On the surface, it's the story of a 16 year old Indian boy named "Pi" who, when he and his zookeeping family decide to transplant themselves and some animals to Canada, ends up stranded on a lifeboat with a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-lb Bengal tiger named "Richard Parker."
Don't let the Rudyard Kipling-ness of the plot fool you! In reality, this book is an examination of faith in all its forms. Young Pi loves God, and to prove it he becomes Christian and Muslim in addition to his native Hinduism. He also loves animals, and much of the book examines animal psychology and its relationship to human psychology in a vibrant, interesting way.

This book had me asking questions about my life, my beliefs, and my society on just about every page....and when the reader gets to the end (which I won't spoil here), the reader is forced to ask themself the kind of person they really are. If ever there was a novel that could be called a litmus test, it's this one. "The Life of Pi" will, at the very least, entertain through its sharp storytelling, but it can also help a reader examine how they see the world - and isn't that the point of great literature?

Favorite quotes:

"I felt a kinship with him. It was my first clue that atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith, and every word they speak speaks of faith. LIke me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them - and then they leap."

"But I don't insist. I don't mean to defend zoos. Close them all down if you want (and let us hope that what wildlife remains can survive in what is left of the natural world). I know zoos are no longer in people's good graces. Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both."

"And so, when she first heard of Hare Krishnas, she didn't hear right. She heard 'hairless Christians', and that is what they were to her for many years. When I corrected her, I told her that in fact she was not so wrong; that Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything, are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat-wearing Muslims."

"Christianity is a religion in a rush. Look at the world created in seven days. Even on a symbolic level, that's creation in a frenzy. To one born in a religion where the battle for a single soul can be a relay race run over many centuries, with innumerable generations passing along the baton, the quick resolution of Christianity has a dizzying effect. If Hinduism flows placidly like the Ganges, then Christianity bustles like Toronto at rush hour. It is a religion as swift as a swallow, as urgent as an ambulance. It turns on a dime, expresses itself in the instant. In a moment, you are lost or saved. Christianity stretches back through the ages, but in essence it exists only at one time: right now."

i had to read this for school, and i hated it.

more specifically, it was for summer reading. now you may be tempted to say "well, of course. any book starts out on the wrong foot when you have to read it not just because it was assigned, but because it was assigned for DURING VACATION."

but you would be wrong.

i have been a nerd, a dweeb, a dork, even, for my entire life. there was nothing i loved more than having a book that an authority figure declared to be good for my brain to read at the pool (in a lounge chair while my friends swam) or at the beach (in a beach chair while my siblings swam) or outside (in a chair, when my mom made me go out there).

if you've ever wondered who read the optional books on the summer reading list - you're looking at her.

and i still hated this, so.

part of a series i'm doing in which i review books i read a long time ago

Life of Pi is a wonder.

It is the story of a boy of sixteen who is stranded on a lifeboat with a Bengal Tiger. It is a tale of survival and man’s interaction with himself and the wild. It is a lesson in zoology and spirituality. And it is just plain great.

Part fable, part allegory, part memoir, part encyclopedia, and part philosophical text—Life of Pi is all of these things. But most of all, it is a story. And it reads like old-fashioned storytelling—the kind in which a circle of boys and girls sit cross-legged and rapt around an old man who, despite his calm demeanor and soft tones, fiercely commands the room’s attention.

In this case, the story he tells is mysterious and wondrous. It is unlike anything anyone has ever heard. And so the children’s parents linger around the outside of the circle, noting the teller’s words and sensing that something is percolating deep beneath the characters and the action, something that, with a knowing glint and a rare hint, the storyteller suggests but doesn’t let on entirely, some moral or truth, or maybe some insight into the human condition.

This teller is good. He has no use for guile, and so his clarity of thought and his simplicity of narration draw his listeners in. He has come to understand life’s essential elements, and so he unfolds his story plainly and without artifice. His listeners, in their complexity, are helpless against his honesty.

And so, a story—a truly sensational and dramatic story built around an often-bloody struggle for life and death—arrives in a voice that is even, measured, paced, scaled. And this voice opens the doors for everything else that is packed in: the vivid aquatic scenes, the reflections on human need and vice, the range and import of zoological understanding.

Faced with all this, the boys and girls and mothers and fathers learn and wonder, and perhaps some of them become aware that this man is not just a storyteller, but truly also a teacher, and that everything he describes—every quandary, every explanation, every detail, every revelation—everything serves to teach something more than the story of a boy and a tiger…

Do I recommend it? Absolutely. Thoughtful, fun, full of stuff.
Would I teach it? Yes, I think so. There’s a lot to work with in there.
Lasting impressions: Aside from some tremendous plot revelations, two things stand out to me: voice and story. There’s something about the simplicity of the voice that reminds me of The God of Small Things and I wonder if it has to do with Indian culture. And then there’s just the great storytelling.

On the surface Life of Pi is a funny little book, heart-warming and audacious, but dig a little deeper and you’ll see how complex the story actually is.

The magically real elements make the story doubt itself; they call into question the probability of these events actually happening because they are so ridiculously unrealistic. As Pi says to those that disbelieve him:

n  "I know what you want. You want a story that won't surprise you. That will confirm what you already know. That won't make you see higher or further or differently. You want a flat story. An immobile story. You want dry, yeastless factuality.”n



Such an assertion questions the truth of fiction. The details aren’t important. Change but a few of them and the journey Pi goes on remains the same. It does not matter if he was trapped on the boat with a bunch of zoo animals or people that reflected the animals in his life, the story remains the same: the truth is not changed. Belief is stretched to absolute breaking point and sometimes it needs to be with a story like this.

And such a thing harkens to the religious ideas Pi holds. He practices several religions believing they all serve the same purpose. This never wavers despite the violent and desperate times he eventually faces. And I really did appreciate this idea; it demonstrates unity in a world divided over matters of faith when it should not be. Again, are the details really that important? To a religious zealot such a thing boarders on blasphemy, though the harmony of such an idea speaks for itself in this book.

“If you stumble about believability, what are you living for? Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe?”



Although I disagree with many of the sentiments in this book, sentiments that may belong to Pi as our narrator and perhaps even to the author himself, I appreciated the degree of time taken to clarify them. The stance on religion was an interesting one with disbelief being compared to a lack of movement in one’s life (not something that I see as truth.)

Zoos are also described as places of wonderment for animals rich in safety and easy living, which can be true in some cases, though the horrors of bad commercial zoos and the cruelty and exploitation that go with them are completely ignored. For me, this is not a point that can be overlooked in such fiction or in life. To do so is somewhat naïve no matter the good intentions of Pi.

I did not love Life of Pi, I never could, though it is a book that made me think about the purposes of fiction and the power of stories, true or untrue.

Before I get started, I would like to mention some triggering sections of this god's forsaken book.
Trigger Warnings
There is a section at the end that is very...uncomfy. Gory. Violent. Page 337 to 345 to be exact.
So if you can't deal with that stuff, skip it. Or don't read the book.
*whispering* I would recommend not reading the book because it wasn't that good.

Did I expect to enjoy this? No.
Did I enjoy it? Also no.
Am I surprised? No.
Disappointed? Sort of.

Surprisingly, this is one of the better books that I've been forced to read for school.
Maybe that's because I did a lot of skimming. A LOT of skimming.
Or maybe it's because I read the majority of this book between 11pm and 1am.
That must have something to do with it.

But it was not as bad as I expected it to be.

“You must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it.”

That's it. That quote is basically the theme of the entire book.
End of review, no need to read the book because I just summarized the entire thing.

In all seriousness, there were sections that held my attention, or triggered some nice existential crisis. Those were interesting, which is why I'm not rating this 1 star.
Kids. Here's a life lesson. That quote. Follow it. Even if you hate the rest of the book *cough* like me *cough*

The plot was extremely slow. This man is just stuck out in the middle of the ocean for most of the book and, unsurprisingly, that's not very interesting.
He has an existential crisis, some mental breakdowns, he finds God...again.
Yeah yeah yeah.

He did all the things that one would expect you'd have to do if you were stranded on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean.
And being stranded on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean would be very boring.
Just like this book.

I didn't feel any connection to the characters because I just didn't care. Maybe it's my bad attitude going in, but I couldn't get invested in any of it.
I don't even really have anything to say about the characters. That's how little I cared.

The entire beginning was a slog through overexplained animal habits and religion.
Really overexplained.
The entire first chapter gave a nice detailed description of the behaviours and habits of the three toed sloth.
Not the two toed sloth.
The three toed sloth.
That's very important, and apparently could not be stressed enough.

Religion is a major theme in this book. It comes up constantly. And there's a massive chunk at the beginning explaining Pi's journey in finding religion...I mean religions.
Look. I believe in God. I have no problem with religion. But it was explained in so much detail and so extensively that I was entirely done with everything by the time I got past it.

Mind you, I skimmed most of it.

The actual sinking of the ship took hardly any time at all. Which was disappointing, considering that I am weirdly fascinated by sinking ships.

So the boring parts are super lengthy.
And just when you think some interesting shit is gonna go down, the chapter ends and everything went by too fast and you wish some of those dragged out religion monologues could have been removed so you could have more detail in places such as the sinking of the ship.

So overall, I felt there were lots of parts that were dragged out too much, and some parts that could have been described more.
The themes of the story of important.
And the message is ~thought provoking~
But I read books for entertainment, not for existential crises.

2/5 cannibalism is not okay, kids.

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.

There are several boring parts in this book, but I give 5 stars to it because I felt very strong emotions at the end.

A visual of me everytime I looked at this book on my shelf before I started reading it:


Definitely absolutely not my cup of tea.

Отлична книга. Преди време бях гледал 3D версията на филма и още там цялата история успя да ме впечатли силно. И наскоро през friends' recommendations на GR ми напомниха за „Животът на Пи“ (благодарности тук отново на Metodi Markov) и навярно именно сега беше точният момент за тази книга.

В началото смятах, че понеже историята ми е известна, ще обърна внимание основно на стила на автора. Оказа се обаче, че въпреки че съм гледал филма, някои неща явно съм ги бил позабравил. И книгата успя да се разгърне наново и цялостно пред мен. Припомних си някои интересни моменти, през други преминах в по-дълбоки детайли. И да, всичко успя да ми хареса много.

А ето и няколко цитата от книгата, които попадат сред любимите ми моменти.

HOLY TALKING MUSHROOMS. This book was just ... fantastic. It was the kind of book that I finished reading and then, I could only sit there for a minute like, "Whooaaa ..." And it was on my mind for days afterward. Just thinking about it now makes me feel all tingly inside.

Before I review a book, I always look at others' reviews––in case someone makes a point I hadn't thought about, or there was something I was going to say but I forgot and need a reminder, etc. And, WOW. I see this is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it type book. Looks like everyone either gives it one star or five stars.

And I know I loved a book when the one-star reviews kind of infuriate me. Usually I'm rather indifferent to what other people say about a book; after all, everyone's entitled to their own opinion. But seeing a lot of the negative reviews of this book, I had the impulse to write the old-time trollish comment, "YOU MISSED THE POINT, YOU FOOL!" But, I restrained myself. I get it ... I understand how this is not the book for everyone. It's heavy on religious themes, it's graphic, it's depressing, it's not action-packed, it's surreal, it's confusing, and the writing style is a bit unusual. But personally, I found it to be quite the haunting and compelling tale.

Here's the story:

Piscine "Pi" Patel is a boy who grew up in his family's zoo. From a young age, his father has taught him that all animals––even the smallest ones––can be deadly. "Life will defend itself no matter how small it is," he says. "Every animal is ferocious and dangerous." Pi never forgets his father's lessons. Meanwhile, as he grows older, he becomes very curious about religion, and finds himself unable to devote himself to one exclusively––all he knows is that he loves God, in whatever form God exists. Despite criticism from family and friends, he refuses to stop practicing multiple religions.

Then, when Pi is sixteen, his family is to move their zoo from India to Canada. On the journey, their cargo ship sinks. Pi, the only human survivor, is left on a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra, and a Bengal tiger.

As one can imagine, violence and tension ensues. Soon only Pi and Richard Parker (the tiger) are left. (And don't tell me I'm spoiling the book ... I mean, look at the cover. There's only a kid and a tiger on it.) The majority of the book is about their survival and the twisted relationship between them.

What I thought:

On the surface, this is a great survival story. I grew up loving books like Island of the Blue Dolphins and Julie of the Wolves ... Stories where one person is forced to survive, only in the company of animals. So, I guess this was a more adult version of that type of story. I'm always fascinated by tales of people who survive even when all the odds are against them. Even if the story isn't true, it's a theme that appeals to me. It's also interesting how Yann Martel seems to imply that people are no better than animals––because no matter what species you are, you're born with the will to survive. Pi and all the animals on the lifeboat have one thing in common: they all want to live. And if it means killing each other, so be it.

Another fascinating aspect of the story is Pi's relationship with Richard Parker. Even though the tiger is a danger to him, Pi is determined to keep Richard Parker alive and "tame" him. This self-assigned task is the only thing keeping him from falling into despair, from remembering his family is dead and from giving up hope.

Now, I'm not a religious person. But I found the religious themes in the book very interesting. I define myself as agnostic ... and the author seems to have a problem with agnosticism, even more than he has problems with atheism. (Or at least, Pi has problems with it. I don't know about the author's beliefs.) He claims that agnostics live "in doubt" and miss the point of life or something ... Uhhhh. I would have to argue with him on that. But anyway, that's not the point. The point is, Martel brings up some interesting questions. Why can religions not exist in harmony? Why is one view of God right while the other is wrong?

In the author's note, he says the man who told him this story said it would "make him believe in God", which is interesting. Throughout the story, it doesn't seem as if Pi loses his faith, despite the horrible circumstances. I saw comments from some reviewers that they thought this was supposed to be ironic, and therefore making fun of religion ... but I didn't feel that way about it. After all, Pi survives. (Once again, don't tell me I'm spoiling, because you find out he survives pretty early on in the story.) And could that not be considered miraculous? Anyway, point is, I thought the book was neither preachy nor making fun of religion, but merely presenting questions about the way everyone views God. Whether Pi's survival is a miracle or a coincidence, it is up for the reader to decide.

This brings up something important, which is the very end of the book. I don't want to give anything too specific away, but let's say, it has a bit of a twist at the end. In the end, Pi is interviewed by two men who don't believe his story. So, he tells them an alternate story that doesn't involve the animals. Here's a bit of their conversation:

"The Tsimtsum sank on July 2nd, 1977."
"Yes."
"And I arived on the coast of Mexico, the sole human survivor of the Tsimtsum on February 14th, 1978."
"That's right."
"I told you two stories that account for the 277 days in between."
"Yes, you did."
"Neither explains the sinking of the Tsitsum."
"That's right."
"Neither makes a factual difference to you."
"That's true."
"You can't prove which story is true and which is not. You must take my word for it."
"I guess so."
"In both stories the ship sinks, my entire family dies, and I suffer."
"Yes, that's true."
"So tell me ... which story do you prefer? Which is the better story, the story with the animals or the story without animals?" ...
"The story with animals is the better story."
"Thank you. And so it goes with God."

This one little snippet kept me thinking for a long time. At first I didn't really understand what it meant, but after thinking for a while, I assume the author's statement was that all faith is blind––and in choosing our religions, we simply choose the story that appeals to us the most. We can't change what happens to us, and we can't prove that any one religion is true, but we can choose which one we practice based on what we find the most interesting.

Anyway, I realize I'm starting to make this book sound a bit heavy. And it is, but it's not all about religion. It also has a lot of humor in it, despite it being such a dark story. I didn't expect it to be such a funny book, but many parts had me laughing out loud––sometimes out of disgust, but mostly because the author says things in such a funny way. One part that particularly stands out to me is a part when Pi pees into a vial on the lifeboat and––in a thirsty craze––briefly considers drinking it. He says, "Mockery be damned, my urine looked delicious!" And for some reason, that sent me into a hysterical laughing fit. Maybe I'm juvenile, but really ... that's quite hilarious.

Well, I guess that's about all I have to say. This book is brilliant, funny, thought-provoking, exciting, tense, well-written, original ... It blew my mind. Ask anyone in my family ... I couldn't shut up about this book.

Go read it!

I can see why this is a classic. Full of teachable moments, especially the ending. But OMG it took so long to get there! I know that’s part of the telling of the tale, but the monotony, the monotony!!! Nonetheless, I would still reread it because it is a profoundly layered book.

Oh finally I get it. I read this a couple of years ago and it was supposed to be all about God. But no, it's not a religious allegory at all. It's about the collapse of communism. As the ocean liner of communism sinks under the weight of its own massive incompetence (a good idea, but the captain was drunk and the crew were sticky-fingered rascals), you leap overboard, clamber on to the only available boat (capitalism) only to find that there's a giant tiger on board which will eat you unless you can keep feeding it your hapless fellow-creatures.

When I thought this novel was about God I gave it 2 stars. It didn't make sense. But now I realise - it's a perfect metaphor - three stars.