Life of Pi

Rating:
Summary: Writing wrongs
Review: I'd heard only good about this book before I picked it up, and it sounded like the kind of story I might really enjoy. As a result, I was surprised to find, about twenty or thirty pages in, that I was already disappointed. It wasn't simply that I didn't enjoy the book-there's always that risk-but I was struck by how poorly written it is. There's no accounting for taste, but bad writing is bad writing no matter how you look at it. I half wonder if I'm missing something, as I wouldn't presume to have a sharper sense of style than the Booker committee. Doubts aside, I might as well own my response to it: I thought the writing was sloppy and weighed down by effort, I found the whimsical mood of the story pretentious, and I felt disengaged from the characters and the plot.

It's essential always to tell the truth when you write, the more so when you're writing fiction. Not to do so is a sign of dishonesty, or at least sloppiness. In Martel's case, I think it's mostly sloppiness. Some examples: "I must say a word about fear" (p. 178: must you, or do you just feel it would fit nicely into the narrative at this point?) "[L]ike all younger brothers, I would suffer from following in the footsteps of a popular older sibling" (p. 23: not all younger brothers have popular older siblings: sometimes older siblings are unpopular.) "The shield was heavier than I would have liked, but do soldiers ever get to choose their ordnance?" (p. 228: yes, sometimes they do.) There are also numerous instances where the narrator uses the second person to explain life in the middle of the ocean aboard a lifeboat shared with a Royal Bengal tiger. He is describing fantastically unique experiences: they are not something "you" find yourself doing.

These may seem like quibbling points, but they indicate a general sloppiness of style that pervades the book. I suspect Martel is trying much too hard to make his writing flashy. He tends to rely on short, abrupt sentences, far too many of which begin with conjunctions. There are lots of one-sentence paragraphs. He often introduces new story elements by dropping them in suddenly and then stepping back to introduce them. For example, chapter 42 opens: "She came floating on an island of bananas in a halo of light, as lovely as the Virgin Mary," (p. 123), and we only learn half a page later who "she" is (an orang-utan.) Abrupt sentences, abrupt paragraphs, sentences beginning with conjunctions, dramatic chapter openings, and the like can all indeed be effective devices. The trouble in this book is that Martel uses them so frequently that they cease to have any effect at all, except perhaps to serve as a constant reminder of the writer behind the writing, thus distracting us from the writing itself. Martel is not Brecht: the effort and the artifice are visible by a failure to conceal them, not out of stylistic choice.

At points, it seems Martel is almost aware that his writing is slapdash, and that he revels in it. He likes to play on clichés. We are told that a fish in the boat is "flopping about like a fish out of water" (p. 200), that when eating, the tiger "took the lion's share" (p. 249), or that, after seeing a bolt of lightning strike only a few feet away, the narrator was "thunderstruck" (p. 258). I think these lines are supposed to be cute, but given that they're in a novel that's markedly short on truly captivating descriptions, they come off as cop-outs. Similarly with lines like, "[m]y feelings can perhaps be imagined, but they can hardly be described" (p. 157), or "[i]t seems impossible to imagine that there was a time when I looked upon a live sea turtle as a ten-course meal of great delicacy" (p. 235). In both of these examples, the narrator then goes on to attempt to describe or help us imagine the confessedly impossible, so that these lines read as a kind of apology for the mediocre descriptions that follow.

Perhaps the most egregious moment occurs in the "author's note" at the beginning, where one of the characters tells us that the story that follows "will make you believe in God" (p. viii). The narrator replies, "that's a tall order," and he's right. You can't drop a line like that in the introduction to your book unless you're pretty sure you can come close to fulfilling it. This book doesn't come close, and it hardly even seems to make the effort. I find that insulting in a book that shows evidence of effort to a fault, but only in the direction of wowing us with jazzy writing.

A friend of mine says there are two kinds of Canadian writers: the ones who try really hard to be hated and the ones who try really hard to be loved (Mordecai Richler vs. Dennis Bock.) I haven't read enough Canadian fiction to comment on this claim, but Yann Martel is certainly trying much too hard to be loved, to the point that it hurts his writing. Everything from the snappy style to the whimsy of the magic realism is so crying out to be loved that I couldn't get lost in the novel. It's a shame, because I think it could have been a really good novel, and I give it two stars instead of just one because it's not quite as bad as I've made it out to be. In particular, I found the ending surprising and quite moving, though even that is marred by dialogue between two Japanese interrogators that's clearly aiming for laughs but never succeeds in being more than faintly funny. In the end, this novel is too much about the writing of Martel and not enough about the life of Pi.

Rating:
Summary: It has stayed with me
Review: This magical book is one that has stayed with me long after I finished it. I was sorry when I reached the final page because I didn't want it to end. I love the way Martel uses language - simple, but profound and powerful. It necessitated reading slowly, and re-reading to savour it's simple complexity. "I know zoos are no longer in people's good graces. Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both."

Martel leads us into the fantastic, rendering it believable. Of course there is a tiger named Richard Parker. Of course one can live on a life raft with this dangerous creature. Of course a person can be a Hindu, Christian and Muslim at the same time. He spins his yarn into credibility - we want it to be a true story. We want it to be believed at the end.

Like a simmering pot of stew cooked all cold, dreary day, this gem was a feast to the senses and to the intellect, on many different levels with many different textures. I haven't enjoyed a book this much for quite some time.

Rating:
Summary: Bravo
Review: Selene, A reviewer
excellent story line and imagination capturer. I found myself engulfed in the pages unable to do anything else but read on. This is a mixture of Fiction with a taste of Non Fiction flare to it.

Also recommended: Nightmares Echo,Tuesdays with Morrie

Rating:
Summary: A great read!
Review: A great read!

I truly enjoyed reading this It's a rarity these days to find an author capable of such good storytelling. The story is well written and very engaging, and despite the fact that it lost some momentum in the middle, I found myself eagerly turning pages to find out what would happen next. All in all, though this is not quite a perfect novel, it comes close.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!
Review: One of the most original novels to date. Must read!!

Rating:
Summary: The Tedious Life of Pi
Review: "The Life of Pi" is 3/4ths good, and it must be that 3/4ths that has people so excited. The story is well outlined above. Pi is trapped at sea in a lifeboat filled with a number of animals, some of whom are devoured by the largest of them all, a Bengal Tiger. Journey and conclusion unfold with no haste. The book is a delight, though sometimes a gory one, until the author, and his characters, hit the doldrums, at which point I experienced the doldrums as well. If the author's point is to let us feel the near unbearable passage of time adrift at sea, he does so, but at the expense of the entire story.

With that I have to cast another minority vote as to the overall worth of "The Life of Pi," and assign three stars at best.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable read for some, a reason to vent for others.
Review: It is amazing how Amazon and book clubs in general can get people reading, and can be a reason to loathe an author or story for some. Pompus intellectuals beware; and others should be wary of book-report-like reviews that will ruin the reading experience. This is a fictional book, by definition there should be some supsending of disbelief. Warning: This book will not find or prove the existence of God for you. Oh, and if you are a vegan with sensititives toward any discussion of meat-eating, you probably should not read this. But, enough. What does this book do....

It is an entertaining read, that gives you a twist (for some unexpected, others not) which can make looking back over the story inherently thought-provoking. Philosophical discussions and "meaning of life" debates can be had by something that is accessible to all classes and literary backgrounds. We don't have to be pondering Plato or Descartes to find examples and discussion points on man's existence and the possibilities of religion.

This is what Martel gives us. Not the most deep commentary on man and god, but very enjoyable. Dare I say, given some of the gore, light-hearted. Anyone who reads this and cannot find intriguing twists, interpretations and commentaries is either really obtuse or so belligerent toward the author that they find it beneath them. This can be a Philo 101 discussion of man's nature, but that is not so bad.

I found it an entertaining, quick read that will leave the reader thinking back on the story. It is interesting to learn how others looked back and reinterpreted the story. And, though simplistic on theme at times, I think many will be amazed at all of the points in the story where a deeper meaning can be found.

Rating:
Summary: Tall tale with heart
Review: Part Job, part Gulliver, part Robinson Crusoe, but always uniquely himself, Pi Patel embodies the tenacity of the human spirit. Like Job, he suffers terribly and questions God, but ultimately retains his faith. Like Gulliver, he is carried over unknown waters and discovers a mysterious island. Like Crusoe, he uses his wits to survive. The tiger, Richard Parker, is a wonderful companion, both mortal threat and a catalyst for strategies that help preserve Pi's life. As an avatar of fortune, Richard Parker is difficult and unpredictable, but capable of being accommodated, often complacent, and, ultimately, a necessary companion - as well as a fiercely beautiful one. Pi's encyclopedic knowledge of zoology and animal behavior are fascinating and his arguments in favor of zoos are eloquent. His willingness to be graphic about the necessity of killing is both essential for the story and admirable for a sensitive vegetarian. Despite these realities, the story has a lightness of tone that, along with periodic humor, keeps it afloat much as the lifeboat sustains Pi and Richard Parker. At times the narrative moves in a rather perfunctory manner from one incident to another, and for such an intelligent narrator, the writing style occasionally flags ("The flash of lightning was incredibly vivid.") Perhaps the struggle to stay alive is best served by plain language. I also wanted more theological speculation, more of Pi's inner life during his long ordeal, in addition to the abundance of well-described acts and events. And the blind encounter with a second lifeboat strains the credulity otherwise so well maintained. Despite its flaws, Life of Pi is a moving, imaginative novel. It won't change your life, as some have claimed, but it's well worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: Good book club read
Review: Yann Martel's "Life of Pi" is quirky and appealing. This is a great book club read.

Fern Reiss, author, "The Publishing Game: Bestseller in 30 Days"

Rating:
Summary: Modern Day Noah?
Review: When 16 year old Piscine finds himself in a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific, with a zebra, orangatan, hyena, and a Bengal tiger, he has to use his wits to survive. When his ordeal finally ends, 277 days later, he has to use his wits to return to society. 'The Life of Pi' is a compelling, complex, theological, thoroughly enjoyable book that will leave the reader sifting through it's many levels for a long time after finishing it. I think the interpretations of what this book really meant will be as varied as the readers. This book certainly outperformed all it's expectations for me. 5 Stars!