Life of Pi

Rating:
Summary: Mmmm, Pi
Review: Yann Martel's Life of Pi is like pie. On the outside all you see is the plain crust, a standard adventure story. Inside however, is what really counts, the delicious filling, a story bringing up controversial issues narrated by a brilliant character.
Martel has written two other works of fiction, Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios, published in 1993, and Self, published in 1996. Both novels received reasonably good reviews yet both sold few copies. Martel's new novel Life of Pi, however, is truly a masterpiece.
The novel is about Pi; an Indian boy who practices Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam while living at his family's zoo. As the story continues he ends up on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for 227 days and lives to tell the tale. The premise of the novel seems completely inconceivable. However, Martel tells his account in an incredibly convincing way. He does this especially through the voice of Pi.
Pi's voice is new and refreshing, but also human. He opens reader's eyes. Throughout the novel, he shares his beliefs of religion, zoos, and life. Some people might be offended by Pi practicing three different religions. Especially relating to the book's claim that it will "make you believe in God," (x). It seems potentially over zealous. Although his religious practices may seem bizarre, it makes more sense when Pi puts it as, "I just want to love God," (69). He knows what is truly important. Each religion fulfills a different requirement for him, but he still knows the basis to each. Pi makes improbable ideas like that probable. He also shows how zoos are the perfect home for animals; on page 17 he states, "In a zoo, we do for animals what we have done for ourselves with houses: we bring together in a small space what in the wild is spread out." Pi brings up things that most of us do not think of, which makes reading his fresh ideas appealing.
Unfortunately, the story does become a little unrealistic at times. Especially towards the end of the novel there are a couple of events that take place that seem completely implausible, which does take away from some of the meaning of the story for some readers. However in general the story is believable and enjoyable.
Admittedly, there is also the initial concerned about reading a Pacific Ocean survival story. That it will only include the typical elements of survival; issues with food, water, heat, insanity, and of course your standard big storm. Although these concerns are presented and are moderately dull at times, the novel is not boring as some might fear it would be. The story is still refreshing and intriguing because of Pi's voice, and the problem of a colossal tiger as a shipmate.
Pi's voice is also humorous because he is brutally honest and says what he thinks. He is very excited when he meets Americans for the first time. "They were pink, fat, friendly, very competent and sweated profusely... We got big smiles from the Americans and bone-crushing handshakes," (90). Pi had never seen Americans before, but when he is introduced to them he immediately pins down the American stereotype, yet describes it in a new way. This makes Martel's character of Pi that much more believable.
Martel also makes his novel realistic and believable by the way it is organized. The story begins with Pi in college, and then goes back to his fascinating childhood in India, and on to his adventure in the Pacific Ocean; all of this interspersed with pieces of Pi's life as an adult. Readers know Pi goes on a Pacific voyage with the company of a massive tiger and that it is an astonishing adventure. However, they also know he survives, and there is life after the adventure, and Pi's life is defiantly not the same after his Pacific voyage. By adding portions of Pi's adult life throughout the novel it makes his character real and readers become connected to Pi and his various predicaments in an unexpected way.
Overall, Life of Pi is an exceptionally enjoyable read, due to the structure of the novel, Martel's creativity, and the voice of Pi. Pi is charming, funny, and he makes readers think in a different way about different things. Anyone with an open mind will surely enjoy this fascinating read, tasty as a piece of pie.

Rating:
Summary: Accurate facts about Islam
Review: Sometimes books categorized as Others just fulfilled your craving for something new and relatively unheard of. As a Muslim I know my religion and a lot of Christianity too and I found the writer has gone to a great lenght to ensure the accuracy of the facts about Islam and Christianity.
It's hard actual to have some inter-faith talk like Pi encountered and I found it refreshing to read about what I as a Muslim perceive other religions and people from other faith perceive mine.
In Malaysia,faith and religion are very sensitive issue. We rarely talk about them openly thus preventing us from knowing and understanding each other. Life of Pi has deepened my believe in God and also how we can live a harmonious life with each other with God will

Rating:
Summary: Imagination and Truth
Review: When reading fiction it is often easy to slip into a fantasy world created by the author. It is a rare experience however, for a reader to slip into this fantasy world only to have the author turn that world upside down with "dry, yeastless factuality". In Life of Pi, Yann Martel creates an enthralling fictional environment from which readers will find it impossible to escape. In this Martel's third novel, we find a descriptive chronicle that forces us to look deep within ourselves for the meaning of truth and the importance of imagination.
Martel tells the story of a boy named Pi Patel set on a life boat in the middle of the Pacific. Pi is the son of a zookeeper and has grown up around animals, since he can remember. In Pi's mid-teens, his family is forced to pack up the zoo, including most of the animals, and move to Canada. In the midst of their journey, the cargo ship they had been traveling on sinks. When all the chaos from the accident has cleared, Pi has found himself on a lifeboat with 4 animals as companions: a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena and a Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker. As one would imagine, the tiger gradually destroys all life forms on the boat sparing only Pi. Because of these circumstances, the large majority of the story revolves around the survival of Pi, his interaction and "relationship" with Richard Parker, and their search for land.
Themes ranging from the treatment of wild animals to the place of truth and imagination within religion are woven within a mystical plot. Martel's views on religion are sure to spark the interest of believers and non-believers alike.
When we first meet Pi, he is a sweet, God-loving boy. As he grows older, he develops a keen interest in religion. Since he was born in India, Pi has grown up practicing Hinduism. However, both Christianity and Islam capture Pi's interest and by the age of 14, Pi claims to be practicing all three religions at once. This of course, comes with much disapproval from the representative religious leaders Pi sought after for knowledge and assistance. Despite the disapproval, Pi clings to the phrase, "I just want to love God". Within this short phrase lies what I believe to be Martel's ideas about religion. Martel boldly makes a statement to the religious world saying that loving God is the root of most religions, and the rest is just details. He carefully weaves the different ideologies of Pi's religions into the story through both direct statements and symbolism.
I must admit that it at times it becomes difficult to decipher symbolism from descriptive writing. I occasionally felt as though I should be looking for symbolism in a passage, yet there appeared to be none. While I was at times left confused, any suspicious passages were either explained by the following paragraphs or left to simply become part of the story
The most distinct feature of Martel's religious ideas is his focus on doubt. While most people think of doubt as negative, Martel sees it as opposite. In Pi's journey and quest for survival, he undergoes many situations in which he questions an appropriate course of action. For instance, Pi devises seven different plans on how to deal with the tiger. Ultimately, his choice to question his course of action saves his life. Through Pi, we see Martel's view that doubt is but a catalyst for stronger belief and even for imagination. Martel clearly presents and achieves this ideal, and I am left only with this conclusion: He believes that without a perfect balance of doubt and belief, a person becomes dry and uncreative.
Martel himself must have the perfect balance of doubt and belief because his writing is far from dry and uncreative. His word portraits describing the scene on the lifeboat seem to paint you into the picture. Here Martel describes Pi's first glimpse of the tiger on board: "A shiver went through my body. Between the life jackets, partially, as if through some leaves, I had my first, unambiguous, clear-headed glimpse of Richard Parker. It was his haunches I could see, and part of his back. Tawny and striped and simply enormous. He was facing the stern, lying flat on his stomach. He was still except for the breathing motion of his sides. I blinked in disbelief at how close he was. He was right there two feet below me. Between us there was nothing but a thin tarpaulin, easily got round" (p.140). Though I have never been up close with a tiger, I felt as though I was in danger. This book is saturated with moments just like the previous that pull you close to an experience none of us ever want to endure.
In 100 short, reflective chapters, Martel manages to create a surreal world that you can't help but believe in. As the plot grows seemingly more unbelievable, you will find your disbelief disappearing into thin air. By emotionally attaching us to his characters, he sets up an ending that leaves us with a seemingly perfect balance of doubt and belief. While this book may not "make you believe in God", it will challenge all readers to rediscover their belief system and will allow for thoughtful, imaginative discovery of truth.

Rating:
Summary: Life of Pi Pitches From Side to Side
Review: " [...] if a boat is pushed by a wind but held back by a sea anchor, it will turn until it offers the least resistance to the wind [...] which makes for a front-to-back pitching that
is much more comfortable than a side-to-side rolling" (169-170). Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi, can identify with a more comfortable type of pitching. He craftily uses a
structure that pitches from back-to-front, or more correctly, from past to present and back again. The story also pitches back and forth as it alternates between a first person
narrative of Pi's past and a third person account of the author's experience interviewing
Pi in the present. This contributes to greater character development and a deeper
understanding of Pi. This back and forth structure imitates certain aspects of the book, as
they alternate back-and-forth; some good, some bad.
Pi lived a happy life in India, with his brother and parents, who are zookeepers.
The family decides to move to Canada on a boat and some of the animals travel with in cages. The boat sinks, and a few of the animals, as well as Pi, end up on a lifeboat. After a long time at sea, the lifeboat washes up in Mexico, and Pi and the only animal left (a Bengal tiger) are saved.
This lifeboat that washes up is a mystery. Martel leaves much to be desired as he painfully describes what the lifeboat looks like. No matter how hard one tries, they cannot put together an accurate picture of this lifeboat. The sections of the book that describe the boat are also fairly straightforward, description in plain prose, which bores the tired eyes. Pi says: "I found one of the buoyant ropes in the locker [...] I cut four segments. I tightly lashed the four oars where they met [...] I cut four more segments of the buoyant rope and tied the lifebuoy to each side of the square. I wove the lifebuoy's rope through the lifejackets, around the oars [...]" (149-150). In these sections, the reader's faith in Martel to tell a good story wavers, as the lifeboat when it rocks back-and-forth.
As the boat pitches to the other side, one can see an excellent aspect of Martel's writing- his unique character, Pi. He is unique because he is Muslim, a Hindu, and a Christian. The back-and-forth motion of the structure truly reflects this because it seems as though he goes back and forth from one religion to the next. His brother teases him and says: "'At the rate you're going, if you go to temple on Thursday, mosque on Friday, synagogue on Saturday and church on Sunday, you only need to convert to three more religions to be on holiday for the rest of your life"' (70). Pi explores his reasons for practicing all three religions. This novel presents a fascinating view on the deeper meaning of the three religions: "' [...] All religions are true. I just want to love God [...] "' (69). Pi is so convincing that one will find themselves, perhaps unwillingly, believing in some sort of higher power.
But the boat rocks back in the other direction yet again, and one questions Martel's methods. He seems to present his strong opinions in a superior way. At times he almost states the stupidity of those who believe otherwise. He shows this quality on page 15 as he comments that: "Well-meaning but misinformed people think animals in the wild are 'happy' because they are 'free' [...] The life of the wild animal is simple, noble and meaningful, they imagine. Then it is captured by wicked men and thrown into tiny jails. Its 'happiness' is dashed [...] This is not the way it is" (15-16). One feels taken aback and slightly disturbed when this information is presented in such a superior way.
The boat rocks forward again and another clever aspect of Martel's writing, imagery, is expressed. He brings animals, characters and the ocean to life with his depictive comments. He describes the sinking of the ship: "I watched the ship as it disappeared with much burbling and belching [...] There was nothing. Only rain, marauding waves of black ocean and flotsam of tragedy" (107). Martel weaves these beautiful descriptive words throughout the rest of the story. In describing a bird, he says: "Its [a bird's] big, bulbous head had a very pointed orange-yellow beak and the red eyes behind the black mask made it look like a thief who had had a very long night" (231). The sparkling pictures that are created hang in one's mind for a long time, much like the bird described above.
The boat does not rock back this time, but stays in its place. Another excellent aspect of Martel's writing is his humor. This is especially apparent after a priest tells Pi the story of Jesus dying on the cross. Pi says:
And what a story [...] Humanity sins but it's God's son who pays the price? I tried
to imagine father saying to me, Piscine, a lion slipped into the llama pen today and
killed two llamas [...] Something must be done. I have decided that the only way
the lions can atone for their sins is if I feed you to them.
Yes, father, that would be the right and logical thing to do. Give me a moment to
wash up.
Hallelujah, my son.
Hallelujah, father.
What a downright weird story. What peculiar psychology. (53)
This questioning, humorous look at a widely accepted story draws a chuckle from the reader that stays with them until the end of the novel.
This story leaves the reader riveted, and wanting more. It is a story for the young at heart; for those who hear far-fetched tales and wish them to be true. Those searching for a deeper understanding of religion and life will find it enclosed in this tantalizing tale of truth and love.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to Believe: A Review of Life of Pi
Review: "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?" This question is one that plagues a world where realism is a necessity and the unreal is scary. The belief in such impalpable concepts as love, life, and God, is hidden within the pages of the seemingly tangible book, Life of Pi by Yahn Martel.
Piscine Molitar Patel, a young, skinny, Indian boy asked this thought provoking question after surviving a nightmare, but a nightmare tinged with love. His action packed adventure, while entertaining, examined the heart in the deepest of levels. Pi, having shortened his name as a youth because of the inaccuracies in pronunciation, was stranded in the middle of the ocean in a lifeboat: himself, a man-eating tiger, and God. Martel's exploration of religion, animal life, and ocean life in this fiction novel was one requiring much research. He structures the book as if it were a true account. Martel interviews the fictitious character Pi, and tells the story from his point of view so as "no inaccuracies or mistakes are made"
Pi narrates the story through his own voice: as an adult looking through his eyes as a child. This added literary instrument allows us as readers to step into his shoes to experience his discoveries and tragedies realistically. How, for example, could you truly understand the fierceness of the wild animals had it not come from the perception of a young and innocent child. Perhaps Martel was attempting to point out our lack, as adults, of humility in association with wild animals and their unappreciated power over us. Martel makes quite apparent the impact of certain aspects of life that we now take for granted and that many adult readers look over because of their assimilation to how mundane experiences can become.
Martel introduced Pi as a curious boy, growing up in an Indian zoo, with an insatiable hunger for God. He devotes his life to three incredibly separate religions: Christianity, Hindu, and Islam. These three religions, although very different in their beliefs, are bound by his undying love for God and his constant urge to show that love. Pi is able to use the love from those beliefs to overcome the worst enemy on the ocean: fear. His fear of the animal life, day to day hunger and thirst, and losing his will to survive constantly plague him. Yet, his love for God pulls him out of the deep swells of sadness that he experiences almost on a daily basis.
Although Martel states that Life of Pi will encourage readers to question their beliefs and even more so their faith, I found it lacked in depth in this area. Martel was well versed in the beliefs of Christianity, Hindu, and Islam, as well as Atheism and Agnosticism; however, he failed to strengthen these topics toward the end. Chapters 21 and 22 are considered the core chapters and discuss views on religion from different perspectives, yet, as Pi's story undulates into scenes of the ocean and his countless days alone at sea, a lack of God is more apparent. Martel does include instances where Pi mentions his beliefs. However, this surface description does not sink to the core of his writing.
Martel's explorations into anthropomorphism, and human and animal relationships, are all found in abundance throughout the novel. He gives human characteristics to the animals, describing the death of one of Pi's shipmates as "her eyes expressed fear in such a humanlike way, as did her strained whimpers" (131). This emotional bond that Martel creates, is one that enforces a lasting and emotional relationship with most of the animal characters of the book. In fact, an entire chapter is devoted to a conversation with one of the animals on board.
Throughout most of the novel, Martel presents a one sided view on topics such as the value of zoos in animals' lives. His stance, or Pi's stance, is that zoo's are havens for wildlife and the only reason tragedies or attempts of escape occur is because the animal experienced some abnormal change in the environment. Pi uncovers a world where animals are happy and healthy if environmental circumstances remain stoic. He succeeds in opening our eyes to the harsh judgments of an animal's worth in our world. This common mistake is pointed out in the gruesome explanations of animal strength, page 36-38, superiority, the hierarchy on the lifeboat at the beginning of Pi's horrific journey, and in a huge twist at the end that leaves you almost feeling sick to your stomach. Although some might not enjoy his constant preaching on animal rights, this information is useful to fully understand the novel and come away with some sense of humility.
Personally, I very much enjoyed Pi's adventure throughout the lonesome sea. I began reading the book expecting an entertaining and surface read. The novel was entertaining but also introduced questions that I had never considered being an intricate part of the story. Martel drew together all of the issues of Pi's life and journey and created a final chapter that grabbed at all the connections you created with the characters and broke those links. It was truly a well-written ending with a very unexpected and worthy twist.
Martel's seemingly harmless and entertaining story of a young Indian boy stranded in the ocean could be geared to a young audience. The animals and basis of the surface story provide excellent entertainment for all audiences. Yet, Life of Pi includes deep and personal sections that encourage readers, who have the ability to see past the painted picture and the surface story, to question their beliefs on love, life, and most importantly God. This well written novel introduces concepts that only more mature readers can fathom or simply believe.

Rating:
Summary: Unyeasted factuality
Review: Isn't that a wonderful phrase? That is cold hard science unleavened by life and imagination. At the end of a great tale (I love the beginning as well), we are given two versions of the castaway's tale. The first is about a castaway Indian boy and his animal companions in a lifeboat. The second is the "factual" story about humans behaving without humanity. I pick the first story choice, the whimsical mystical one. When you are given a choice to pick which version is "true" you forget that both are fiction, and very masterful fiction!

I don't want to spill the beans for you if you haven't read it, but the description of the weird island is so bizarre, you almost believe it! What a creative author!

Rating:
Summary: I Just Want to Believe
Review: Were you ever made fun of as a child? Did anyone ever make fun of your name? Does your name sound like pissing? Welcome to the young life of Piscine Molitor Patel, the character so craftily created by Yann Martel in the book Life of Pi. Piscine is a young boy growing up on a zoo in India. He faces the normal teenage struggles of religion and self worth. Piscine, who changes his social name to Pi, struggles through 227 days in the Pacific Ocean on a boat with four animals after the ship his family and zoo animals were traveling on sunk. Yann uses Pi, clever structure, religion, and belief to convey his underlying message in this work of fiction.
Martel uses an interesting structure for this well engineered piece of fiction. He inserts certain chapters written in italics. These chapters contain his thoughts on his 'interviews' with Pi. The personal insights not only give the reader a sense of reality, but also give the reader another perspective on Pi's first person narrative. Early in the novel, in an italicized chapter, the author writes, "'Dad! The writer's here'[Pi's son speaking]... 'That was your son?' I ask, incredulous. 'Yes.' To acknowledge the fact brings a smile to his lips." The short meetings with the Pi of the present allow the reader to not only appreciate that Pi is a normal, healthy family man, but also force the reader to personally connect with the character.
Pi, while a young, innocent, teenage boy, practices three religions. He believes, 'The presence of God is the finest of rewards.' Pi just wants to worship God in any way he possibly can. He says, '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." Pi asks, "If there's only one nation in the sky, shouldn't all passports be valid for it?" According to one character, this book is supposed to make you believe in God. Throughout the journey, Pi is tested again and again. It may not make convert you into a faith, but it sure will make you believe in something. There has to be hope, luck, and miracles to allow a young cunning boy to overcome a tiger, storms, an estranged man, and a cannibalistic island.
Chapters 21 and 22 are supposedly the core of the novel. These chapters insist that it is better to believe in something than be undecided. In chapter 22 Yann writes,
"I can well imagine an atheist's last words: "White, white! L-L-Love! My God!"-and the deathbed leap of faith. Whereas the agnostic, if he stays true to his reasonable self, if he stays beholden to dry, yeast-less factuality, mighty try and explain the warm light bathing him by saying, "Possibly a f-f-falling oxygenation of the b-b-brain," and, to the very end, lack imagination and miss the better story."
Yann finishes the novel with a second disturbing yet brilliant account of the journey using human characters. Pi asks the non-trusting interviewers, 'Which is the better story, the story with animals or the story without animals?' Martel's account of the second story backs up his primary purpose proposed in Chapter 22. Both stories are factually true, but which one is better? Has more imagination? The one who believes is the one who will live the more rewarding, yet dangerous life with the tigers and meerkats.
The second, short, chilling description of the journey throws the reader off guard. It is a gory, alarming account of a story that follows the facts. Which one is true? Martel puts the reader on the spot. The reader, like the interviewers, must immediately choose the story he or she believes. If not, the reader is left like the agnostic, not knowing and wondering. Martel forces the reader into a tough situation that I myself found particularly troublesome.
Life of Pi is a crafty piece of fiction that erupts like a tiger in a bad situation. In Skating to Antarctica, Jenny Diski writes, "There are infinite ways of telling the truth, including fiction, and infinite way of evading the truth, including non-fiction" (229). Martel creates truth out of fiction. This book, through the touching characters, the first person narratives, and the witty writer interviewee interjections creates meaning and connectability for the reader that only truth can achieve. This piece is considered fiction, but may actually need to be put in a genre all by itself: true fiction.
Martel's earlier work, as he claims in his note from the author, was an utter failure. He claims it left critics wondering and that readers disregarded it. His earlier works Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios and Self focused on man's interpersonal struggles with relationships, creation, and the human experience ("Yann..."). These works of fiction made the reader want to interact with the characters just as in Life of Pi. Martel's earlier themes of interpersonal struggle continue in Life of Pi, but he focuses mainly on the journey to believe.
I am normally only an enthusiast of non-fiction books that I can relate the characters' experiences. This book made me realize the pleasures of fiction and placed a new soft spot in me for Martel's intense, but tactful writing. I would recommend this book to all ages. It can provide just an action packed adventure for leisure reading or it can provide insight for any human wanting to believe.
As Pi says, "Only fear can defeat life." So go read Life of Pi and never stop believing in something.

Rating:
Summary: What is truth?
Review: Yann Martel creates a wonderful and memorable novel in a thought provoking and interesting manner in Life of Pi. Readers of Life of Pi will begin their own journey of life discovery and self-questioning, while following the characters' journeys at the same time, through reading Life of Pi.
The readers' journey begins with an introduction to the main character, Piscine Molitor Patel, and Piscine's story develops throughout the rest of Life of Pi. One of the most interesting developments in Life of Pi occurs through the growth and construction of Piscine's nickname, Pi. Pi is only a young boy when he steps into the world of strength and independence through demanding that he be called Pi. As he explains, he wants to be called, "Pi Patel. For good measure I added p=3.14" (23). The development of Pi's name is crucial to understanding the power and creativity of his character.
Martel further develops Pi's character through the introduction of religion into Pi's life. Pi continues to demand independence and individuality contrary to his parents' wishes. Pi is a combination of Christian, Muslim, and Hindu. Many people challenge Pi's decision to enter a unique path of spiritual development. As Pi says after religious leaders challenge his decision, "I just want to love God." (69) Many young men of sixteen would not be able to demand that they will worship in their own ways. It is very inspirational to think that a young man could be at ease with himself and know himself well enough to step into a distinctive world of religious practices.
Pi's journey continues as he travels with his family across the Pacific Ocean. His family is very important to the development of Pi's character because they that root Pi's expedition of self-realization. Pi's father is a zoo owner and he helps to teach Pi to respect but still fear the animals that they live with. Pi realizes the importance of his father's lessons about respecting animals after the family's boat sinks and he becomes stranded on a lifeboat after his family's ship sinks as they are crossing the Pacific Ocean. Pi is not marooned alone on this lifeboat, but his adventures continue when he realizes that he has animal companions.
Not only are the human characters in Life of Pi developed in great detail, but Martel also creates animal characters that are equal in the amount of detail. The most developed of all the animal is the Bengal tiger that Pi shares the lifeboat with for 227 days. The tiger has a very human name, Richard Parker, and possesses an aura of strength and mystery. Richard Parker serves as a source of strength for Pi because he has something to live for. Pi says that, "It was Richard Parker who calmed me down." (162) Animals only add to the sense of mystery that encompasses Life of Pi.
Intimate connections are made with the characters and I can almost feel myself rooting on Pi and Richard Parker in their journeys across the ocean. Pi becomes more than a fictional character, he becomes a friend. You share with his joys and despair with his tragedies. As Pi says, "I was stiff, sore and exhausted, barely grateful to be alive still." (159) Pi's aches and tortures are felt because the readers have sympathy for his character.
Martel has created a real winner in Life of Pi. A fictional world becomes reality in the reader's imagination because of Martel's very detailed descriptions of all of the characters. The settings are created in grave detail and it is as if one can see Pi's world
through our own eyes. Detailed descriptions allow the readers to understand the despair and desolation of Pi's surroundings, thus revealing more about his character. Martel's language is not too complex even though it is so detailed. Dialogue, descriptions, and little glimpses of Pi's future life are all intertwined in Life of Pi and add to the enjoyment of the story.
Martel begins Life of Pi with Pi's questioning of his name and religion and it ends with the readers questioning the truth of this amazing novel. Martel creates a twist at the end of Life of Pi that left me questioning reality, truth, and humanity. The twist adds controversy to the novel because I felt as if I was left hanging and I had no closure to Life of Pi. Some readers may find the twist frustrating, but many find that it adds mystery to the story. Life of Pi explores heavy issues, such as religion and humanity, in a very non-confrontational manner that allows the readers to formulate their own opinions on these issues. Martel does not present this information in a way that would cause the readers to feel that they have to validate their own personal beliefs against a fictional character's.
Martel creates another world in this novel that the readers will find themselves enchanted and captured with. Because of the light format and language used in this novel, anyone could find Life of Pi both very enjoyable and easy to read. Life of Pi is a true page turner; I found myself reading page after page and not realizing how much time I had spent reading. Life of Pi is a wonderful novel to read in a book group because it sparks debate and questioning of issues and oneself. Any group, class, or individual will come away from Life of Pi with a questioning and intrigued opinion of this book.
Martel deserves only praise for his intricate and wonderful novel that intertwines a young boy's journeys with those of the readers. Kudos to Martel for creating a world of fantasy that becomes a reality in the reader's imagination. I would rate this book a strong
"A" and say that it has little room for improvement. I would recommend that all people jump into the journey with Pi, his family, and the animals and enter into your own pilgrimage of revelation. Enjoy Life of Pi and all of its wonders

Rating:
Summary: Life of Pi
Review: After Pi reads the survival manual aboard his lifeboat he states, "Only one important topic was not addressed: the establishing of alpha-omega relationships with major lifeboat pests" (168). And so begins the story of Pi, in Life of Pi, a teenaged boy who finds himself stranded at sea with limited supplies and a 450-pound tiger who goes by the name of Richard Parker. Yann Martel creates a carefully crafted story and invites readers along on the journey of this tale not soon to be forgotten.

Pi is a curious individual, and through his attempt to find religion, he finds three. As a follower of Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam, Pi finds himself justifying his decision to be a member of each. "I just want to love God!" he exclaims (69). This shows the compassionate nature of Pi right from the start.
Growing up as the son of a zookeeper in Pondicherry, India, Pi gains an extensive knowledge of many of the world's wild animals. He learns at a young age that the animals, especially tigers, pose a threat to humans. Pi's father wants to teach his sons a lesson, and tells them that, "Tigers are very dangerous... I want you to understand that you are never- under any circumstances- to touch a tiger, pet a tiger, to put your hands through the bars of a cage, even to get close to a cage" (34). When Pi is on the lifeboat with only Richard Parker, it is interesting to watch the ways in which he attempts to deal with the situation.
This story is told by Martel through Pi's voice, and allows Martel to take readers through Pi's past and his journey at sea, weaving in pieces from Pi's life after the shipwreck. This structure makes the novel feel more non-fiction-like, as Martel states in the Author's Note, "It seemed natural that Mr. Patel's story should be told mostly in the first person- in his voice and through his eyes. But any inaccuracies or mistakes are mine" (XII). Although the story is completely fictional, the framework gives the readers a sense of reality.
While Martel may have had many intentions in writing this book, one that seems to stick out is that it is "a story that will make you believe in God" (X). It seems a little excessive to throw something so heavy at readers before the novel even begins. Pi's voyage is most definitely inspiring, but Martel's claim puts pressure on readers from the beginning that this book has a powerful message- when the message itself appears to be enough. Martel trying to convince readers of this from the start can create feelings of skepticism for some.
The feeling of belief may become more stable through reading this story, but it does not seem strong enough to make a believer out of a non-believer. Pi continues his religious journey during his sea journey, practicing his three religions of choice. Pi never actually chooses one religion, which is an aspect of the novel that seems to lack the necessary closure. The issue of religion seems to be left up in the air for the readers to form their own thoughts about.
Martel's voice offers readers humor and hope throughout the novel. The story starts out lighthearted, with Pi explaining his nickname. Pi was born Piscine Molitor Patel, named after a pool. After much embarrassing confusion, he decides to shorten his name to just Pi, explaining that, "in that Greek letter that looks like a shack with a conjugated tin roof, in that elusive, irrational number with which scientists try to understand the universe, I found refuge" (24). This type of writing that keeps readers entertained.
Once Pi's adventure begins, readers may expect the optimistic tone to lose steam, but many passages are still laugh-out-loud funny, even though Pi is stranded and in despair. His writing contains some gruesome depictions of the tiger's treatment of the other animals, but it is hard to skip over. It makes the story appear more real, with situations that could potentially happen if one found himself in the middle of the ocean.
This novel provides readers with a pleasurable experience and they may find themselves really caring about Pi. Pi gets so close to the readers that even the most outrageous things he says readers will still want to regard as truth. Martel uses this close relationship to his advantage and plays with the reader's compliance to trust the events. When Pi finds himself explaining his experience to people, they do not easily accept what he says. As a reader who was there with Pi during every moment of his journey, one may find herself frustrated with these nonbelievers that Pi encounters.
Fans of a wide-range of genres are sure to enjoy Life of Pi. It is fiction, but it reads like non-fiction, and draws readers from both ends of the spectrum. Pi's journey will catch the attention of those looking for adventure, and the writing will keep them reading with fervor until the very last page. This thought-provoking novel reads fairly quickly, and the twist at the end will make readers want to read it all over again.

Rating:
Summary: Life of Pi
Review: I began reading Life of Pi while sleeping at a friend's house. I picked it up shortly before bed, thinking I would read a few pages, and, if it was good, I would ask to borrow it in the morning. Little did I know what I was getting myself into.

The novel begins with a man telling the author that he has a story "which will make you believe in God." This is a tall order to fill, and I think it was this promise that kept me reading past the book's initial slowness. By the time I finished Life of Pi, it was 3:00am and I was blown away by the depth of what I had just read. As many reviewers have said, the book leaves the reader with a choice of which reality to believe, and I stayed up the rest of the night pondering the ending.

The book had promised to "make you believe in God." Here, and only here, was I dissapointed. I felt no different about God at the end of the book. What I did feel differently about was religion and the way different people interpreted God. But religion is not God, and the book fell painfully short of its promise.

But PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, don't let that stop you from reading the book. It is a little slow to start off, as the narrator relates the early childhood of Pi. While this was mildly entertaining, I found myself wanting to skip ahead to "the good stuff."

The "good stuff," in this case, is what I would call Act 2 of the book. Long story short, Pi's family is moving to Canada, their boat sinks, Pi ends up on a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific with a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra, and a full-grown Royal Bengal tiger. Soon all the animals have killed one another off, with the exception of Pi and Richard Parker, the tiger. This sets the stage for "the good stuff:" the story of Pi's survival.

Yann Martel's style is fresh and engaging. His use of language and sentence structure is very modern, and occasionally doesn't quite fit together. But overall it is very stylishly written. Some have complained that the book is too violent. There are graphic descriptions of killings, feedings, and the rot that follows. Yes, the book is violent, but so is life. Anyone who was expecting a story of this caliber without violence was expecting a Disney version of life, a version which is, frankly, untrue. But the book stays true to reality (or as close as possible) even as it ventures into the absurd.
This book was excellent. It turned out to be my favorite kind of book: the one you can read over and over. Buy a hardcover copy, becuase it will get plenty of use.

SPOILER ALERT!!!
There are two stories we can believe at the end of this book: the one with the tiger and the one without. Personally, I chose to believe the one with the tiger, and I'll tell you why. First of all, Pi has to think before he can tell the non-tiger story. It seemed to me that he was making up a story that would please the two Japanese men, and not one that was truthful. But I think that I also chose to believe the tiger story because it's more beautiful, it's more engaging, and because I loved Richard Parker. It seemed a shame to erase him from existence. But, as it has been said, the choice is up to the reader, and it is a wonderful novel either way.