Rating: 
Summary: Overated novel
Review: This book is fine, but it is really overated. I expected a lot of philosophical musings intertwined with a good story, but I got a decent story and bare-bones philosophy. This book is not bad, but it's not great either. It is a quick read; it should only take you a few days. Also, it is not worth buying, but just get it at a library or something.
Rating: 
Summary: what a nightmare
Review: though i've already reviewed this book once, i think it deserves more than its fair share of ridicule. so yeah, i haven't changed my mind. it's still as bad as ever. sometimes i'll be taking a shower, and parts of the book will pop into my head for no reason, causing me to vomit and scratch my skin off like an addict in rehab. not a pleasant experience let me tell you. after this entire ordeal, i don't think illiteracy is such a bad thing as it is made out to be, that is, if it shields one from the tortuous prose of an artless poser like martel. so my advice to those who never learned to read is this: reading's overrated, so you are thereby free of the literary charlatanism running rampant in the world today, martel being one such offender. therefore, consider yourself blessed.
Rating:
Summary: Is it possible to get negative stars?
Review: Sometimes an author has to purge his putrid thoughts on paper to justify his existence. The tree consumed printing this vile book was wasted. To those of you who actually liked this book; I feel more sorry for you than the disturbed author. After this agonizing experience, I may never read a piece of fiction again. The only reason I finished reading this book was because I was amazed at how bad it was...similar to that of driving by a traffic accident. I am hoping to get Mr. Martels address in an effort to receive a refund.
Rating: 
Summary: A touching tale
Review: A touching and amusing tale of Pi and Richard Parker, who happens to be a tiger, together, the only survivors of sinking ship. Pi is a boy who loves God and zoology, and he has to use his wits to survive being in a lifeboat with a tiger. Wonderful story.
Rating:
Summary: Graphic Imagery and it aint nice either
Review: The first 1/3 of the book had me interested, but by the end I was so appalled and affected by the graphic imagery of the killings that occurred in the story, all of which soured and tainted the entire experience for me. If you enjoy blood and guts described in graphic detail for more than 150 pages, you will enjoy this book. This book, as the character Pi says... sinks to the lowest level of human savagery". Don't waste your money on this book, if you're dying to read it, check it out for free at the library, it aint worth the paper it's printed on, Mr Martel.
Rating:
Summary: I Loved it
Review: Read it. That is all I have to say
Rating:
Summary: A Single Caveat for a Brilliant Book
Review: Since Life of Pi won the Booker prize and has received rave reviews almost everywhere, I didn't see much point in posting a review. But I just spoke with someone else who finished it and her experience was much different than mine, so I thought I should at least offer a few words on the difference in our perspectives.It's hard to say anything interesting about Life of Pi without giving away the ending, because so much rides on the last 20 pages or so. In fact, until that point, my fellow reader and I are in complete agreement. Pi is touching, funny, and beautifully written. It's a fantastical journey, yet it still manages to offer real-world insights into philosophy, religion, and the human ability to cope with unspeakable tragedy. It's both a great story and a demonstration of the incredible (and perhaps healing?) power of a great story. We both thought the book was great until the last 20 pages, at which point it became one of the best books I've read in some time and one of the most frustrating and disappointing that she has ever read. I was moved to tears (in public, on an airplane of all places) by a twist that made the book much more profound, though admittedly heartbreaking. This same twist left my friend feeling betrayed by the author. In her words, it was just too "unbearably sad." Ultimately, I stand by my recommendation. But I do understand the opposing point of view, so I'll add this caveat: be prepared by the ending, which will force you to reevaluate the entire book with a new perspective. You're bound to have a strong emotional reaction, which may make the book better for you or may make it worse, so proceed at your own risk.
Rating: 
Summary: I liked it... but only for the castaway survival tale
Review: As an atheist who finds belief in the existence of a god ridiculous, non-historical religious references in literature usually turn me off. This book is filled with such references. However, the practical backbone of the book, the tale of castaway survival is so strong that it THANKFULLY overpowers any religious preaching and teaching that would have sapped my will to continue reading. If you are familiar with the Veggie Tales franchise... this is similar in feel. You can watch and be genuinely entertained by Veggies Tales while brushing off the religious "education" without too much trouble. Certainly, the main character often recites what he believes are religious truths without any care as to whether the reader shares the same beliefs, but these instances can be absorbed without too much resulting distaste. Any religious pondering by the main character is of the "extremely typical" variety... essentially praising a god for anything good that happens and then safely ignoring religious connections whenever things go bad. The book only really becomes entertaining after the sinking. The narrative prior to that is mostly a lengthy, dull set-up occasionally pockmarked by interesting situations.
Rating:
Summary: no alternative
Review: I am surprised that I haven't found a reviewer shared what I saw from the book.
If there is a message in this book makes it extrornidary and inspiring, it is that the belief in God is what makes us human beings and others animals. Of course every one of us has the animal instinct - technically we are animals, on a different level. Religion(s)don't make us superior but it makes us survive more intelligently.
There is no alternative in the ending. The tiger is the animal in Pi. It is his survival instinct. Yet it is the human Pi made the right decisions at the right moments to keep them both alive till rescued. While some people complain that religious people are hypocrits, look at the two Japanese who interviewed Pi at the end of the book. To them the story with the tiger is not believable yet between that one and the reality (the French cook killed the sailor and the mother and was killed by Pi) they chose the unbelivabel. They are intelligent enough to recognize Pi is the tiger yet they can't accept the crulty of us, human beings. This is an outstanding book and not just another Robinson Cruso because it digs deep in our self-seeking and we triumphed because we have faith and beliefs.
Rating: 
Summary: Doesn't live up to the hype, yet it's very imaginative.
Review: I think Life of Pi accomplishes what it sets out to by evoking in the reader the dread, frustration, and, ultimetely, the boredom the narrator experienced while, fictionally speaking, living through his ordeal. But just because the books succeeds as a work of art in evoking its intended emotions in its readers doesn't mean that it's a great book. There are a lot of gaps in the book - the book begins with the chapters alternating perspectives between the author in the present interviewing the now mature Pi Patel and Pi's story in first person. As the story progresses, the author's perspective is abandoned entirely and is never returned to. I found it difficult to suspend my disbelief long enough to actually appreciate the fiction as possibly real - though it was highly imaginative and extremely well-reasoned. The explanation Martel gives us for surviving and ultimately training a tiger on life boat is certainly persuasive. And, finally, I'm not sure how or where in the book, exactly, I was supposed to find inspiration enough to feel a vigorous, revitalized connection with God. The problem with over-hyped books like Life of Pi is exactly that: they're over-hyped and set expectations that are difficult to meet. In the end, my expectations weren't met; but judging the work on it's merits alone, I wasn't impressed either.
|
