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Editorial Review:
Some books defy categorisation: Life of Pi, the second novel from Canadian writer Yann Martel, is a case in point: just about the only thing you can say for certain about it is that it is fiercely and admirably unique. The plot, if that’s the right word, concerns the oceanic wanderings of a lost boy, the young and eager Piscine Patel of the title (Pi). After a colourful and loving upbringing in gorgeously-hued India, the Muslim-Christian-animistic Pi sets off for a fresh start in Canada. His blissful voyage is rudely interrupted when his boat is scuppered halfway across the Pacific, and he is forced to rough it in a lifeboat with a hyena, a monkey, a whingeing zebra and a tiger called Richard. That would be bad enough, but from here on things get weirder: the animals start slaughtering each other in a veritable frenzy of allegorical bloodlust, until Richard the tiger and Pi are left alone to wander the wastes of ocean, with plenty of time to ponder their fate, the cruelty of the gods, the best way to handle storms and the various different recipes for oothappam, scrapple and coconut yam kootu. The denouement is pleasantly neat. According to the blurb, thirtysomething Yann Martel spent long years in Alaska, India, Mexico, France, Costa Rica, Turkey and Iran, before settling in Canada. All those cultures and more have been poured into this spicy, vivacious, kinetic and very entertaining fiction. --Sean Thomas
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
MangoChesney Pi is a skinny little ethnically confused boy who obscurely finds himself trapped on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean with no food and only a random collection of wild animals for company. This book tells of his amazing bid for sanity and survival. I absolutely adore the unbelievably true story that is told in this book. I have no idea if this really happened but desperately want to believe so! If you love solitude, escapism and enjoy a colourful tale that will stretch your imagination you will enjoy... more info
Love it or Hate it?? -- Loved it!! Life of Pi appears to be of those books that you either love or hate. I fancied trying something different ... I normally read thrillers and crime novels and after reading some of the reviews on here I thought I would give this one a go. Sooo glad I did. I absolutely loved it. It was the first book I have read in quite some time that I just couldn't put down. I just had to know what happened to Richard Parker! It didn't make me believe in God or even think about religion, but I did think differently about... more info
enjoyable I bought this book for my daughter and she loved it and highly recommended it. the first part of the book was okay but the part i really loved was pi's story of his life on the boat with Peter Parker, give the book a go and judge for yourself, you won't be disapointed.
Thought provoking This book is an excellent read. Witty, intelligent but so easily readable. I would recommend this book to anyone. This is one of the few books which provokes thought even after you have finished it.
