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Summary: for a true critical reading of this great book, you must...
Review: this book is fabulous. evocative, lyrical, beautifully written. it raises all the big questions about religion, but more importantly for me, about fiction and memory.you can not truly have a critical reading of this book without a key piece of knowledge. Richard Parker is not a name that Yann Martel chose carelessly. He is, in fact, a real person. He is the subject of a classic law case study from 19th century Britain involving 3 men who resort to cannibalism aboard a lifeboat. Read the case and then re-think the book. You might change your mind.
Rating:
Summary: A great read!
Review: A recommendation at an airport bookstore along with the paragraph on the book's back caused me to purchase this book. I absolutely devoured the book as Pi devoured any edible substance on his journey. Delightful to read yet deep enough to say it is not fluff! I recommend highly and am passing along to 4 people at work that want to read this fun and enlightening summer novel.
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Summary: masterful...
Review: By any standard, such a masterful telling that it simply renders inconsequential any naive or preconceived notions of "belief" or "disbelief" save for their willing suspension upon entering the circle of wonder. Pi indeed. This man can write and he without fear trods down the taboos and trespasses the zones of any number of those great unthoughts and unsaids that are the bane of contemporary letters. As if thought no longer could move with love or questions with wonder and trust. This is not a sea story though it takes place at sea. This is a living, fearless riposte to the central dogma. It's the finest, most unnervingly alive fiction I've read in the last ten years. The voice is all. If you could actually love a story between two covers, this might be one. Read it.
Rating: 
Summary: pointless from a non-spiritual perspective
Review: This review will probably only apply to you if you, like me, are very content and assured that God does not exist. If you belive in, or even give some credence theories of spirituality, no doubt you will be completlely enraptured by this book. But if you share my feelings as a 'devout' atheist...this is your warning in regards to "Life of Pi" Upon glossing over many glowing reviews of this book I eagerly read it, trying to keep an open mind. I thought that perhaps, at best, this book would help explain to me how so many people belived in the unseen.....it did not. This book was deflatingly bad right off the bat. I could not relate at all to Pi's struggles to identify with a religious group. This is because the book did a poor and cursory job of explaining WHY he belived in God at all. It was taken as a given that everyone does, and that Pi was just searching for the right version. Also, unless you are interested in zoology, there are about 10 pages that are mindnumbingly boring and almost unrealated to the rest of the book. 2 1/2 of the 3 stars I gave this book came from the survival story, which is the bulk of the novel. It is well written and I thought well-paced. It is like many other survival stories written ("Hatchet" came to mind though it's been awhile) but none the less...it's good reading. It would be unfair to divulge the end, but suffice to say it's interesting, but I would not describe it as profound. Anyone reading this book who has the slightest notion of science at all will not be overly surprised by the ending, which many more religious people have described as stunning and poignant. Without that aspect it seems like a fable with no moral...something missing at the end. For this book to work, you have to be spiritual, and read one extra level into it. If you don't belive in that sort of thing, it's just a good survival read, with a terrible beginning.
Rating:
Summary: Great on any level
Review: Forget Religion. Forget Philosophy. Yes, this book has all of that and it is absolutely fascinating. But even on the simplest level, this is a truly enjoyable read for its humor, its characters and imaginativeness.
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Summary: Great book club pick!
Review: Life of Pi is imaginative, refreshing,and well written, with an off-the-wall story line that somehow holds together. A marvelous book for discussion for ages 12 to adult. My adult book club is reading it now and loving it. Topics include comparative religion, family life, the will to live, coping with extreme adversity, the relationship between humans and animals -- all explored with warmth, humor, intellect, and imagination. Enjoy!
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Summary: A Book For Thought
Review: Usually when reading a book I devour it! Completely! Within hours! With Life of Pi I found myself reading a few chapters and then putting it down -- not because it wasn't good, quite the opposite! It was because the book was SO good I needed time to reflect on what I had read. Life of Pi isn't one of those "fluff" novels ... it promotes thinking. I finished the book a few days ago and I STILL can't get it off my mind. Admittedly, as mentioned in the above reviews, there are a few areas that read a little slow; however, I don't believe that is a reflection of the work itself ... perhaps the parts that read slow for me are due to a lack of prior knowledge or interest. This novel does provide a lot of food for thought ... from the idea of zoos, to biology, to religion, to the instinct of survival. Overall, top marks for Martel's book! P.S. At the end of the novel "book talk" questions have been added. Excellent for book clubs or even personal reflections.
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Summary: Great Story - sad it's over - will read it again!
Review: What an interesting book! A story of spiritual development, physical survival and spiritual survival. Very interesting insights into zoology, hierarchy of beasts and the spirituality of man. Not just another "lost at sea" story but one that probes towards each of our "lost souls" within our own spiritual adventures. The story within the story within the story structure was done very well and was refreshing rather than confusing or contrived and was effective in its attempt to support the "factual" within the fiction. Although certainly not difficult reading, this book is worth re-reading a couple times to fully capture the parallels in Pi Patel's physical and spiritual survival. The writer did a wonderful job balancing these heavy metaphysical concepts. Pi being the magical numeric foundation of all circles is but one of perhaps many very interesting themes just below the surface of this great novel. I highly recommend that you bring this into your own circle of experience. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: A smart, worthwhile book
Review: My reading experience of this book was rather mixed. The first part of the book was beautifully written, humorous and poignantly sensitive when discussing religion. During the middle 125 pages I alternated between repulsion at the savagery and utter boredom. Then the last part of the book truly turned my mind upside down. I literally found myself turning back and rereading those "unbearably boring" parts. The book resonated in a way that did not cause me to reevaluate my beliefs, but instead to examine how I came to those beliefs. Not an entirely pleasant read, but a profound, worthwhile book.
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Summary: One of the greatest stories ever told . . . truly
Review: This riveting and inspiring tale will fill your heart and make your spirit soar. (No apology for the cliches.) I don't know if LIFE OF PI will make one believe in God, but it shows a way to hope for humanity. You know the old question, if you could meet anyone who ever existed, who would it be? I have my answer: Pi Patel. What an extraordinary man. Such strength, spirit and love. This magical book is one of the few I plan to read every few years; I expect to find new depths of wisdom and joy with every reading. The ending is pinpoint perfect. My words are inadequate. Just read it!
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