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Life of Pi
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Life of Pi
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Life of Pi
Ebook423 pages7 hours

Life of Pi

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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About this ebook

Winner of the 2002 Man Booker Prize for Fiction

Pi Patel is an unusual boy. The son of a zookeeper, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior, a fervent love of stories, and practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam. When Pi is sixteen, his family emigrates from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship, along with their zoo animals bound for new homes. The ship sinks. Pi finds himself alone in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and Richard Parker, a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi, whose fear, knowledge, and cunning allow him to coexist with Richard Parker for 227 days lost at sea. When they finally reach the coast of Mexico, Richard Parker flees to the jungle, never to be seen again. The Japanese authorities who interrogate Pi refuse to believe his story and press him to tell them "the truth." After hours of coercion, Pi tells a second story, a story much less fantastical, much more conventional-but is it more true?
Life of Pi is at once a realistic, rousing adventure and a meta-tale of survival that explores the redemptive power of storytelling and the transformative nature of fiction. It's a story, as one character puts it, to make you believe in God.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherMariner Books
Release dateJun 4, 2002
ISBN9780547416113
Unavailable
Life of Pi
Author

Yann Martel

YANN MARTEL was born in Spain in 1963 of Canadian parents. Life of Pi won the 2002 Man Booker Prize (among other honors) and was adapted to the screen in the Oscar-winning film by Ang Lee. Martel is also the author of the novels The High Mountains of Portugal, Beatrice and Virgil, and Self, the collection of stories The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios, and a collection of letters to the prime minister of Canada, What Is Stephen Harper Reading?. He lives in Saskatchewan, Canada.

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Reviews for Life of Pi

Rating: 3.922452508978004 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I'd like to rate this book 3.5. Parts of it I would give 4 stars, but it really dragged in places with no specific reason. There was a lot of time spent discussing Pi's religions. I loved the dramatic scenes on the raft with the tiger. Very well written. A book that is so different from other novels, I always enjoy. I just don't think it was a solid 4 stars throughout the book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    My impression of this book suffers for the circumstances under which I read it. I was ill in hospital and near bed-ridden, so the parallel of a boat drifting on the Pacific ocean and the monotony of my days in a closed room felt very much overlapped.I feel that the base story of this book is well known, or at least what makes up the bulk of the setting, and I'm not sure one can say much more without getting into a lengthy conversation about "why?" It is ponderous outside of Pi's daily survival activities, and few books have made both inclined to think and inclined to accept the face value at the same time.Perhaps I will read it again, to see just how much my state of mind was colouring my view at the time.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great book for seven reasons:1. Many names of places in Paris and India have magic power. To name the main character in a novel "Molitor Patel" thus linking India and Paris via Pondichery, is genius.2. Swimming pools allow to be aquatic for a while: Piscine is away - cast away3. The book maked me a compulsive reader. I wanted so much that Piscine and Richard Parker are happy and well.4. While reading the book I lived with a big feline presence, imagining it to come round the corner of my street any minute.5. The main character is smart but not bragging about it like authors often do (Potok or Semprun). 6. Time and place are mostly unclear. Close to fairy tales. The end: is it true or is it not true? reminds the start of any fairy tales from the Magreb: "Once upon a time there was...or there wasn't. Also a good reason the read again "Noms de pays" last part, first book: Du côté de chez Swann" à la recherche du temps perdu M. Proust.7. If faith must be adopting three at the same time is a great option.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The story in Life of Pi describes the book itself. It is the impossible tale of a boy, trapped on a lifeboat alone with a 450-pound tiger for 227 days. It is a story that, like the ocean waves, has its ups and downs. Just when it seems like you’ll never reach dry land, you do. And when you look back on this book, much like being adrift at sea, the ordeal blurs together into one journey that has a clear beginning and ending, but no clear middle. And that ending—boy, it’s a day you’ll never forget.

    The 2002 Man Booker Prize winner was a highly refreshing read. Even considering the absurd premise, it was not what I expected. Yet, this novel wasn’t absurd at all. It almost seemed believable. And although Life of Pi had many comical passages, it also had just as many dramatic ones. It is such a well-rounded title I barely can imagine a better stab at the marooned premise.

    Life of Pi’s highest points happen as the protagonist of the story, Pi, explores his choice of religion. These moments provide both comical relief and careful consideration, and Martel handled both with care. And of course there is the final part of the book, where Pi explains his ordeal to two Japanese men. These final pages are the books greatest: hilarious, heart wrenching, and brilliant.

    The lowest points are not so low, they are tedious, but this is necessary. What is a “lost at sea” book that doesn’t drag out the trials of being adrift? Otherwise, what joy is there in the reader of being found? So, the longest part of Life of Pi chronicles the 227 days Pi and the tiger are together on a solitary lifeboat. And since tigers don’t talk, much of the novel is filled with descriptive narrative.

    Before starting Martel’s prize winning novel, I wasn’t sure what I was going to think of it. Now I must admit I was quite surprised. Like the castaway experience, however, I wouldn’t want to go through the ordeal again, but I will not likely soon forget the story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    # WintersRespite Interesting, I may have to watch the movie now to see how they do it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It took me a while to get into this, but then I couldn't put it down. Martel clearly intends us to see the story as more than just a tale of survival but he leaves the final interpretation up to the reader. I'm not sure what the point is of the section on the weird island.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    If this hadn't been recommended to me I would never had read it. It sounded to bizarre. But it is one of the most thought-provoking and profound books I have read. The descriptions are incredible. At times it was rather harrowing...unforgettable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    My initial impression of this book was influenced quite profoundly by my having just read every work Richard Rorty ever authored. It seemed to jibe perfectly with Rorty's views about irony and self-creation, and with the "thus I willed it" theme that's so important in Nietzsche. I haven't read the book since then (2004), as I'm quite happy to keep tne impression I have of it. It would be an interesting exercise, though, to read it again, now that other, non-Rortyian ideas have come to dominate my thinking.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It started off very slowly and took a bit of time to get down to the real story. The scene was set in a lengthy style which did seem to go on. But when the adventures started it was a really enjoyable read. The world of Pi on the Lifeboat was captivating and the ending was intriguing and thoughtful, making you think about views of the world and how life and the world around should be seen. Not sure if I would look into any more books by this author though, as although enjoyable there were several rough patches.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Knowing only that this novel has been incredibly popular and that some have claimed that it is proof of God’s existence, it has been on my “must read” list for a number of years. And so I finally read it. I was prepared to read a rousing adventure story of an Indian boy’s survival in the Pacific Ocean aboard a life boat he shares with a Bengal tiger. And in this respect, the book supplies abundant rewards. Martel is a magnificent storyteller. He creates remarkably genuine characters, and he relates events in seamlessly beautiful, artistic prose that is at once clear, stunning, and sublime. What I was not prepared for, however, was the postmodern metafictional nature of this narrative. Although it may not become apparent until the very end of the novel, when Pi tells his incredible story of survival to a couple of Japanese government employees, Martel’s novel is all about the creation of story—about the ability of language to construct “truth” from mere words:Isn’t telling about something—using words, English or Japanese—already something of an invention? Isn’t looking upon this world already something of an invention? (p. 302)As Martel implies, nothing is true or real until language legitimizes it. The novel itself is a construction of embedded narratives—it begins with Martel (or a Martel-like narrator) telling of his encounter with a man who directs him to Pi, who then tells his story to the narrator—who in turn relates it to the reader. For a portion of the novel (the first quarter of it), the narrator weaves his voice together with Pi’s and tells the story of how Pi told him his story. And the novel ends with the Japanese agents’ rendition of their meeting with Pi, during which he tells them two vastly different versions of his story.All of this meditation on the nature of narrative and story prompts me to reflect on the way in which I read this novel—as I read it, I was looking for evidence that this novel was about the existence of God, the meaning of faith, etc. What I found instead was a very well-written and entertaining adventure story that—like the subject of religion (which is surely present in the novel)—serves as an extended metaphor for a much broader theme: the eternal question of epistemological uncertainty and the various ways we choose to cope with that uncertainty.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I think it's fair to say that this book blew my mind. I enjoyed the beginning, was intrigued by the middle, and amazed with the ending. The rest of that evening after I finished the book, I could not get it out of my head; it stuck with me. Books usually don't affect me that way. It's one of my top 5, I think.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    On the surface, this is the story of a boy's childhood in India, several months in a lifeboat with a bengal tiger following a shipwreck, and finally landing in Mexico and being interviewed by agents of the ship's Japanese owners.At a deeper level, it's about religion, fiction and reality, and the similarity between humans and animals.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    What would you do if you ended up on a lifeboat with a 450 pound Bengal tiger? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have fared as well as the protagonist of this unusual novel!

    I typically prefer to read science-fiction and fantasy because I like stories about things that aren't likely to happen in our limited universe, but this story certainly falls in the category of "not likely to happen' to most of us! A few scenes were a bit too graphic for my delicate sensibilities, but overall the story is told in a way that evokes the horror of the situation without painting too gruesome of a picture.

    The scene that takes place after Pi lands in the lifeboat and before Richard Parker gets on the lifeboat is a brilliant piece of storytelling that would be entirely lost in a movie version, unless the movie is able to hide a key piece of information about Richard Parker until the right moment.

    I listened to the Audible version, which I highly recommend because the story needs to be told in an Indian accent!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Well I just finished this today and I feel a little like Notre Dame Linebacker Manti Te'o (look up story if u r interested as I won't bore y with details); but I feel a little ripped off! I was falling in love with Pi as a heroic figure; a person who had it all together; someone who could overcome any obstacle;a kid who can never be beaten; I child who walks with God in his foremost thoughts!! Then I find that he is probably a weak human boy who went thru what none of us can even imagine and he failed miserably; the only success he had was staying alive; even his mislead/misconstrued/misunderstood and wishy/washy devotion to God was a failure as he can't even decide WHAT he really believes in; the story of the animals is absolutely beautiful; the tragic true ending is just mind numbing; I want fiction ; not reality; I get enough of that every day; probably won't watch movie now due to ending; how sad
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved, loved, LOVED this book. I disagree that the novel is a lecture on religion. I'm an atheist myself, but religion is fundamental to those of us that do believe. Pi is in a ridiculously difficult position and is trying to make it out alive. It's not crazy that his religious beliefs would be strengthened by the triumph of his survival. I don't agree that there are no atheists in foxholes, but Pi began his journey as a religious person and the suffering he was put through solidified that belief. Me, I would become even more convinced that there is no god, if I were in Pi's place. Frankly, there are lots of believers in the world and an inability or unwillingness to read about characters who believe in god when you yourself don't- in other words, people who aren't like you- is just silly. Pi's beliefs are part of what make him a realistic and fully fleshed-out character, just as much as his nickname. It helps describe who he is and explain his actions, just like any other character trait. That said, the writing is just beautiful and the story is paced perfectly. I agree with the other reviewers who think the last several chapters are what make it a masterpiece. I am fascinated by Pi's story. I'm writing this review a few months after reading the book, and I've been turning Pi's experiences over in my mind ever since. Wow. My copy now lives on The Shelf of Earth-Shattering and Important Reads.The movie adaptation is fantastic, too, by the way.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This modern-day fable is not for the faint of heart. It is thought-provoking and, at times, disturbing.Pi is shipwrecked with a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker all sharing the same lifeboat. How he faces survival and co-exists with Richard Parker makes for a fascinating study.Without giving away anything for those who haven't yet read it, I will tell you that our book club had a very interesting discussion on why some of us were more willing to believe the "alternate" story line.The writing reminded me of [Mistress of Spices] and [Like Water for Chocolate]. In 2008 a new illustrated version came out which is simply glorious. I'm tempted to purchase it just for the art.UPDATE: March 2013 - I listened to the audio performed by Jeff Woodman. He does a marvelous job. I was immediately and completely drawn into Pi’s story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very entertaining novel about an Indian boy lost at sea after his ship sank, with only a zebra, a hyena, and a vicious tiger in his lifeboat. But most of all a story of faith, and believing in what feels best, rather than what sounds more logical.

    Lots of love for the way Martel manages to describe the immensely long, lonely, empty period in the lifeboat without ever becoming slightly boring. The short chapters make it the perfect book to take with you and read on the bus, train, or in bed. Already looking forward to the film version!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Overall, I enjoyed Life of Pi, especially the psychological twist at the end. I have to admit though, the first part of the novel was often so tedious that I considered abandoning it. That, along with Mr. Martel's tendency towards endless listing of items pumped up the word count for skimming. Some actions and dialogue were inspired, some seemed over-the-top. Looking back now, my enjoyment outweighs my disgruntlement. The story is imaginative and well expressed. I love the ending, which cast new light on the journey and occupied my thoughts for hours after I read the final page.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel is another great book that I think everyone should read. It is a story about a young man whose family decides to transport their family run zoo to Canada for a better life. However the voyage across doesn't go well and the young man, Pi, ends up stranded on a life boat with a bengal tiger. The story deals with issues such as basic survival, like finding food and shelter, and the human condition to go on when all seems lost. The story really makes you think of how we take for granite basic survival needs... when do we come in contact with trying to defend ourselves against a creature that could tear us to shreds?
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I can't understand the great reviews that this book gets. Yes the concept of the plot is original and yes the final revelation was an interesting one but these two interesting elements are wrapped around tiresome and repetitive little plotlines. In a nutshell: boring!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    DISCLAIMER: This is a review of an audiobook.WHAT IS IT ABOUT?Yann Martel’s “Life of Pi” is an inspiring adventure novel about an Indian boy Piscine Molitor “Pi” Patel who survives in the Pacific Ocean for over 7 months sharing a lifeboat with an adult Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. In the mid 70s, Pi’s father, the owner of the Pondicherry Zoo in South India, decides to sell the zoo and move with his family to Canada. Full of hopes and dreams, Pi’s family with their animals board a Japanese freighter “Tsimtsum.” Unfortunately, not long into its voyage across the Pacific Ocean, the ship sinks. Two hundred twenty-seven days later, Pi and Richard Parker, the only survivors of the shipwreck, reach the coast of Mexico. Pi’s adventure in the sea is both realistic and unbelievable, heartbreaking and uplifting, entertaining and thought-provoking.THUMBS UP:1) A captivating adventure.Since I knew beforehand that the majority of the book is devoted to Pi’s experience on a lifeboat, I was rather wary. I love action-packed adventures, but how adventurous can it get when you are floating in the middle of the Pacific for seven months? If you have similar doubts about this book, rest assured that it can get VERY adventurous, especially with an adult tiger aboard. At times I was so immersed in the story that I didn’t want to stop listening to it, even if it meant jogging an extra mile or volunteering to wash dishes.2) Educational and philosophical.Martel sneaked into his book a handful of interesting facts about zoology, survival in the sea, and even religion. As a result, I learned quite a lot without even noticing it! Besides being educational, “Life of Pi” is also quite thought-provoking as the author offers many philosophical ponderings on such timeless topics as freedom, perception, believably, fear, life and death.3) A game-changing ending.At the very end, the story abruptly transforms into something completely different from what it seemed to be. Such a transformation is so powerful that very few readers, if any, would remain unaffected by it. Indeed, “The world isn't just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it, no?”4) Beautifully narrated.“Life of Pi” is written beautifully. Experiences of the castaway boy are so convincing and described so precisely that it’s hard to believe the author didn’t spend several months in the lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific himself. As appropriate for such a literary masterpiece, it is read beautifully as well, including all the sounds and different accents. Conveniently, the story from Pi’s perspective and occasional recollections of a visiting writer are read by two different narrators.COULD BE BETTER (MAYBE):I really like this book and generally dismiss any criticism towards it as precarious. However, when the narrator was reading descriptions of events or landscapes, my thoughts would occasionally wander off. Involuntarily, I started wondering whether I would get stuck at these places if I was reading an actual book.VERDICT:“Life of Pi” is everything a good book should be: it is captivating, adventurous and beautifully written (and read!) as well as educational and philosophical. And the best part yet - it has a deeply moving ending.POST SCRIPTUM:Back in 2012 I also saw “Life of Pi” movie and I absolutely loved it! In fact, it was the movie that made me want to read the book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I knew this book was going to have a surprise ending and it still surprised me.I'd love to hypothesize what happened on the island.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Originally Posted at Novel Reveries“I know zoos are no longer in people’s good graces. Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.” (23)A beautiful and remarkable story of faith and endurance. Provided with meticulous detail, this book pushes it's readers to the depths of human conviction and explores the journey for the will to live.I found this story sensational with it’s wonderful descriptions and meticulous research on even the smallest detail. Whether discussing zoological history, or a daily routine, Yann Martel makes us feel like we’re thrashing right along with Piscine, his misfortunate and what led up to his building beliefs. A seed was planted with Piscine and his investigative and curious mind in different religions and how, not only can they relate to one another and dwindle down to one central factor, but also how the elements of each religion benefit the soul in a variety of ways.“Things didn’t turn out the way they were supposed to, but what can you do? You must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it.” (120)Zoomorphism. It is foreshadowed (page 110,) and yet when we experience this trait with Pi Patel, it’s still incredible. Faith wasn’t the only factor in this plot, Pi’s education and experience with zoo’s and animals provided him with the patient skill of dealing with the animals on his boat, as well as the mysterious island he encounters. In essence, Faith provided him with the will to survive, while knowledge provided him with the tools.Offhand, I understand (for it is mentioned in the story; page 381) that the author needs the story to last 100 chapters, but some parts seemed unnecessary. I’m not just talking about the 1-2 sentence chapters, but also some of the deeply researched and extreme detailed parts of chapters. At times it made it difficult to focus and made me want to skim through parts of the chapter. This is the only main drawback I had with the novel.This being the illustrated version of the book, I can’t continue on with the review without stating how extraordinarily beautiful the illustrations were. I would buy and re-read the book again for the illustrations alone. Tomislav Torjanac is truly a master, his art in bright bold colors, depicts the scenes with perfection. I’m now a huge fan of his!“Life is so beautiful that death has fallen love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it can.” (4)In all this story has the ability to lift spirits when you think about all one can endure in a span of seven months.Seven months. A divine number, seven is.First Line: “My suffering left me sad and gloomy.” (1)Last Line: "Very few castaways can claim to have survived so long at sea as Mr. Patel, and none in the company of an adult Bengal tiger." (425)---------------Quotes“When you’ve suffered a great deal in life, each additional pain is both unbearable and trifling.” (4)“To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.” (35)“This story has a happy ending.” (122)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a very interesting book. Very thought-provoking, especially at the end when you realize this book can be interpreted two different ways, and the interpretation is pretty much left up to you.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Beautiful. Perhaps a little slow at start. Persevere!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An unbelievably believeable book. No way to describe it--it must be read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Ohmygosh. So, so, SO good. The writing was excellent, with lovely turns of phrases everywhere you look (or listen, as the case may be). And the story was fabulous; I am a great fan of mythologies and the importance of Truth over fact. This novel embraces that idea in such a fantastic way that I was honest-to-goodness gleeful when I finished it. Were I still teaching, I would absolutely assign this as required reading in my mythology course. Easily one of the best books I read this year, or any other year.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A parable of survival. Both I and my 12 year old daughter enjoyed this book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is amazing. Simply amazing. I hated it in the beginning but loved it in the end. I don’t think I’ve ever had such an extreme response to a book before.The beginning frustrated me because of the lack of logic. If Pi wants to practice universalism, then by all means, he should go ahead and do so. But then he has no right to criticize agnostics for not making up their minds whether or not there is a god, since he cannot make up his mind as to which religion is true. Is Jesus a Savior or a prophet? Do we receive multiple lives or just one? Pi does not even consider such questions. He simply wants to “love God.” It frustrated me that Pi lived in the same ambiguity that plagues agnostics, but with just a slightly different flavor.The ending was simply terrific. It made me reexamine the entire lifeboat experience for symbolism, which was there in abundance once you are looking for it. For those of you who may be confused by the ending, especially Pi’s statement, “and so it is with God,” here is a little thought that may help you out.I once heard this alternate interpretation of Jesus’ miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. The interpretation states that since there were most likely mothers and children in the crowd, and since any good mother will not travel with her family for long distances without bringing some food along for her children, there was probably food already available in the crowd. The example of Jesus and the disciples sharing all they had inspired the people in the crowd to share all they had, too. Therefore, there was enough for everyone and plenty left over.Now on first glance, this interpretation seems misleading and even seems to downplay the miracle and insult the Son of God’s power. However, with a little more thought it is truly miraculous. Think about it. What would be harder for God to do – to rearrange molecules or create matter (which He originally did just by SPEAKING, mind you), or to persuade people whom He has graciously granted free-will to happily share the little sustenance that they have with complete strangers? I think the second is more miraculous.However, the wow factor of the miracle is in the telling of it – the implication of the original interpretation. It’s amazing to us because we, as humans, cannot rearrange or create matter to multiply bread and fish to feed a crowd. So does this imply deceitfulness on the part of the storyteller? I don’t think so. I think that the way the story is told enhances and amplifies the truth behind the words, just as the right seasoning can enhance and amplify the flavor of a meal. In the end, does it matter whether there were animals or a cannibalistic cook in the lifeboat? Isn’t the result the same? Which story is more beautiful and reveals more of the character of Pi? And ultimately, which story do you prefer?
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When they say this book is hard to stop reading, even when its over, they are right! There are portions when the tension is so high I had to consciously stop myself from racing through to the conclusion, yet I simultaneously didn't want the book to end and wanted to savor every beautiful passage. This book deserves the praise it receives. This book sticks with you, and it changes you.