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I ended up not reading it until a couple of years later. I had finished the book I had been reading, and searched the airport bookstore for something good. I actually bought this book on the way back from Europe. I didn't know what to expect at first, but this book kept me glued to the pages. What intrigued me was how many languages this book was available in. I figured it had to be good. It's such an interesting (and sometimes humorous) story. I would recommend it to anyone.
This book goes into great detail about his ordeal; however, it also offers many ideas which inspire questions about faith and life in general. with an injured zebra, a female orangutan, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. His life is often threatened by storms, sharks, dehydration, and lack of food. Tigers, like many animals, respect the alpha male in any group and Pi must somehow get Richard Parker to recognize him as the alpha.Lost at sea for over 200 days, Pi must set aside his vegetarianism and eat anything he can find including turtles and fish. As a teenager, Pi begins to practice different religions. You'll also find some insight into animal behavior and comparisons of religious beliefs.If you read "Life of Pi", be sure to start with the foreword which outlines the structure of the book.
The author has spoken with Pi in his home in Canada years after his ordeal at sea. From time to time, he provides glimpses into his current life; for the most part, he's telling Pi's story. Pi, whose real name is Piscine Molitor, is a 16 year old boy from India who is forced to change and mature quickly when the boat he and his family were taking on their move to Canada sinks in the Pacific Ocean. Parts of the story do come across as rather fantastic and hard to believe, but even those questions are dealt with. Along the way, something causes the ship to sink and Pi finds himself alone on a lifeboat. Before too long, it's down to just Pi and Richard Parker, whom Pi decides to try to train. While the book is one of the more graphic books I've read, it is also one of the more thought-provoking ones.
These passages provide an interesting comparison of the different religions and Pi questions why others want to force him into choosing just one. There is more than just a tale of survival here. Pi is served well by his zookeeping knowledge from his father as well as his beliefs. In addition to the Hindu faith he was born into, he discovers Catholicism and Islam. Pi's father is a zookeeper who decides to move his family, which also includes Pi's mother and brother, along with some of the animals from India to Canada to start a new life. The description of everything from catching fish and training the tiger to surviving out in the elements is so detailed one can easily picture it all.It is amazing what one is capable of when survival is threatened. After reading it, I was left with some intriguing questions as well as some knowledge and understanding.
(And let's not forget the flecks of humor sprinkled throughout). Well, truth be told, not exactly. Although I can't exactly say LIFE OF PI made me believe in God, it certainly has a lively spiritual quality to it, and I rank it highly. If the narrative were not so engaging, I would have hung onto that early promise that's made in the very beginning of this story, but as I became more engrossed, I only recalled it some days after I completed the story. With that forgiven (and the not-so-impressive ending), I still rank this as an excellent work: for the challenge of the story, for the sheer vividness of description and beauty of the prose. Recently, I have re-read some of my favorite "spiritual" works of fiction, the inimitable, DEMIAN by Hesse, but also an under-looked, contemporary classic, SIM0N LAZARUS (the Eckhart Tolle blurb on the cover couldn't say it better).
The Life of Pi is a wonderfully engrossing tale of a vibrant young Indian teen named Piscine Molitor Patel(nicknamed Pi). One will discover that Yann Martel's allegorical story correlates to most life situations as he draws upon the parallel behaviors of both animal and humans. At the same time, Pi witnesses firsthand the struggles of predator and prey, it is truly survival of the fittest.
The adventure begins when Pi and his family leave India to set sail for Canada aboard a Japanese cargo ship. This story is a wonderful insight into human nature, the instinct for survival and the philosophy of rekigion and faith. As a young teen living in India, Pi had sought and found acceptance in the different religious philosophies of Hinduism, Islan, and Catholicism.
Soon, he and the tiger are the only ones left and Pi resolves he must find the means and will to survive. After said ship sinks in a violent storm, Pi is the one surviving person in a large lifeboat and he has for company in the lifeboat an injured zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger. The journey in the the open sea becomes a test of his will to live and combat his fear of dying.
The story contains no romance or mystery but it is a exciting adventure story. Very highly recommended.
On the surface, a boy and a tiger. Deeper, such social commentary. You may question what you believe or at least it will make you think while you're entertained.
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