Rating: 
Summary: Thumbs UP! - Give it a Shot!
Review: Life of Pi by Yann Martel is a very difficult book to classify. It's one of those books that is what you make of it. If you're a religious person, it's likely you'll read religion into much of the story. Looking for an adventure tale? Pi fits the bill. Want an analogy on the difficulty of life and the importance of having hope? Yep, you can get that, too. Are you wondering how one book can offer such different interpretations? Well, I'll try to explain, but the only true way to understand is to read this book for yourself. Also recommended: Deliverance by James Dickey, The Losers' Club by Richard Perez
Rating:
Summary: Creative
Review: amazingly creative and a fantastic story line make for an excellent read. I was in its capture.
I also want to recommend a couple of books: Nightmares Echo and Secret Life of Bees also excellent books.
Rating:
Summary: Solitude can educate a person
Review: Why go to a zoo? What's the point of knowing about animal behavior? Is there an answer to man's link with animals within the concept of a zoo? What about religion-is it (hu)man's destiny to conceive a higher power? And if so, which religion is right?
This may be a lot to think about but that's about what you can expect when reading this insightful novel by Yann Martel. He had a great idea that intertwines the existence of man and the search for that which created us, with the world of animals; all through the eyes of a teenage boy from India named Pi (if you don't know how to pronounce his name, read the book and you'll never forget!). At any rate, Life of Pi is a fantastic journey of solitude and interaction with animals that will make you question things you thought you'd never consider before, then make you answer them.
Rating: 
Summary: "The only thing you have fear is fear itself."
Review: Franklin Roosevelt stirred the American people to support his
New Deal programs with these words, and Pi says essentially the same thing early in his journey on a lifeboat with a man-eating tiger. I loved the way he conquered his fears and used his knowledge of animal-training to survive. I also enjoyed his brief explanation of his ecumenical religious beliefs. I enjoyed the book until he landed on the island. The fantasies he encountered there and the interview at the end of the book seemed out of place. His explanation of his trip seemed to call into question the story we had read in the first part of the book. Which was true? Perhaps the author is saying that reality is hard to maintain under such conditions. I guess I am too much of a realist to enjoy such an uncertain ending.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This was an excellent story, with an interesting plot. The beginning is a bit slow, but once you get to the second part of the book, it's hard to put down.
Rating:
Summary: Great literature that's also entertaining!
Review: I never expected to get sucked into this novel like I did, but I'm certainly glad that I read the reviews on this site and gave this book a shot! Life of Pi is by far the best book I've read all year -- and the type of book I'll certainly read again! Beautifully written and substantial while being incredibly entertaining. This book is a rarity! Other recommended titles are Lovely Bones by Sebold, The Losers' Club by Richard Perez
Rating:
Summary: Help Yourself
Review: I was surprised to have found this book among quite a few other goodies piled in a box on the side of the road that said "Help Yourself" since I had heard its name mentioned so much and the copy was so new. I was even more surprised to see that the book had been awarded the Booker Award. I asked myself a few times on the way home: why was this book thrown out? The story is of Piscine Molitor Patel (aka Pi) and the beginnings of his life up to the point where he gets stranded on a lifeboat with a 450 lb Bengal Tiger (and not much else) during his boat ride over to Canada. If anyone tries to tell you more about the plot, don't listen to them; that's all you need to know, and anymore is just giving away the story. I didn't even know that much about it when I started it and I enjoyed the book all the more for it. (So why am I telling you?... I don't know... ) Absolutely bathed in religion (religions actually; Christianity, Muslim and Hindu), this is a good story told by a good story teller. I found it neither too deep nor too light, and virtually impossible to put down at times. Having recently studied Muslim and Hinduism in school, I found the references intriguing, beautiful and incredibly relevant to his journey across the Ocean. Check Yourwords dot ca for more about this review. I don't recommend books to people, since there's no point (you can't guess someone else's tastes, you can just tell them if you liked it or not) but I can say with a great deal of certainty that no one would regret buying this book: the story is too well written and too uncontroversial to regret. What I can say is this: Good story, well written, enjoyable, suspenseful at times, boring at times, but overall a really good book. It's left me thinking of a few things, trying to figure them out, but not too much; it's not an engaging or challenging novel, if that's what one is looking for. If that isn't what you want though, then it's probably perfect for you.
Rating:
Summary: talk about symbolism!
Review: What an outstanding read! It is necessary to read more than once - first literally and then symbolically. The more you read it the more you will see in it. The story is smooth and funny, serious and appalling. The writing is a pleasure to read. If you want more out of your books than fluff, this is the book for you. It should be used in classrooms - a great teaching tool for student writers.
Rating:
Summary: Alternative Truths Borne of the Threat of Death
Review: Fateful moments and the decisions of others propel us toward unexpected futures: Pi tells a story--which may or may not be true--of a journey across the Pacific ocean in which his only companions were wild animals spilled into the ocean with him. Woven into his story are the unusual experiences of his childhood in India, descriptions of his family, and episodes of confrontation with three major religions of the world.
In the end, we are left to negotiate with Pi the state of his mind, the solidness of our own personal truths, and the effects that violence and tragedy have upon everyone's lives. Be advised that you should be prepared for the surprise that Yann Martel delivers!
Rating:
Summary: Funny!
Review: I was intrigued by the description - boy adrift at sea with zoo animals, that and the fact that most folks seemed to like it - so I bought it. It starts slowly - and then picks up speed when the survival-at-sea story begins. I expected an interesting tale - I didn't expect to be laughing out loud in spots. The character Pi's bulleted lists of tips for surviving at sea with a large wild animal aboard are a scream (that and I loved the tiger's name). I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it to anyone.
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