Life Of Pi

I finished reading Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, in four weeks. The book has been out for four years now, and I’ve wanted to read it ever since I first heard of it. Life of Pi is an incredible story of a 16 year old Indian boy that explains how he survived being on a lifeboat with a royal Bengal tiger, an orangutan, a hyena and a zebra for many months. Yann Martel keeps the story of Pi's long voyage moving at an interesting pace. This is a book worth reading if you ever have the chance.

Life of Pi is a story quite different from others I have read. It involves so many different themes and messages ranging from spiritual beliefs, the likeness between human and animal and our tendencies to "create" stories to restore hope into our lives. The spiritual side of the story was endearing because I struggle to find a common ground with religion too, as did Pi. The conclusion that Pi comes to, that relgion is love, gives me peace. Aside from that, this story is somewhat confusing because of the so frequent back and forth of narration between Pi and the author. It is also quite gruesome, so much so that it was hard to read. I recommend this book to readers with an open mind because this book discusses concepts that are sensitive such as religion.

I really enjoyed this book and it was an entertaining story. The idea of animals on a lifeboat somehow stabilizing into the equilibrium it did was the most interesting part, to me. But honestly, I'd have to say that this novel made me think about my beliefs... I liked it, but nothing really "moved" me in the story. I reccomend others to read this book if they want to get in touch with their spiritual side.

This was an interesting read but sadly did not live up to the hype for me. it's a very unique book and I definitely had never read anything like this before but some of the content was a bit much for me.

Amazing book! The writing is engaging, and the plot is unpredictable. It's the kind of book that makes you go "wow" after you've turned the last page. The fact that Yann Martel is Canadian is a bonus.

Where do I start? The first section of the novel I found myself extremely bored and had a very hard time reading it. It is filled with page descriptions of things that need no more than a couple sentences to explain. I did not become attached to the character at all and I found myself wondering why this book received so much praise. I would give this section a 1 star rating.

The second part of the novel is disgusting. Now, I am not squeamish by any means but I found reading a 3 page description on how to kill a turtle (for example) a bit much. The story becomes gruesome and MUCH too descriptive of things that will make your stomach turn. I do not want to give anything away, but be warned, if you do not like blood, guts and animal mutilation I would not read this book. The novel was very well researched and for the most part this section is well written and as such I would give this a section 2.5-3 star rating.

I will say nothing about the third part as I wish not to spoil the book for people who have no read it yet, but I will say that the overall feel when I finished the book was disgust. This is not usually how I like to feel when I finish a novel. I will say that there were some parts of the book that I found myself interested in and the book is creative, I will give it that, but it was much like a rollercoaster filled with ups and downs.

Overall I was disappointed in this book and I would not recommend it. I would not deem this book "terrible", I just felt the story could have been better. I feel the creativeness and acuracy of the animal portrayals did indeed save this book from a complete slandering on my part.

If you had told me at the start of this book that I was going to read a story about a man living in a life boat for almost a year with a full grown Bengal Tiger, and that I was going to believe every word of it, I would have thought you were crazy. By the middle of the book, I found that I was so drawn into Pi's life, that I totally believed every word. That this had truly happened and that Pi had in fact lived with this huge, ferocious tiger. Even now, a few weeks later I am still convinced that this could have happened.


I am not the only reader to fall under Mr. Martel's spell. Readers all over the world have been searching the internet for the location of the Pondicherry Zoo, and some in India and saying it would be a good move to start such a zoo.


I didn't think I would be so captivated by a story about a man and tiger, but the descriptions of taming the tiger held me motionless. I listened to this as an audio book. At times I would arrive at my destination and sit in my car listening for a few more minutes rather than turn off the oratation. I was late for more than a few events as a result.


I particularly enjoyed the section of the book when young Pi was visiting three different religious leaders and learning about Hindu, Christian and Muslim beliefs. I applaud Mr. Martel for his wonderful handling of this topic. He presented each relgion in a such a caring way that I could clearly see why Pi was attacted to each. A little more of this appoach in the real world could have profound positive impacts.


I listened to the unabridged audio version by HighBridge Company. It was read by Jeff Woodman and Alexander Marshall. Length: 11 hours and 35 minutes.

Life of Pi was an unexpected love. Reading into the first few chapters of the novel I instantly fell in love with the character Pi. His unusual yet innocent nature allowed me to continue reading the book with great interest.

Even though I found myself cringing with some of the very descriptive animal details I still refused to look away. The ending was a huge surprise to me! I started to question everything that happened which made it more enjoyable.

Trust me when I say, you will not be disappointed.

This fiction tells a remarkable story that is full of surprises and wonder. Written by an expect storyteller in such a way that makes everything even the unbelievable sound credible.

The novel is divided in three sections:

The first section recounts a fictional writer's interaction with PI. Pi tells his childhood story of growing up as a son of a zookeeper in Pondicherry India and learning a lot about animals, their ways, emotions and traits. In his teens, on a quest to understand who God is, Pi immerses himself into the beliefs practiced by Christians, Muslims and Hindus. A tug of war erupts when the leaders of these religions groups discover Pi's activities and Pi's own brother sarcastically adds another aspect when he suggests that Pi should also embrace Judaism…

Section two continues at a steady and interesting pace. Pi and his family decide to close the zoo and immigrate to Canada; the animals are placed in zoos around the world. The family and many animals are transported on a Japanese cargo ship, a trip that will open a whole new experience for each one of them.

Not long into the voyage, disaster strikes and the ship sinks. Pi is cast adrift in a lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. In this part of the story, the author dazzles us with literary prose captivating ones imagination to its extreme. The 227 days Pi spent at sea is a constant test of survival in cramped quarters…the ultimate cat and mouse scenario…

In section three, Pi finally reaches the coast of Mexico where Japanese authorities are anxious to interrogate him on the loss of their ship. The Japanese investigators have trouble believing his story so Pi replaces each animal with human attributes and gives them names. At the end, the investigators are left totally confused and with conflicted opinions on what really happened.

"Life of Pi "is a wonderful and cunning novel that is entertaining, eye opening and thought provoking.

Interesting and creative story with lots of imagination. Take your time and enjoy the details that the story is filled with

I don't know what everyone sees in this book. I thought it was A PAIN to read. I don't find it clever, and I hated the pace. That whole two-toed and three-toed sloth discription make me want to rip out my hair.

Life of Pi is, thus far, the magnum opus of Yann Martel. Since its release in 2003 the beautifully tragic story of Pi has been retold countless times.

Life of Pi is characterized by Martel's gorgeous blend of despair, hope, and wit. There is not a dull moment to be found from cover to cover; this novel begs to be read, and begs to be reflected upon and so it deserves.

I was 12 years old when I read "Life of Pi" (now 13) and at first I couldn't put it down. There is just something about it that is entertaining and refreshing. By the middle, I was starting to get a little bit bored. Now I COULD put it down. I was waiting for things to pick up and get more exciting. I am very, very glad I decided to keep going with this book dispite the dull part. It really makes you think about Pi Patel and his journey being stranded on a lifeboat. Will he survive? And why hasnt the tiger been dangerous to him? I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, interesting scenarios, and enjoys a book that leaves a lasting impression in your mind. Don't let those slow moving chapters fool you-an amazing story is soon to begin.

This book makes the impossible seem possible. I was taken from the beginning with the charm and innocence of it's main character a young Indian boy.

By the end of the book I am impressed with how he has grown and how I feel that I can do the same impossible task as he had done. This should be the end of the book and then in the final part I was just baffled, in a good way, as what I had been reading and questioning all over again. It's a journey I'll take over and over again.

Told in two parts...Life of Pi is an interesting premise. The first half of the novel is a philosophical and almost abstract storyline that is painful to get through but if you can push through, the second half of the story is simply magic! Well-written, it had me sitting on pins and needles as I devoured the text. There are a few uncomfortable moments but these come together with the rest of the text seamlessly to create a story that seems as real as the paper it is written on.

This book was utterly captivating. It has an interesting view on religion and what it means to have faith. However that is only in the beginning of this wonderful rendition of a story unlike anything i have ever read before. By the end of this book, that will be hard to put down in the first place, you will be asking yourself "What really happened??"

To read the synopsis on the back cover of this book, you'd wonder what you were getting into: a 16 year old Indian boy adrift in a lifeboat on the Pacific ocean with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan, and a 450 pound Bengal tiger.
The story is so well told, and you learn so much about animal behaviour, that you'd believe this unbelievable story actually took place. Until he lands on a strange island. That's when he lost me. But it was an entertaining story of man-against-nature, man-against-beast, man-against-man, and even man-against-himself.
I thought Pi's attempts at finding God by embracing three religions simultaneously was ludicrous, as they believe things completely opposite to one another. However, in spite of those two things, I would recommend this book. I can see why it won the awards it did.

Page 1 - 103 = 1 star
Page 105 -354 = 5 STARS
I absolutely hated the start of this book. It had no impact and extremely little meaning to the rest of the book. If you want to read the story that everyone talks about, and that the back describes, skip right to page 105. Believe me, you can do this and you wont miss a thing.

Where else can you find a book about animals and humans competing to survive on a lifeboat? Amazing, the ending shocked me.

Besides having an interesting story, my favorite books contain symbolic depth, resonance, and a generous sprinkle of what can only be described as "magic".

A "magic" novel is one in which the author has told us of events that do not align with our conventional experiences and logic, yet has done so in such a convincing fashion that we believe we may be hearing the truth.

Yann Martel's "Life of Pi" is such a novel.

Imagine being stranded for 227 days on a life-boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Now imagine having to share that life-boat with a tiger, a hyena, a orangutan, and a zebra.

Utterly ridiculous, isn't it? Yet somehow, Martel convinces us that it just might be possible to survive it after all. Magical story-telling.

The beginning of the novel provides details of the main character's childhood, including his unusual personal decision to combine three religions; Catholicism, Hinduism, and Islam. This is important because the remainder of this adventure challenges and confirms the doctrines of all these faiths.

But in the end, Pi understands that the authorities may not be able to take the leap of faith required to believe such a fantastic story and, almost out of sympathy, provides them (and the readers) with a second, more plausible accounting of his ordeal. Which version are you prepared to believe?

An interesting background note is on the name chosen for the Bengal tiger in the story, Richard Parker.

Richard Parker was an actual person who had the misfortune of being a cabin boy on the yacht Mignonette, sunk off the coast of Western Africa on 1884. The entire four man crew, including Captain Tom Dudley, escaped to a life-boat where they drifted with little food and water for the next nineteen days. At that point, the three men killed and ate the 17 year-old Parker. Five days later, they were rescued and returned to England, where they were put on trial for murder.

What happened to them? There is a very good book on the entire true story of Richard Parker, called "The Custom of the Sea" by Neil Hanson. If you're interested, I can lend you a copy.

In "Life of Pi" Martel has paid homage to the real Richard Parker by giving him his reincarnation as a 450 pound Bengal Tiger. Now the hunted has become the hunter!