Rating: 
Summary: good but has weak points
Review: Martel has a great story telling voice, you can hear him telling his tale as though in your and not his characters living room. However, although he can tell a great tale Martel also needs to stick to the tale rather than wax on the greatness of his annoying religion. This is not a tale to "make one believe in god", it is a tale for people who need to justify why they cannot accept the world for what it really is.Some reviewers claim that those who don't like this book simply don't "get it", I would counter that the reverse is true... It is a good book, but far from a great book. Philosophically the argument that it is better to believe in a fantasy than in reality will only appeal to those that think in this manner, and be intellectually offensive to those that do not. It will not be making anyone believe in god that does not already do so.
Rating: 
Summary: Beware of Richard Parker
Review: Whether or not The Life of Pi is a story that will make you believe in God, as one character in the novel asserts, this outstanding novel will make you believe that it IS possible to survive in a lifeboat with a Bengal Tiger for 227 days. Incredibly moving, simulataneously absurd and sad, yet never lacking in credibility, this is a novel that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it. The Life of Pi is one of the best books that I have read in quite some time.
Rating: 
Summary: A fantastic fable
Review: When I finished this novel, I let out a blissful sigh. It had all the ingredients of an enjoyable novel for me - animal psychology and behaviour (I'm a behavioural neuroscientist, my everyday colleagues are rats), questioning of ethics in animal welfare, and an exploration of religion (I'm an atheist). The manner in which Martel propels us through this fable is reminiscent of Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince. This fantastic tale is essentially a tragedy but like Saint-Exupery, Martel manages to intrigue and charm us into staying for the explosive finale of Pi's unusual journey. This novel is refreshing because of its subtle and well-executed humour that is neither showy or foreseen. Pi's perception of the world at the beginning, and his discussions of animal psychology (territoriality, survival) and religion lays a wonderful foundation for the final exposition about humanity. Pi's mental wrestle with Richard Parker and the interactions between the surviving animals after the storm is fascinating in the initial reading and even more intriguing in retrospect after you have completed this novel. I wish there were two ratings. For Enjoyability, I would give Martel 5 stars. This novel is entertaining and endearing from start to finish. I burst out laughing several times throughout the novel. Its charm makes Pi's heartbreaking journey more profound at the end. As for Complexity and Memorability, I have only given Martel 3 stars. The metaphors in this novel felt heavy-handed at times and Pi was never a believable character. There were times when I felt moved by his journey but the premise never felt entirely real. However, I recommend it on the basis that 1) Martel makes reading fun; and 2) writing a charming novel that is also well received by the critical circles takes more skill than you think and Life of Pi is a refreshing change from tedious but critically-acclaimed novels.
Rating:
Summary: Oh, what a guy, the floating young Pi
Review: I'm not sure I was as amazed by this book as other people have reported to have been, but I was quite delighted with it all the same. Enchanted, actually. It had everything I look for in a good story - amazing characters, rivoting plot, good sense and a well-balanced point of view. You can imagine, I am often disappointed. Not this time. One thing, though; the ending. I'm still not sure I got it. I did learn one giant lesson from this story - I will never get in a lifeboat with a hyena. OR a french chef, unless it's Julia. She's not as spry as she used to be, I could definitely take her.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Story of Survival
Review: I found this book to be loosely similar to the movie Cast Away and the book The Old Man and the Sea; add an Indian boy, his bengal tiger, and other miscellaneous animals. Having enjoyed both of those books for their symbolism and also for their general story lines, I very much liked Life of Pi too. I picked up this book for a change of pace from my usual reads, and aside from the previously made parallels, I got what I hoped for. This is a tale of adventure and survival that forces the reader to keep turning the pages to learn how Pi gets through another day at sea. On his way to Canada from India with his family and animals from his father's zoo, the ship Pi os on sinks, and he is the sole survivor. Pi finds himself in a life boat with some intimidating life boat mates from the zoo. I particularly enjoyed the complex relationship between Pi and Richard Parker, a Bengal Tiger, and I was touched by the way they were ultimately separated. The ending of this book is also compelling as Pi tries to tell his story to two men who want nothing more than to learn how the ship Pi started out on sank. Disbelieving of Pi's story despite his survival after 227 days at sea, Pi offers them alternative realities. All that really matters is the young man's resilience and the human will to survive. The only part of this book that moved slowly for me was the beginning. Although religion can play into this story if the reader chooses for it to, I found part one to be disjointed and unnecessary. While it seemed important to the author to establish Pi's belief in several religions, most of it didn't seem entirely essential to the rest of the story. If I were to read it again, I might skip most of the beginning entirely. This is a book I would recommend for a unique, fast paced adventure at sea. It is beautifully written and highly entertaining. It also makes you think differently about the complexities of the world, and about the every day conveniences we've come to take for granted.
Rating:
Summary: A journey from Innocence to Experience
Review: Yann Martel takes the reader on a journey from innocence to experience symbolised by William Blake's "The Little Black Boy" from Songs of Innocence and "Tyger" from Songs of Experience.
Rating:
Summary: good read
Review: original voice, gripping tale, a wise and wonderful book
Rating:
Summary: A Gem
Review: This is a simple story of how Pi survived a shipwreck and spent many days on a lifeboat with a tiger. Sounds interesting? Yes it is. Yann Martel had created a simple story which made me beg for more. It is one of the tales that kept you wanting to know what was going to happen next and made me feel sad when the story ended. You will marvel at the adventures that Pi had at sea; how he trained the tiger, how he found food for both of them and a most interesting stopover at a little island with lots of algae. Just where did Pi end up? Read on.
Rating:
Summary: best book of the year
Review: The most interestingly different and good book that I read all year, and I've read eveything good this year! It would be hard to find a book with better writing , more magic, and such a good story as this.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Magic
Review: The book is all that and more. I have never read anything so satisfying. If you are a book lover do yourself a favor and give yourself a gift.
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