Blog Twitter BookTube Insta My Bookstore at Pango

Sift a pinch of psychology with a scant tablespoon of theology, add one part Island of the Blue Dolphin with two parts philosophy, mix with a pastry blender or the back of a fork until crumbly but not dry and there you have Pi and his lame-o, cheesed out, boat ride to enlightenment.
Actually I liked the beginning of this book- loved Pi's decleration and re-naming of himself, his adding religions like daisy's to a chain, and was really diggin on the family as a whole and then....then, then, then the tarpaulin.
I did learn some things though, I learned that:
a). cookies work wonders in assuaging heated arguments.
b). Tiger turds do NOT taste good, no mater how hungry you are and hold absolutely no nutritional value (actualy this might apply only to turds obtained from tigers that have been floating on rafts for several weeks/months? I think I'll apply it as a general rule).
I wanted to like this book more - I loved the cover and then there's that little golden seal that keeps going psst, psst, you don't get it - it's waaaay deep, you missed the whole point. But I think no, I got the point, like a 2 by 4 to the forehead I got the dang point!
What I lack in spelling, this author lacks in subtlty. I felt like the ending was a study guide/cliff notes pamphlet/wikepedia entry all in one.
I love Pi in the first 3rd, I understand the merits of Pi in the raft (just not my thing), but pi in the last bit - ugh, ugh,ugh! I'm chocking on the authors shoving of moral down my throat - help! help! I can't breath.......
2 stars for the beginning, negative 3 stars for the ending, add something (or subtract to make it equal a positive - ????) and there you have my 2 starred LIfe of Pi review.

After finishing Life of Pi, I've finally cleared up a lot of the confusion I had after watching the movie, and I have an even greater admiration for Yann Martel. Not only did he tell a fantastic story, but his writing is also exceptional. I found it hard to put the book down.

I've noticed that many readers spend a lot of time debating the truth or falsehood of the first and second stories. However, I think the first third of the book is worth savoring more. I feel like almost every detail in the beginning is significant and directly relates to Pi's thoughts, feelings, and experiences during his time adrift at sea.

Pi has a unique and fascinating background: the son of a zookeeper, he is a devout believer in Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. His father ran a colorful zoo in Pondicherry, a former French colony in India. Pi spent most of his after - school hours learning about animals, and this experience not only shaped his childhood memories but also influenced his worldview.

What had the greatest impact on Pi's worldview, however, was religion - not just 1, but 3. This is why he pursued dual degrees in zoology and theology at the University of Toronto. And through his studies of the three - toed sloth and the 16th - century Kabbalists, a branch of Judaism, he developed a deeper understanding of the boundaries between science and religion.

As Pi reminisced about his childhood in India, he often drew parallels between the plight of animals in zoos and people's prejudices against religion. Pi believed that prejudices against zoos and religion stem from the same root: the human - centric view that humans are the center of the universe. I found this comparison particularly insightful.

Pi mentioned that he'd heard just as many misconceptions about zoos as about religious beliefs. Well - meaning but ignorant people often assume that animals can only be truly happy living in the wild because the wild represents freedom. Similarly, those who oppose religion argue that if there's a God, humans must live by God's rules, just like animals in zoos, losing their freedom.

But is freedom really what people imagine it to be? At least in Pi's view, we have a misconception about zoos. A comfortable house meets our basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter, and a well-equipped zoo does the same for animals. In the past, people didn't live in apartments; they were nomads. They herded large flocks of sheep and had to travel far and wide to gather food.

Today, with advanced civilization, a 100 - square - meter apartment can meet all our basic needs. So, what about animals? Take a lion, for example. It needs a large territory, but this territory isn't for the lion's "freedom"; it's for "survival." In the wild, food is scarce, and water is hard to come by, which is why animals need seemingly vast expanses of land. So, if humans can live comfortably in houses, why can't animals live comfortably in well - equipped zoos?

You might wonder why animals escape from zoos if they're truly happy there. Pi explained that it's not about seeking freedom but about escaping something that makes them uneasy. The novel's description is so convincing that I won't spoil it for you. In short, the descriptions of zoos in the book lay the groundwork for Pi's eventual peaceful coexistence with Richard Parker.

Do science and religion contradict each other, or do they each have their own domains? Science is undoubtedly useful. The experience of Pi's zoology teacher, the staunch atheist Mr. Satisg Kumar, is a case in point. Originally a devout Muslim, Kumar lost his faith in God after contracting polio and failing to recover despite his prayers. It was Western medicine that ultimately saved him. From then on, he abandoned his belief in God and turned to science.

Coincidentally, Pi's Muslim teacher also shared the same name: Satisg Kumar. This coincidence might have further confused Pi about the relationship between science and religion. On the surface, Mr. Kumar's polio was cured by Western medicine, not religion, suggesting that science is the truth and religion is mere superstition. Perhaps Pi had similar doubts. However, he later came to understand the relationship between religion and science. A prime example is his choice of the name "Pi" for himself. Pi is an irrational number, 3.141592653..., and the sequence of digits after the decimal point goes on infinitely. This drives many mathematicians crazy, but it became a "refuge" for Pi. It made him realize that science cannot explain everything; otherwise, there would be no irrational numbers like Pi.

Later in the novel, when confronted by Japanese officials, Pi made a profound statement comparing the love of science and faith: ”I applied my reason at every moment. Reason is excellent for getting food, clothing, and shelter. Reason is the very best tool kit. Nothing beats reason for keeping tiger away. But be excessive reasonable and you risk throwing out the universe with the bathwater."

Pi survived 227 days on the Pacific Ocean. He certainly wouldn't have lasted that long relying solely on faith. Science taught him how to calculate the proper ratio of food and water, how to fish and catch turtles, and the survival guide's scientific knowledge prevented him from making many mistakes. His knowledge of animal taming also allowed him to eventually coexist peacefully with the tiger, Richard Parker.

Therefore, religion and science do not contradict each other; rather, they have their own domains. Pi's name exemplifies this: some numbers, like Pi, transcend the boundaries of human understanding, proving that science cannot explain everything. In life, there are even more things that science cannot account for. This is where the power of religious faith comes into play.

After the Tsimtsum sank, Pi found himself clinging to a lifeboat, suspended over the vast Pacific Ocean, alone and insignificant. A tiger was in front of him, a storm raged behind, and sharks lurked below. If Pi had sought answers from reason at that moment, he would have given up and jumped into the sea. He would have drowned before being devoured by sharks or tiger. Reason cannot conquer fear or doubt.

At that moment, religion, God, and faith were the only things that could give Pi strength. The 3 religions he believed in played a significant role in his survival. The first few chapters of the book lay a detailed foundation for this, which the author Martel himself described as the core of the entire book.

What is the meaning of religion? Pi himself gradually discovered this. It was because he recognized both the unity and diversity among the religions that he stubbornly adhered to all 3.

Hinduism was the first religion Pi encountered. From Hinduism, he discovered the first function of religion: it's a filter for reality, a benchmark for interpreting the world. In Pi's own words, The universe makes sense to me through Hindu eyes." Hinduism allowed Pi to understand the world rather than merely seeing it. Therefore, in later chapters, he could find beauty in the endless ocean and sky, he could tell countless fishing stories, he could write unique insights in his diary, and he could perceive and describe the floating island he saw.

Pi contrasted his feelings when he was on the Tsimtsum and when he was on the lifeboat. He said that the Tsimtsum was moving so fast that he mistakenly thought there was nothing else in the sea besides whales and dolphins. But when he drifted slowly on the lifeboat, he discovered oysters, seaweed, crabs, and other wonders. If Pi hadn't been a Hindu, perhaps the world he saw would have been as colorless as the sea he saw on the Tsimtsum. (Perhaps this is why Ang Lee's film went to great lengths to capture the beauty of the ocean.)

Later, during a chance encounter, Pi met Father Martin and was introduced to Christianity. Jesus Christ completely overturned Pi's understanding of God. How could God be like a human, not only preaching and teaching but also being brutally killed? Pi had countless questions about Jesus, but ultimately, all the questions were answered by one word: Love, that was Father Martin's answer. The priest's patience and kindness taught Pi the greatness of love, the power of love, and gave him inner peace.

So, when Pi was struggling to survive at sea, he remembered Jesus' teachings: Love your enemies. If he is hungry, give him something to eat. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. That's how Pi treated Richard Parker. Not only did he feed him fish, but he also shared his fresh water. At the same time, he also felt Jesus' love for him at sea. The most obvious examples were the swordfish that accidentally jumped onto the boat at the beginning, the school of flying fish that seemed to "fall from the sky" later, and the constant presence of turtles.

The last religion Pi encountered was Islam, which is perhaps the most misunderstood religion. After meeting his Islamic teacher, Kumar, Pi said, ”I challenge anyone to understand Islam, its spirit, and not to love it. It is a beautiful religion of brotherhood and devotion."For Pi, Islam taught him how to relate to God, how to draw closer to God, and how to struggle against the evil within himself.  

In chapters 23 to 25, there's a highlight: a scene where the elders of the 3 religions accidentally meet Pi at the same time. This part is written very beautifully and should not be missed.

In conclusion, the 3 seemingly contradictory religions gradually became more harmonious in Pi's eyes. They all helped Pi to better understand the world and himself. From then on, Pi no longer viewed different religions as separate entities but as a unified whole. Once, after listening to Kumar's explanation, Pi returned home. The roads, the sea, the trees, the air, and the sun, which had previously been unrelated to Pi, suddenly began to speak to him in the same language. He felt calm and peaceful.

Without science and without religion, Pi would not have survived.

The Japanese officials traveled a long way to meet Pi, only to hear an incredible story. Even so, after repeated questioning and doubt, they eventually chose to believe the first story. When they said they believed the first story, Pi responded, So it goes with God."

Why did Pi say that? Because the first story incorporated the teachings of Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, while the second story did not. More importantly, in the first story, although Pi didn't know where he was going, he firmly believed he would be saved. He didn't want to die on a floating island rich in material possessions but spiritually impoverished. However, in the second story, it was said, ”If you don't know where you want to go, it doesn't matter where you turn."

Admittedly, this sounds hard to believe, but Pi challenged us by asking:

”Love is hard to believe, ask any lover."
"Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist."
"God is hard to believe, ask any believer."

So, after finishing the story, it's time for you to start thinking. Religion or science, believe it or not?

Your choice.

4.6 / 5 stars

زندگی پی جدالی ایست بین حقیقت تلخ و دروغ زیبا، واقعیت و توهم ، امید و ناامیدی ، طوفان و آرامش ، ایمان و ناباوری ، بین رد کردن و پذیرفتن ، ذات انسانی و گرگ درون و بالاخره بین پای و ریچارد پارکر.
آقای پای قبل از این که عازم سفر شود ، خود ذات و باطن خدا جویی داشته ، خدای مسلمانان را می شناسد ، با مسیح و کلیسا آشنا است ، داستان خدایان هندو را می داند ، آقای پای با همه فرق دارد ، جدا از آن اسم عجیبش و این که ارقام عدد پی را می داند ، پای داستان یک استثنا است ، او خدا جو اوست ، خدا را در دل طبیعت می یابد و به این ترتیب و با این مقدمات رهسپار سفر می گردد ، بدون آنکه بداند در این سفر باز هم خدا را خواهد یافت ، در دریا ، در طوفان ، در قایقی تنها در دل دریا و در دل خود که از هر اقیانوسی بزرگتر است .
پای ، پسر 16 ساله داستان در طی این سفر دریایی ، با خود آشنا می شود ، او که کشتی ایش غرق شده ، خانواده اش را از دست داده ، با ریچارد پارکر تنها توی یک قایق اسقاطی ایست ، او غیر از خدا و یاد او چه دارد ؟

اما پای ، کوچک مرد دوست داشتنی ما دل به دریا زده نه این که از هندوستان به کانادا رود ، او عازم سفر دیگری ایست ، اوطریق خود شناسی و خدا شناسی را با هم طی می کند ، در خود خدا را می یابد و در خدا خود را

پای آمده تا حقیقت را پیدا کند ، پس اگر با یک گورخر با پای شکسته ، یک اورانگوتان ، یک کفتار و ریچارد پارکر تنها در اقیانوس باشد او را چه باک ؟ که اگر شک مختصری هم داشت با این تجربه به یقین تبدیل شده ، پای 227 روز خود را در پناه او رها کرده ، سکان دست اوست ، اوست که تصمیم می گیرد کِی با ماهی های پرنده ، پای و ریچارد پارکر را سیر کند و کِی با آن وال بزرگ ، آذوقه آن ها بگیرد ، اوست که سیراب می کند . اوست که خشکی را می رساند و همان اوست که آن ها را از خشکی جدا می کند .
اما پای هم یک بیکاره نیست ، او باید تکلیف خود را با ریچارد پارکر مشخص کند ، باید مرزهایش را با او جدا کند ، باید خوی تند ریچارد پارکر را مهار کند ، افسارش را در دست بگیرد که سرنوشت پای و ریچارد پارکر با هم گره خورده است ، انگار که هر دویکی هستند ، با هم گرسنه می شوند ، آفتاب هر دوی آنها را با هم می سوزاند و با هم افسرده و با هم ناامید می شوند .
و بالاخره زمانی که به خشکی می رسند ، ریچارد پارکر از پای جدا می شود ، بدون هیچ احساسی ، پای را رها میکند و به جنگل می رود ، شاید هم به جنگل درون پای می رود که در زمان دیگری دوباره سر بر آورد گویی ریچارد پارکر و پای هر دو یکی هستند .
پای می ماند و داستان او ، داستانی که ذهن بیدار پای ساخته برای ماموران دقیق بیمه کشتی باورکردنی نیست ، اما پای است دیگر ، فقط او می تواند تلخی داستان را این گونه کم کند ، فقط ذهن اوست که ملوان کشتی را به گورخر ، مادر مهربانش را به اورانگوتان وآشپز فرصت طلب فرانسوی را به کفتار تشبیه می کند .
به گمان نویسنده ، فقط پای و ریچارد پارکر هستند که با هم می توانند بر این مشکلات و اقیانوس پیروز شده و داستان باورنکردنی خود را برای خواننده بگویند که دلیلی باشد بر وجود او و عظمت ذات او .

Excellent story. Pi is a great character. Growing up
in India at a zoo his father managers. Pi decided to worship Hinduism, Islam and Christianity to the perplexity of his parents. Set during the 1970s where India was ruled by Mrs Gandhi during the emergency. His father sells the zoo and they emigrate to Canada on a rust bucket.

The story follows the sinking of the ship and Pi with a Bengal tiger, hyena, Orangutan and zebra are all on a lifeboat. The next 227 days are how he survived through taming the tiger, surviving the elements and getting food and water. This allegorical fantasy is spell binding and at the end you question reality and truth. Which of the two stories are true that he tells to the representatives of the ship trying to find out how the ship sank. One is with the animals and the other brutal and about the inhumanity of desperate people. I know which one I want believe.

قصة جميلة، تمنحنا الإيمان حقا كما قال عنها باي في البداية.. تعلّمتُ من هذه الرواية أن أعداءنا قد يكونون سبب تميزنا، وأحياناً، سبب بقائنا على قيد الحياة.
من أجمل الجمل التي قرأتها في الكتاب قول باي: "من مفارقات قصتي هذه أن ما كان يرعبني هو نفسه ما كان يمنحني الطمأنينة". إذا كنتَ تمر في محنة في حياتك، ��إن هذه الرواية هي ما تحتاج إلى قراءته الآن، لأنها ستعلّمك بأن الإيمان بغد أفضل هو الطريقة المثلى للتغلب على المحن، وهو الطريق الأمثل الذي يوصلك لبر الأمان.
ملاحظتي على الترجمة أنها غير دقيقة؛ فلقد اضطررتُ أحياناً إلى قراءة عدة صفحات عدة مرات حتى أستوعب الفكرة.

A beautiful story that gives you hope, as Pi said at its beginning. It's amazing how your opponents can, sometimes, be the reason for your success, or better, for your existence. If you are going through difficult times in your life then this is the story to read. It won't only give you hope, but it will also show you how to contextualize it, i.e. it will help you transform hope from hypothesis to reality.

n  If we, citizens, do not support our artists, then we sacrifice our imagination on the altar of crude reality and we end up believing in nothing and having worthless dreams.n

This is a review I've been putting off writing. I read it almost two months ago, and I'm still not quite sure what to say about it that hasn't already been said. It has been on my radar for years, and then I saw the movie when it came out (knowing that I was committing a huge book nerd party foul since I hadn't yet read it) because it was just so beautiful, and that TIGER! Oh god, that tiger was amazing.

I read this book at the request of my friend who knew I was going through some stuff. She promised me that I was not going to be disappointed. And I most definitely was not. Oh no. I read this during a time in my life when I seriously needed to believe in something. Anything. And this book will make you believe in something. I believe now more than ever in the power of words. Art. Storytelling. Because this book may be about a lot of things. An Indian Boy named Pi. A tiger named Richard Parker. Survival. Desperation. Loss of innocence. Fear. Hope. Faith. God. But above all, this book is about stories, and how humans have this innate need to tell them, hoping that some kind of wisdom or truth may be passed along with them from generation to generation. We humans have this pressing need to be heard.

The first 100 or so pages of this novel can be interpreted as dull. Bland. Boring. This is the clinical side of Pi, the detailed and descriptive part of him. The part that desperately needs us to understand him. He tells the reader about his journey to find God. He first falls in love with the Hindu god Krishna, then the Christian Jesus, and finally the Muslim Allah. He embraces all three gods and all three religions as if they are one. His family and friends do not understand him, and think him odd, but Pi has this absolutely beautiful peace about him that even I, as only a reader, envied. Once Pi finds god, he goes on and on about his father's zoo, and more specifically about the science of zoology. What motivates different species to behave the way they do, how they interact with other species and each other. It was this part that I found the most intrusive and cumbersome, but honestly, it was only a small fraction of my reading experience. This clinical approach to his writing style comes into play much later, and I understood Yann Martel's decision to write in this way in the beginning. As you can find out for yourself by reading the back cover, Pi travels to Canada with his family and several animals after his zookeeper father decides to sell the zoo and leave India when the ship sinks and Pi is left as the only survivor. Well, the only human survivor.

Pi's journey has now begun, and in his telling of his beautiful story, a story which will make you believe in God, all of the clinical backstory of the first hundred pages begins to make sense. It is this knowledge of animals that sets Pi apart and enables him to survive with a 450 pound adult Bengal tiger on board a small lifeboat in the ocean for months. He understands how and why they behave, and this knowledge not only saves his life, but creates a certain bond with the beast, as much of a bond as these two different species can have. This relationship becomes truly beautiful, and I hungrily read page after page, waiting for it to develop. Pi became such a strong and memorable character for me, and never once was I bored in reading this. Martel weaves some beauty and magic in this telling of Pi's story, and I realized just how perfect this story was for me during a crazy time in my own life. The movie was breathtakingly beautiful, but words...words bring it to life.

Without being spoilery, I will say that at the end of the novel, the reader is faced with a choice of what to believe. We humans do tend to color our stories differently depending on our audience. Sometimes, two stories are colored differently, but the outcome is still the same. If the outcome is the same, does it matter how we get there? Just as art is an exaggeration of life, shouldn't words be the same? Isn't storytelling just another art form? Why shouldn't words express a more colorful world than the one the truth might offer? Pi Patel beleived in three different gods from three different religions equally. Each god has their own stories, their own myths, their own beliefs, values, and meanings. But really, in the end, all three are God. Sometimes it is the story of how we got here that makes us keep telling stories. And really, what are religions but a bunch of stories that teach us how to live? Did they happen exactly as they are told? Does it even matter? I got to the end of this beautiful book and realized that it doesn't matter what choice I've made and what it is that I believe. Both choices are the same, just colored in different ways.

4.5 stars.

كي أكون صريحة
الرواية جيدة ولكنها تحمل قدرا لا يُستهان به من الزيف
هل كانت الرواية على مستوى فكرتها؟
هل استطاعت نقل العذوبة الكونية والتناغم الطبيعي
وهل أوفت وعدها بكونها سطور تجعلك تؤمن بالله؟

تعال لنعرف سوياً

في البداية يبدو الكاتب متكلفا قليلا بحيلة هزيلة سبقه إليها البعض
فيوهمك بأن الحكاية حقيقية
وتلاها عليه الهندي الحقيقي باي
وأنه مجرد سارد للأحداث
ًفجاءت الحيلة غير ناضجة دراميا

وبرغم محاكاته لقصة سبق وأن كتبها الروائي مواكير
والتي قدم الكاتب إليه إهداء الرواية
ظاناً ربما أنه بهذا يبرز ذكاءه

فيقول في وقت واحد أنا أخدعك
،،لااا
لا أفعل
صدقني من فضلك

أرجوك! ماذا تظن قارءك؟
طفل أم بالغ ساذج؟؟

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

مفتتح الرواية بجزئها الأول يصور لك -أو من المفترض أنه يصور- طبيعة شخصية باي
والتي من المفترض ان تكون سامية ، محبة ، باحثة عن الله
جميلة الروح والطباع

ولأن الكاتب بلا عاطفة حقيقية في رأيي
ولا يملك سموا روحانيا من أي نوعٍ كان
فقد جاءت النتيجة شديدة السوء

لقد أُقحمت الأديان ،وحب الله في القصة بلا مغزى
وجاءت كثير من الأفكار ساذجة ، وطفلية، ومضحكة

والأكثر إضاحكا هو أن الكاتب
يشعرك طوال الوقت بأنه يتحفك بالجمل الذكية
وهذا غالبا لا يحدث-
فهو لا يخلّف أكثر من أفكار درامية جيدة
صيغت بأفكار جدلية ساذجة في جُملتها

مثلاً
*
*
*
أعجبتني فكرة الكاتب بلقاء الملحد والمسلم في حديقة الحيوان
و إتخاذهما نفس الإسم
جميل ‏

س:ما الذي خرجت به من الحوار المبتور؟
ج:لا شيء ‏
س:أي أفكار حاول المؤلف ترويجها أو مناقشتها
ج:لا شيء

وتحول المشهد بسذاجة متناهية
إلى فارس-farce
أجوف لا يُضحك حتى
بداخل رواية قد وضعت في قالب يثير أحياناًالغيظ فالكاتب يريد حقا وصدقا إشعارك بذكائه الفذّ

أنا كاتب عبقري أتلاعب بكل الأيديولوجيات وأبسّطها
أنا أعارض بطريقة غير منطقية
وأطيح بالمقدمات والنتائج

أنا ذكي
أنا يان مارتل
أنا
أنا
أنا
ألا ترون؟

‏!‏

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

الرواية لا تساعد أحداً على الإيمان بالله
ولا تشجّع على الإلحاد
ولا علاقة لللأديان بقصة باي الحقيقية أو ‏المصطنعة
الكاتب أراد أن يكون فيلسوفاً ظاناً في نفسه القدرة على ذلك
أراد أن يصور الروحانيات
فجاءت طريقته مصطنعة ، مبتذلة في أغلبها

فكرة الجمع بين الأديان
المسيحية والهندوسية والإسلام
فكرة رائعة فيها كثير من التسامح الديني
ولكن مجدداً تمت معالجتها هنا بأفكار مبتورة
وبلا روح مؤمنة حقيقية

من يتسم بأي صفة إنسانية ويقول

n
أستطيع أن أتخيل آخر كلمة يرددها الملحد‏
إنه أبيض .. أبيض..إنه ال.. ال حب ...ياإلهي
تلك القفزة إلى الإيمان على سرير الموت
بينما اللاأدري ،في حال بقاءه مخلصاً لذاته العقلانية
في حال تمسكه بالواقعية الجافة
فيمكن ان يحاول تفسير الضوء الحار الذي يغمره على النحو التالي‏
إنه على الأرجح جفاف الأوكسيجين في ال .... د...ماغ،
وحتى الرمق الأخير يظل مفتقراً إلى الخيال
وتواقاً إلى القصة القابلة للتصديق
n

n
لاحظ أنه يصور لك إنساناً يموت
وهذا التصوير يبرز من شخص يزعم الروحانية وأنه يحب الله
أين هو الحب ؟؟؟
ما هذه السخرية اللاإنسانية والساذجة؟
ويستطيع الملحد واللا أدري الرد عليها بأسوأ منها
إنما المفترض أنها رواية عن التسامح والمحبة؟؟

الملحدون في عمومهم ليسوا بأشخاص أجلاف سذج
لا يدركون للحياة طعما
ولا هم بماديين بشكل كامل
ولا هم مقولبون في قوالب تجعلهم يتكلمون بلسان واحد

ولا المؤمنين ملائكة بأجنحة وردية
يحلقون بالقرب من الرب في سمو وحبور
وقلوبهم ترفرف ‏بالطهر والنقاء

ولا كل المسلمين متصوفة عائشين في زهد
وهم لا يبكون في كل ركعة سجود
مستشعرون الله في ‏سرائرهم و علانيتهم

واللاأدريون ليسوا بسذّج بدون طريق
و لا يتشككون طوال الوقت بلا رأي وبلا هوية
!

من سمح لك يا مارتل بقولبة العالم هكذا؟
ومن تكون أنت مؤمنا أو ملحدا لتحكم على غيرك وتصوره بهذه السذاجة؟

علاقة الإيمان بينك وبين ربك
وغالباً لا تشكل في الانسان صفات جديدة
فالأخلاق موجودة قبل نشوء الأديان
بل وتتطور مع تغيرات العصر ونسبة الوعي لدى الناس

إلا في بعض الثوابت

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;




نأتي للحديث عن العالم الذي أعشقه
وأحب القراءة عنه والسباحة في دواخله
عالم الحيوان المهيب الممتع

الكاتب العبقري يخبرك من بدايات الرواية بسخرية واضحة
أن الحيوانات مكانهم الأفضل هو حديقة الحيوانات
حيث يتعلل بعلة مضحكة ومبكية
يقول لك ألا ترى الإنسان لا يشعر بالراحة في بيته؟
هل تستطيع أن تتصور حياتك في الشوارع بلا طعام ولا دفء؟
أليس من الأفضل أن تعيش في فندق خمس نجوم يخدمك ويقوم على راحتك؟
أم أنك لا سمح الله تفضل البقاء في الشارع معرضاً للخطر؟؟

بهذه الأفكار يبرر لك المؤلف مدى أهمية حدائق الحيوان التي تتناسب مع الحيوان
وتقيه شر البرية حيث الغذاء يندر أحياناً والخطر يتربص به دائماً


وأتمنى أن أعرف رأي الكاتب في حياته
إن تحول منزله لقفص في حديقة
حيث يشاهد التلفاز ، ويقرأ ‏الجريدة
ويذهب إلى التواليت أمام أعين جمهور
يقذف له أحيانا ثمرة فاكهة أو شطيرة برجر من ‏هارديز

وربما يأتي طفل بعصا طويلة
ليضربك على مؤخرتك ضربتين لا بأس منهما
لأن العصا لم تكسر ‏عظامك
فلتحمد الله
هللوليا


الحيوانات التي تضعونها في أقفاص
ثم تسخرون ممن يريد منحها حريتها
هي التي تتكسب من وراءها ‏
وتحولها مشروعاً تجارياً يدر الربح عليك وعلى عائلتك

أتفهّمُ أن تكونَ محبا لحيوانات حديقتك
وأن تشعر معهم بألفة
وأن تحب بعض عاداتهم
وتفرح بالوليد ‏الجديد منهم

أما أن تسخر ممن يتمنون عودتهم إلى البرية
حيث يعيشون حياتهم كما أرادها الله لهم
وبحيث تنبثق ‏غرائزهم الفطرية
التي ولدوا بها وطوروها على مدار ملايين السنين
فأنت لا تستحق إلا الإحتقار

وهناك اهتمام من بعض المنظمات الإنسانية
بحياة الحيوانات والتي توشك على الإنقراض منها
بحيث يوفرون لهم مساعدات مهمة
بدون إخراجهم من بيئتهم أو التدخل فيها
بل يسجلون بسكون وصمت
واهتمام شغوف بتلك المخلوقات الرائعة

فمثلا حيوانات المعامل كالغوريلا
والتي أرفض انسانيا اجراء التجارب عليها
يستطيع العلماء الرد على تلك الإعتراضات
بأن ذلك للخير الأسمى ولتقدّم صناعة الطب والأدوية
رغم أن الحال ليس كذلك دائما
ولكنهم لديهم حجة

فما حجتك أنت في وضعك إياهم في أقفاص
ليتفرج عليهم العامة ويدفعون لك الأموال
فيكسر أحدهم ذراع قردٍ مرّة
ويسحق الآخر منقار طائر مرة أخرى
ويُطعن منهم من يُطعن
ويتم ‏قطع أو العبث بالأعضاء التناسلية لآخر لا مشكلة
فهذه أفعال سادية قليلة
وكانت لتحدث مثلها في البرية
حيث أن الحيوانات تهدر كرامة مثيلاتها بهذا الشكل المخزي

أليس كذلك ؟؟
أخبرني يا محب الله يا مؤمن ؟؟؟

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

الرواية ككل مشوقة وبرغم إعتراضاتي على بعض أفكارها
وعلى أسلوب المؤلف ذاته
إلا أنني ولجمال عالم الحيوان
ومغامرة ريتشارد باركر الرائعة مع باي
قد قررتُ أن أتخطى السذاجة ‏لجمال بعض الأفكار والمواقف
وأستقر على 3 نجوم‏

ومما يعزز إعجابي بالرواية هي النهاية الصاعقة

لم أصدق ولأوّل مرة منذ قراءتي للرواية
أنتفض و أفغر فاهي في دهشة
فكرة أن تكون الحوادث بأكملها مختلقة أخرستني تماماً

هل أراد الكاتب التسبب لك بالحيرة؟
ما وصلني منه ��و

أن الفتى المسكين اختلق قصة ريتشارد باركر بكاملها
وأن القصة الأصلية هي ما رواه قرب نهاية الصفحات

ولا أظن الكاتب استطاع إثارة حيرتنا
إما قصداً منه
وإما -وذلك الأغلب بسبب توهمه ذكاءاً ليس فيه


;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

والجزء الثالث من الرواية يدور في شبه إطار مسرحي بحواره
وإن كانت الرواية مكتوبة في الخمسينات مثلاً لاعتبرتُ الحوار ذكيا ممتعا
أما أن يصبح الحوار تقليدا أعمى
لمسرحيات مشهورة كتبت في منتصف القرن الماضي
حين بدأت النهضة العملية
فترى الكتّاب في حيرة من انتشار العلم الحديث ، وتأثيرات نظرية التطور
وحديثهم عن عنت العلماء أحياناً
وثغائهم بأنهم لا يصدقون إلا ما يرونه بأمّ أعينهم
وأنهم يؤمنون فقط بالحقائق

صدقاً أن تُكتب رواية حديثة حاملة نفس المفاهيم
وبنفس طريقة الحوار الساخرة
لهو شيء سخيف

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

هناك عاطفة غير حقيقية في هذه الرواية
‏ تعبير عن الحب
والحب أبحث عنه فلا أجده بروح الكاتب
شراسة ودموية غير مبررة في الوصف
أزعجتني وجعلتني أصرخ أحياناً

وكثييييير من السرد الخالي من العاطفة

يكفيه فخراً أنني
لم أتعاطف مع صبي صغير في عرض البحر
خائف وجائع
وشعرتُ بالحياد المطلق ‏نحوه
جائزة تقدم لك يا مارتل حقا
!

أما إن كان الكاتب في روايته يقصد السخرية من المؤمنيين بطريقة مبتكرة

إن كانت هذه هي توريته العبقرية
فسيكون بالفعل كاتباً أحمق
وستصبح الرواية شديدة الهزال درامياً

ومرة أخرى يسخر من عقائد لا حق له في السخرية منها

من أنت يا مارتل
؟


على الهامش

بالنسبة للطبعة العربية
فحقاً لا تعليق
الترجمة شديدة السوء
وطبعة منشورات الجمل مليئة بالأخطاء الإملائية والمطبعية

لم أستطع تحملها وأكملتها بالانجليزية