Life of Pi
by Yann Martel on September 2001
This book has had a lot of hype over the years, and also a movie released based on it, so I figured it was about time that I got around to reading it. The story is a survivor, adventure, drama, and fantasy (but not like Dungeons and Dragons fantasy...). It is also a higher level of reading kind of book, so I would suggest it to those who are at least in their teen years if not a little older.
The storyline follows Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel. It is broken into three main sections. The first part is Part One - Toronto and Pondicherry which just gives background information on Pi, and randomly talks about sloths for quite some time; both the three-toed and two-toed variety if you are curious. The second section is Part Two - The Pacific Ocean which isn't until page 95. This is where the story truly begins and you finally get to see Pi on the boat and then on the lifeboat. The last section is Part Three - Benito Juarez Infirmary, Tomatlan, Mexico which tells the ending to Pi's adventure across the Pacific Ocean.
The story was a rather dry read to me, especially in the beginning. It didn't help that there is a jumpiness to the way it reads. Certain parts of the book feel out of place or unnecessary, but they do hint at Pi's life after the ocean. There were also sections that were simply described and played off of known imagery, like when he describes the ocean below and compares it to a busy city. Then there are other sections that are too descriptive and hard to follow, like when he explains the boat's water filtration devices (I still have no clue what they look like). I was pleased with how all action scenes were describe, because I was never left confused by them; not only that, I had a sense of what was going on and how the character felt about the situation.
My favorite parts of the story was the battle (or more arguement) between the three religious leaders, because it felt so realistic. There is also a moment where Pi goes a bit delirious, and I loved every moment of it because it was so gripping. It was the only time that I felt I couldn't stop reading.
My least favorite part is the amount of unanswered questions. I like everything to be wrapped up at the end of books regardless if it ends happy or sad. There is no answer given to what happened to make the ship sink or how animals got loose on it. There is also not a specific answer to how Pi moved on from his experience. Hints are dropped every now and again, but nothing specific. The smell of cumin reminds him of the ocean after the wreck, but that's about all I have that's concrete. Another weird event is when two investigators come to talk to Pi about the ship wreck. It left me wondering what was or wasn't true about the story I had read. There is just a grey area for me as to which parts of the journey were real and which parts weren't.
I started the book on November 23rd and finished it on December 26th. It's definitely a book that is easy to set down and come back to; many of the chapters are short so it's great for those who don't have a lot of time to devote to reading everyday. This isn't a book that I loved, but I can respect it for its style of writing (basically, it's not my cup or tea!). It is a book that does make you think about philosophical stuff though. Overall, I would have been alright with never having read the book. I have yet to have watched the movie but will do so soon to compare the two.
Where you can find this book (and movie IMDB):
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