Rating: 
Summary: Unbelievably Believable!
Review: I read this book in a single day and immediately began reading it over again! This is truly a wondrous, grown-up fairytale; something to keep you thinking after the lights go out, if you can possibly force yourself to put it down long enough! I loved the details--they were bright, colorful, and soulful. The story itself is highly engaging and constantly testing the boundaries of factual fiction and fictional fact. The wonderful writing, the lovely characters, the amazing story of survival and struggle--I was convinced this was nonfiction. I found myself on Google searching for Tsimtsum and other brilliantly researched facts. I wish I had thought of this first!
Rating:
Summary: Simply one of the best books I have ever read....
Review: A completely unbelievable story that is so believable I Googled it halfway through to find out more about Pi... An incredible read! Every person I have loaned my copy to has also said it is one of the best books they have ever read. Martel is a true genius. And the ending... well, don't want to spoil anything, but the book changes from a charming well written story, to an incredible metaphor with a blockbuster ending that leaves you breathless!
Rating: 
Summary: Not My Kind of Book
Review: This is a coming-of-age story. Pi realizes that in order to survive in the world he must overcome his own demon (represented by the tiger) and get control over himself. He must learn when to assert himself and when to yield, etc. Some passages are beautifully written but they are not enough to compensate for the gore and violence in the other parts of the story. I am disappointed that this is such a popular book.
Rating:
Summary: Ad Nauseum - Literally
Review: I have not even finished this book and do not intend to. Having read up to the point where the reader must endure descriptions of suffering animals in minute detail, I decided that there is no message that the book could possibly deliver that would make me want to continue on. I am reading The Life of Pi for a book club and normally finish the selection whether it speaks to me or not. I waded through the beginning chapters with the author's rambling views of various religions to discover his "deep" philosophical point that all religions - gasp, never thought of THAT before - are rooted in the same love of God and are sometimes characterized by the same small-minded prejudices. I skimmed through the dull descriptions of Pi's Canadian family life. But when I reached the lifeboat I gave up. There was nothing in the early chapters that gave me hope that if I continued reading I would gain anything other than a growing nausea. I am completely puzzled by the adulation this book has received. If you want blood and guts, rent Men in Black - at least it's entertaining. If you want a gripping tale of survival, there are countless others that are better. If you do want to try the book, borrow it from the library. At least you will not have wasted your own money.
Rating: 
Summary: Funny, Smart, and Magical
Review: By now you probably know the story. Pi, on his way with his family from India to Canada, finds himself the lone survivor of a shipwreck, save an assortment of zoo animals who also manage to find refuge in Pi's lifeboat. Soon, through the violence of nature, only Pi and Richard Parker, a Bengal Tiger, survive. "Life of Pi" reads like fable, myth, and allegory combined, with an ecological morality tale thrown in. It is really fun to read, and the whole ridiculous situation is at times hysterical. Pi's attempts to tame the tiger provide some of the best scenes. Martel can be a bit heavy-handed at times, but never enough so to draw away from the pure pleasure of this book. The ending leaves more questions than it does answers. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The Sea, God, and Time
Review: This is an amazingly well written book that takes the reader on a life or death voyage with the main character Pi. This is a combination of Survivor and Gulliver's Travels; equal parts realistic survival guide and fantasy. The descriptive imagery and details make you feel the pain and suffering of a young man trapped in a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific. Yann Martel weaves this tale with 100 chapters that capture the reader in a visual world of blue seas, violent acts, and deep philosophy. The essential story is when Pi gets trapped in a lifeboat with an adult tiger and is forced to try to survive the daily necessities that we think are trivial. You will feel life in every success of Pi and agony in his defeats. Martel probes deep into the mind and spirit of Pi and the essence that it takes to keep your sanity when forced too such extremes. This novel is a great read and envelops you in another world. The last pages are addictive and like any great book leaves you with an ending to think about. Any aspiring writer should read this to experience Martel unique and excellent writing style.
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Summary: A wonderful book that no one should pass up!
Review: This is a great read for anyone. It's not tedious at all, but don't let the simplicity fool you. Along the same vein as other novels like "Sophie's World," or "The Alchemist," this book is inspiring and thought-provoking.
Rating: 
Summary: As self-inflated as a life raft; my needle of doubt...
Review: What kept me reading this novel was not the anticipation of a faith altering fable, because if that were solely the pay off, I would have felt sorely cheated. The religious meanderings of Martel in the opening chapters read like simplified, homey Herman Hesse (a budding boating bildungsroman), and the lack of focus in the first 80 or 90 pages seemed to me a reflection of Martel's struggle to create a sense of place and authenticity. He is familiar with Pondicherry and Hinduism in his own way, yet they don't seem to know him very well. Martel purports to tell the story of the "real" Pi in italicized interjections to undermine the narrator's authority so as to give power to the fablesque aspects of the narrative and perhaps justify the poorly written first third of the book, however, those sections could have easily been dropped and none would be the wiser. Such a "clever" device proves to be quite the cop out as well, as it also permits Martel to write the most saccharine, self-indulgent, self-congratulatory ending without taking responsibility for it. To be honest, what kept me reading is my prior knowledge that the book had won the Booker prize, and I was determined to discover how and why. The book does take off to be a cute adventure tale when the open sea proves to be a less obstructive backdrop for Martel to tell his story of Pi. The details of daily life on the raft I found compelling reading, being a big sucker for survival stories. The spiritual musings, however, came across as philosophy-lite which probably led to much of its popularity (i.e. speedy read). I supppose if I were inclined toward the school of utopian spirituality (if the pan-religious sprinklings were discarded and the word "Jesus" thrown in a few times, I wouldn't have been surprised to find this book on the shelf at the local Christian bookshop), I would have paused and hmmmm'ed, but I can't say that I did. I guess I lack faith. It was a simple and entertaining tale that drowned in its own self-importance. How it captured the Booker prize, to reside alongside truly great and thought provoking novels (where religion and survival prove to be far more complicated than a simple question of "faith") such as Rushdie's "Midnight's Children" and Golding's "Rites of Passage" (which also takes place on the open sea, and in comparison makes "Life of Pi" read like Dr. Seuss), baffles me. It just goes to prove that the big book awards have turned into nothing more than popularity contests.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read
Review: Life of Pi was a fascinating read, one that worked on many levels. The story was believable enough to keep you on the edge and fantastic enough to keep you turning the pages. I will be surprised if it doesn't win the Booker Prize, though I'm not sure this one is destined to be one of the all-time classics. It gives the reader a lot to think about, much like the movie or storyline from "Castaway". It keeps the reader wondering how they themselves could and would react if pushed to the absolute limits like Pi in this story. I find myself recalling scenes and situations from the book and it certainly does have that haunting quality. You'll find this one on a lot of book-club lists for the simple reason that it actually does a reasonably good job of living up to the hype it gets.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, makes you think
Review: This book starts out a little slow, going into details that aren't necessarily needed. I thought more could have been put into the end of the book as opposed to the beginning. It seems like much of the religious importance from the beginning was lost after the shipwreck, while mentioned it wasn't given a lot of attention. The detail in this book is amazing, the author paints an amazingly clear picture of everything going on around him. The end leaves you thinking with its twist. I don't think the book altered my faith in God like it said it would, but it was definitely worth reading and hard to put down.
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