Rating: 
Summary: Masterful!
Review: Yann Martel has created a masterful work of fiction in "Life of Pi". 'Pi' Patel is the young son of a Zookeeper in Pondicherry, a French settlement in the south of India. His imaginative antics save him from the torments of his classmates and make for quite an interesting story. Pi is inquisitive, and soon decides to investigate Christianity and Islam, although he is raised in a Hindu family. This leads to enlightening discussions of the three religions, and some very funny events.My favorite part of the book was the information on training animals. I learned a ton from Pi's stories about the animals in his father's zoo, and the ways they were tamed. The only criticism I have is for the story of his adventures with the animals on the boat, which I felt was too long and detailed, but toward the end it is evident why the author put so much detail into the story. The ending is delightful, and completely changed my rating from 4 stars to 5. A word to the wise - the second half drags a bit, but the ending will make it worth slogging through all the extra words. Don't miss this book - I can only imagine all the prizes it will win!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent
Review: Life of Pi was an gripping tale of a small boy on a quest for faith. Lots of moments were you even question your self on your faith. But anyway,Pi and his family set off on a move from India to Canada. Along the way the ship they set sail on sinks. Everyone is lost but Pi and four animals from Pi's fathers zoo. Alone they set sail on the life raft. From there we get a gripping tail of survial and faith as Pi yearns to survive what should be certain death. Some graphic details of animal life and a twist in the ending with two alternative endings which will leave you in deep thoughts and horror and faith. A fantastic book. Martell has a certain wit in some of his writing that even made me laugh out loud.
Rating:
Summary: You CAN judge this book by its cover
Review: Yann Martel's "Life of Pi" is one of the most accessible novels I have found in a long time. On the surface, Pi is a light read with short chapters that are easy to handle for those of us who like to read in small spurts and reflect on it for awhile. But don't let its light and playful nature fool you. When we zoom out, we realize that there are some very significant themes to deal with, and that there are a number of rather serious messages behind this off the wall story of a boy trapped on a boat with a Bengal tiger. Without knowing what to expect, I found the beginning of this book to contain some of the most profound statements I've uncovered on the subject of religion. Martel's character becomes so obsessed with the traits and customs of Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity that he finds it nearly impossible to choose one over the other two. As hilarity ensues, the reader comes to realize that the differences between these religions are really more subtle than we first thought. It is his curiosity that sets up Pi Patel as the peculiar character he becomes. Besides its religious component, Martel's book serves as a commentary on zoos. The author fills his readers with a wealth of interesting animal and zoo facts while refraining from sounding like a textbook. The zoo becomes another classy source of humor in the narrative, but Martel is still able to draw us back to thinking about real-life issues. It is Pi's father's position as a zookeeper that causes Pi to be marooned on a small lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a small entourage of animals, including a large tiger that causes Pi a great deal of concern. Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with a moderate quantity of provisions, but discovers that he is sharing his living space with a dangerous tiger. It is at this point where Martel steers the novel in the direction of survival. Not only must Pi survive at sea amidst lack of nourishment, loneliness and exposure, but he must survive in the company of a tiger that could finish him off with no trouble at all. Martel still manages to put a humorous spin on the concept of survival, without going over the top. We have in Life of Pi a book dealing with survival, religions, and animals and zoos. More contrasting topics there never were, but Martel does a remarkable job in weaving all of these loose ends together to form a novel that reads more like a conversation. This plot, however incredible, is actually quite easy to follow, and is a great novel to discuss in group. Yann Martel makes it clearly understood to us that we read fiction to fuel our imaginations, and that a little bit of fiction in our factual world is most essential.
Rating:
Summary: Masterful!
Review: Yann Martel has created a masterful work of fiction in "Life of Pi". 'Pi' Patel is the young son of a Zookeeper in Pondicherry, a French settlement in the south of India. His imaginative antics save him from the torments of his classmates and make for quite an interesting story. Pi is inquisitive, and soon decides to investigate Christianity and Islam, although he is raised in a Hindu family. This leads to enlightening discussions of the three religions, and some very funny events. My favorite part of the book was the information on training animals. I learned a ton from Pi's stories about the animals in his father's zoo, and the ways they were tamed. The only criticism I have is for the story of his adventures with the animals on the boat, which I felt was too long and detailed, but toward the end it is evident why the author put so much detail into the story. The ending is delightful, and completely changed my rating from 4 stars to 5. A word to the wise - the second half drags a bit, but the ending will make it worth slogging through all the extra words. Don't miss this book - I can only imagine all the prizes it will win!
Rating:
Summary: Really unusual
Review: This has to be one of the most unusual books ever to come out. It's a hybrid, really, of styles and ideas, blending fiction, fable, fantasy, and thought-provoking ideas all into one great read. The story alone--that of Pi adrift with ultimately nothing more than a 400-something-pound tiger (named Richard Parker, no less)and his wits--would be enough to keep anyone entertained, but Martel adds the element of religion, survival, and "ideas" into this mix and the result is a powerful pulling-through of the story. Not since McCrae's "Bark of the Dogwood" has there been anything this different.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not that good
Review: This book was enjoyable enough, but toward the end of Pi's adventures at sea, I lost my ability to suspend my disbelief. The story simply became too fantastical. It seemed the ending was rushed, and the twist at the end didn't do a thing for me. Overall, though, it was a decent enough novel - a good, light read.
Rating:
Summary: Good Middleschool Read
Review: I believe reviews stretching a bit to say that this is some sort of quest for God. I purchased this book partially based on that hype. I may not have been so dissapointed if the concept of spirituality had been omitted in reviews and summaries. Apart from a short stint in the beginning, in which the main character tried to become a member of multiple religions (not for any great reasons), this book has little to do with spirituality, in the usual sense. This is an adventure story. Some interesting things are learned about animal behavior. If the reader does not mind a great deal of brutal gore(sort of an antithesis of spirituality, in my opinion), then it can be very entertaining. I found it a quick, easy, read; and would recommend it to those who enjoy adventures. I would not recommend it for those on any sort os spiritual quest.
Rating:
Summary: AJ
Review: Just finished this book and no need to comment on the story as Its been praised plenty in the other 900 reviews. I do have one thing to say though. You could easily get by reading just the 2nd part, and it in itself is a great story. The first part give you a good history of things, and the last part, sheds some light on the second part.
Rating:
Summary: Moved into one of my top 5's!
Review: I have to say, this is the best book I've read in a very long time. Yann Martel is a terrific story writer, and you find yourself lost on the Pacific with Pi and Richard Parker (a tiger), and loving it. I actually listened to the book, read by the author, and I have to say, it was delightful. His Indian accent was beautiful, and brough true life to Pi. You laugh, you cry, and in the end, well, you'll just have to read it yourself. Wonderful!
Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable
Review: Life of Pi is a book that truly makes one wonder about the possibilities of literature. In reading the book, I found out that the theme is not that complex: basically, a tiger and a teenager named Pi Patel get trapped on a lifeboat for many days. This is the story of their survival. While at first, the reader's expectations would expect something magical, he/she will discover that Life of Pi is more like a reality TV show. The book goes into great detail about how Pi survives the unimaginably hostile circumstances (no water, food, salt, toilet facilities, and a 450 pound Sunderban tiger). Also, this book has more than a tinge of spirituality. This would be expected, as Pi later attributes his survival to his "forgetfullness" and belief in God. Moreover, Life of Pi would make a good beginner's guide to understanding the change from a human being to a castaway. Ultimately, I feel, it is the superb style of narration that will last in my mind for a long long time. I was more than once astounded about how much you can write about such a simple situation. But Martel accomplishes much more than masterful narration: he has a truly marvelous sense of humor (at times offensive). Now, after having read the entire book, I am still fascinated by mere thought of Pi's unforgettable journey.
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