Life of Pi

Rating:
Summary: Simply excellent!
Review: This book is a study into what it is to be human and the motions it goes through are natural and effortless. With storytelling at this high a quality one can not help but be completely drawn in and surrender themselves to the story. This book is wise as it is original and I can honestly say that reading it will change you. I congratulate Martel on such a wonderful read and the thoughts it provoked in my mind. A good book makes us look at life in a new perspective and I can say with complete confidence that Life of Pi exceeds in this respect and then some. Once it has drawn you in there is honestly no returning. There are such fresh insights and wisdom to be found in this book and a universal quality that has it destined to become a classic. It's a strange and wonderful read deserving of the booker prize and I'm sure anybody can and will enjoy it. Also recommended: [e-mail] by Tom Grimes, The Losers' Club by Richard Perez

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely tedious, painful, awful.
Review: I cannot believe the accolades this book received. I forced myself to finish reading it because it was for my book group. With all the captivating books yet to be read, I am sorry I wasted even a moment reading this one. If I could have given it zero stars I would have.

Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: This is a deep tale, one that will inspire a lot of thought after it's done. The "twist" ending is so powerful I found myself wanting to immediately re-read the entire story (with a sense of some grief) to see what clues I'd missed the first time through. It was only after a bit of discussion with friends who'd also read the book that the meaning of the story became clear to me. Martel may be boasting a little when he says his story will make one believe in God, but he's not that far off the mark.

This is ultimately a story whose perceived meaning depends a great deal on the spiritual outlook of the reader. Without spoiling (I hope) the hook of the novel, the protagonist Pi eventually reveals two possible explanations for the events he's outlined in the story. One is beautiful, almost magical, and requires an astounding leap of faith to believe. The other is ugly, cynical and all too believeable from a modern standpoint. The "true" tale isn't definitively identified by the author, which leaves it up to the reader to decide which really happened. It's through this dichotomy that Martel reveals his ideas on spiritualism.

"So it is with God," says Pi on the last page. And in this phrase is explained what religion means to him. Religion gives us a beautiful view of the world, one where there is meaning and brotherhood, but one which often contains stories and themes we modern secularists find absurd and archaic, but which somewhere in our souls we desperately want to believe, even as the rational parts of our minds scream "no way!" Competing with Pi's God is the world view of the agnostic, which states that any explanation other than that which happens due to the base and ugly motives we see around us every day can't possibly be true. The story Pi tells over 95% of the narrative requires a huge amount of faith to believe. The alternative explanation is dark and depressing, but more "realistic" to the rationalist in all of us.

Which story really happened? It says a great deal about the reader's view of spirituality and religion as to how he/she answers that question. Faith can't be dissected.

Even if you discount the philosophical aspects of the story, it works just fine as an adventure tale. Agnostic folks interested in survival yarns, and atheists who crave stories full of animal husbandry will still find much to love here.

It's a great gimmick, one I'm sure lots of writers are kicking themselves for not thinking of. Credit Martel for doing it with such style and fun.

Rating:
Summary: My Experiences While Reading
Review: I'm a college student at Boston College, and I boast not, but I've read massively and variously. I am also Hindu from Nepal, but not really locked into one religion, as I find so much good in all. I was told about this book by a good friend of mine, and started into it around 6 pm. Two and a half hour later, I emerged with not only a good and enjoyable sense of the book, but deeper understanding into myself and the things and people around me. The concise definition of Hinduism is one of the best I've ever read, and Martel shows a deep knowledge of the culture in that area, as well as the food. The author most likely wrote the story as an allegory, very akin to William Golding in Lord of the Flies among others, and it's phenomenal to say the least. This book takes a good knowledge of working with animals, rudimentary survival skills, a great understanding of nature and a spellbinding story to show you one of the best reads in years.

I highly recommend this book, not for the average schmoe, but for someone who is interested in looking for Truth. There is much here in The Life of Pi.

Rating:
Summary: A Modern-Day Parable¿Great for Discussion
Review: This book was recommended by so many friends it became vital that I read it. And just before I reached the end, I figured out why. First of all, it's well written and creative-a story like none other I've read or imagined. But it took me a while to get into it. I set it down again and again. As friends kept asking, "did you finish?" I felt it more of an assignment than a reading pleasure, and sometimes, readers like me just need an assignment. So, I plowed through.

I was not disappointed.

In the Life of Pi there is a tremendous amount of detail-some seems excessive-but some paints beautiful portraits and draws such complex and fascinating characters, that I feel it (the book) deserves all the recognition it has received. The author must be applauded on his ability to tell the story with an incredible amount of knowledge-of religions, zoology and the life of a castaway. It's fun to discuss and to hear the opinions of other readers, especially to find out whether or not they delved the meaning(s) (or any meanings) of the young boy's tall tale.

I definitely recommend this book, and will look into other works by this talented writer.

Submitted by the author of "I'm Living Your Dream Life," McKenna Publishing.

Rating:
Summary: A Wondeful, Inventive Read!
Review: The story was not what I had expected. The story line grew nicely, but the almost continuous diversions to religious discussions were increasingly disappointing me. I persisted and finally about halfway through t he book did I begin to recognize the story line. Now that I am well into Pi's ongoing survival at sea with a Bengal tiger, I feel my mind splitting into two parts. One part remembers all this serious stuff about zoos and religions and another part is amazed how this little kid is able to survive on an open raft made of oars and life jackets in the middle of the ocean week after week. This sounds like fantasy. But the more I read it, the more I got into it. It appears that the intent of the book is to carry the reader through some wonderful and strange story, unbelievable and possibly true. As a reader, you're just never sure and that is what holds you glued to the pages. In the second of last chapter, the reader becomes part of the book in the form of two investigators who question Pi and the authenticity of his story. They don't believe what he says and Pi "invents" what is a more "plausible" accounting of how Pi spent 227 days as a castaway. Yet this too doesn't convince them.

It seems that the Life of Pi is a culmination and the story of the Life of People. Our journey through life is filled with wonderful and dangerous events, death, fear and pain, yet it is difficult to convince ourselves, even with religion, that what we have is truly what we need to survive - however little and odd that may be. It's a wonderful book, which I recommend heartily! Two other novels I enjoyed from Amazon -- [e-mail] by Tom Grimes, The Losers Club by Richard Perez.

Rating:
Summary: Stream of Flowing Water
Review: That was exactly how I felt once I finished reading this book. Started with a curious child story finding the meaning of life, reminded myself that I once was practising Buddhism and Christianity at the same time.

Nicely crafted piece of work, with 'Pi' as a castaway, reminded me how strong human courage and spirit can be.

Nicely twisted piece of work, with animals as his companions in the lifeboat, ended with clever replica of the story with human companions, leaves you pondering which one is true, flipping through the book cover, wondering if it's based on true story or fiction.

Rating:
Summary: Deep Thoughts!
Review: Here is a boy who finds dissatisfaction with his life, changing a name which was an embarrassment to him, and seeking out religion, only to find dissatisfaction there too when the three clergymen starting arguing with one another. His adventure was a catharsis for him, and as the characters in the boat were dealt with, the uncertainties and disappointments of his life were dealt with too, basically in a positive manner. Great ending. It put the entire book into a healthy, rational perspective. And a page turner too . . .

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Fiction
Review: Read this in my wine...er..book club. All the women enjoyed it but it got some mixed reviews. Everyone agreed hands down that the first 100 pages were a chore. My advise is get through those pages because once that ship goes down it's an amazing tale. Many in the group were wondering where fact left off and fiction began. All I'll say is - that was kind of the point. This book at its heart is about the love of story telling. It's a great book to read and an even better book to discuss with your friends.

Rating:
Summary: Life of Pi did not live up to my expectations
Review: The plot of the Life of Pi has much potential for an exciting novel. Unfortunately, it is a laborious read, except for portions where the author just writes the story without any tangents and unnecessary stream of consciousness episodes that serve no purpose. There is too much telling of irrelevant details and thoughts and too little showing the reader entertaining action. The action that does occur in the book is intriguing--the ship sinking, Pi and some animals in the lifeboat, their subsequent interactions, and his quest for survival. There is a plethora of opportunity here to better captivate the reader, but the writer attempts to stimulate us with droll talk of religion and mundane information.

The book ends with attempts at profundities but just left me wondering what it was all about. I think I have a decent sense for spiritually significant writing, but I did not catch any meaningful insights from this book. Maybe I missed it.

I think there are some real inconsistencies with the main character Pi. I know this is a story of a child being told by the child as an adult, but Pi is like a small child in one scene and next thing you know he is lecturing about religious ideas. He is familiar with the nature of animals from growing up in a zoo, but then he weeps over a fish he has to kill to eat.

The interaction with the tiger and the other animals was entertaining and imaginative and may make the book worth reading--there just isn't enough of it and it tends to become filled with minutia rather than action.

The high expectations generated by the introductory chapters never came full circle.

You might enjoy this book, but it is one I was disappointed with throughout as my expectations were let down.