the life of pi book review

Booklover Book Reviews

Life of Pi, Book Review: Yann Martel’s life-affirming gem

The Life of Pi novel, Yann Martel’s debut, truly deserves the accolades it has received. I was thoroughly engaged and entertained by this tale. Read my full review including some memorable book quotes below and we answer your burning question – was Life of Pi based on a true story?

Life of Pi Book Synopsis

The 2002 Man Booker Prize-winning international bestseller, Life of Pi

One boy, one boat, one tiger . . .

After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The only survivors from the wreck are a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi, a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orang-utan – and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. The scene is set for one of the most extraordinary and best-loved works of fiction in recent years.

A Lesson in Persistence: Yann Martel’s manuscript was rejected by at least five London publishing houses before being accepted by Knopf Canada, which published it in September 2001. The novel has since sold more than ten million copies worldwide.

Genre: Literature, Fantasy, Action-Adventure

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Book Review

Life of Pi is poignant, inspirational and life-affirming.

The predominant narrator is our protagonist Piscine Molitor Patel, who prefers to be called Pi. Interspersed within Pi’s telling of his story of survival as a teenager, is commentary from a reporter writing an article on the life of Pi many years later.

Pi grew up in a zoo and his knowledge of animal behaviours and traits is the foundation from which he shapes his view of the world and people in general. Even the most dour of individuals could not help liking this character. His self-possession and belief is utterly charming.

Irreverent observational gems, such as the following comment by Pi when delivering his considered review of the castaway survival manual he finds in the lifeboat, consistently brought a smile to my face.

“The injunction not to drink urine was quite unnecessary. No-one called ‘pissin’ during his childhood would be caught dead with a cup of pee at his lips, even alone in a life boat in the middle of the Pacific.”

I also found the disarming simplicity of the 16-year-old character’s discussions on the differences and similarities of the world’s three major religions and his thoughts on religion in general both appealing and quite profound.

In Life of Pi Yann Martel has written such a very clever story.

There is often conjecture about novels that go on to win high-profile awards such as the Man Booker Prize, but in my opinion there should be no argument when it comes to this novel.

This story will be one that stays with me long after reading it. I strongly recommend men and women, young and old acquainting themselves with this character Pi – he is one of the most admirable, believable and inspirational characters you are likely to meet in the world of fiction.

“It is true that those we meet can change us, sometimes so profoundly that we are not the same afterwards, even unto our names.”

Audiobook format

I listened to Life of Pi on audio and strongly recommend this format. The version I listened to was narrated by Jeff Woodman . His delivery really brought to life the humour and irony the protagonist manages to find in his dire predicament.

If you haven’t tried an audiobook before this is a wonderful example of the real value of this reading format. The latest Audible edition of the audiobook is narrated by British comedian, actor and broadcaster Sanjeev Bhaskar — listen to an audiobook sample. Sounds fabulous also.

“The world isn’t just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it, no? Doesn’t that make life a story?”

The Story 5 / 5 ;  The Writing 5 / 5

Where to get your copy of Life of Pi

More inspiring reads.

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
• A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• The Museum of Forgotten Memories by Anstey Harris

More Life of Pi book reviews

‘Martel displays the clever voice and tremendous storytelling skills of an emerging master.’ – Publishers Weekly

‘Life of Pi could renew your faith in the ability of novelists to invest even the most outrageous scenario with plausible life.’-  The New York Times Book Review

‘Despite the extraordinary premise and literary playfulness, one reads Life of Pi not so much as an allegory or magical-realist fable, but as an edge-of-seat adventure.’ – The Guardian 

‘A real adventure: brutal, tender, expressive, dramatic, and disarmingly funny. . . . It’s difficult to stop reading when the pages run out.’ —  San Francisco Chronicle

Was Life of Pi based on a true story?

No, the original novel was purely fictional. But director Ang Lee wanted the movie adaptation to have depth and realism, and so reportedly consulted with real-life shipwreck survivor Steven Callahan, who spent 76 days on a life raft.

Why was Life of Pi controversial?

Some have suggested that Yann Martel’s 2001 novel is very similar to Brazilian author Moacyr Scliar’s 1981 novella  Max and the Cats , about a man in a lifeboat with a jaguar.

The Life of Pi Movie

This novel was adapted for the big screen by screenwriter David Magee and directed by Ang Lee . The movie won four Oscars including Best Director and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.

About the Book Author, Yann Martel

Yann Martel was born in Spain in 1963 of Canadian parents. After studying philosophy at university, he travelled and worked at odd jobs before turning to writing. In addition to the Man Booker Prize-winning  Life of Pi , which has been translated into over fifty languages and has sold over thirteen million copies worldwide, he is the author of the novels  Self, Beatrice and Virgil  and  The High Mountains of Portugal , the stories  The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios , and the collection of letters to the Prime Minister of Canada,  What is Stephen Harper Reading?  He lives in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Watch a video of an interview with Yann Martel on Life of Pi — source Manufacturing Intellect .

A booklover with diverse reading interests, who has been reviewing books and sharing her views and opinions on this website and others since 2009.

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by Yann Martel ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2001

A fable about the consolatory and strengthening powers of religion flounders about somewhere inside this unconventional coming-of-age tale, which was shortlisted for Canada’s Governor General’s Award. The story is told in retrospect by Piscine Molitor Patel (named for a swimming pool, thereafter fortuitously nicknamed “Pi”), years after he was shipwrecked when his parents, who owned a zoo in India, were attempting to emigrate, with their menagerie, to Canada. During 227 days at sea spent in a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger (mostly with the latter, which had efficiently slaughtered its fellow beasts), Pi found serenity and courage in his faith: a frequently reiterated amalgam of Muslim, Hindu, and Christian beliefs. The story of his later life, education, and mission rounds out, but does not improve upon, the alternately suspenseful and whimsical account of Pi’s ordeal at sea—which offers the best reason for reading this otherwise preachy and somewhat redundant story of his Life .

Pub Date: June 1, 2001

ISBN: 0-15-100811-6

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2002

GENERAL FICTION

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by Yann Martel

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A LITTLE LIFE

by Hanya Yanagihara ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 10, 2015

The phrase “tour de force” could have been invented for this audacious novel.

Four men who meet as college roommates move to New York and spend the next three decades gaining renown in their professions—as an architect, painter, actor and lawyer—and struggling with demons in their intertwined personal lives.

Yanagihara ( The People in the Trees , 2013) takes the still-bold leap of writing about characters who don’t share her background; in addition to being male, JB is African-American, Malcolm has a black father and white mother, Willem is white, and “Jude’s race was undetermined”—deserted at birth, he was raised in a monastery and had an unspeakably traumatic childhood that’s revealed slowly over the course of the book. Two of them are gay, one straight and one bisexual. There isn’t a single significant female character, and for a long novel, there isn’t much plot. There aren’t even many markers of what’s happening in the outside world; Jude moves to a loft in SoHo as a young man, but we don’t see the neighborhood change from gritty artists’ enclave to glitzy tourist destination. What we get instead is an intensely interior look at the friends’ psyches and relationships, and it’s utterly enthralling. The four men think about work and creativity and success and failure; they cook for each other, compete with each other and jostle for each other’s affection. JB bases his entire artistic career on painting portraits of his friends, while Malcolm takes care of them by designing their apartments and houses. When Jude, as an adult, is adopted by his favorite Harvard law professor, his friends join him for Thanksgiving in Cambridge every year. And when Willem becomes a movie star, they all bask in his glow. Eventually, the tone darkens and the story narrows to focus on Jude as the pain of his past cuts deep into his carefully constructed life.  

Pub Date: March 10, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-385-53925-8

Page Count: 720

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015

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by Hanya Yanagihara

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PERSPECTIVES

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

by J.D. Salinger ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 15, 1951

A strict report, worthy of sympathy.

A violent surfacing of adolescence (which has little in common with Tarkington's earlier, broadly comic, Seventeen ) has a compulsive impact.

"Nobody big except me" is the dream world of Holden Caulfield and his first person story is down to the basic, drab English of the pre-collegiate. For Holden is now being bounced from fancy prep, and, after a vicious evening with hall- and roommates, heads for New York to try to keep his latest failure from his parents. He tries to have a wild evening (all he does is pay the check), is terrorized by the hotel elevator man and his on-call whore, has a date with a girl he likes—and hates, sees his 10 year old sister, Phoebe. He also visits a sympathetic English teacher after trying on a drunken session, and when he keeps his date with Phoebe, who turns up with her suitcase to join him on his flight, he heads home to a hospital siege. This is tender and true, and impossible, in its picture of the old hells of young boys, the lonesomeness and tentative attempts to be mature and secure, the awful block between youth and being grown-up, the fright and sickness that humans and their behavior cause the challenging, the dramatization of the big bang. It is a sorry little worm's view of the off-beat of adult pressure, of contemporary strictures and conformity, of sentiment….

Pub Date: June 15, 1951

ISBN: 0316769177

Page Count: -

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1951

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by J.D. Salinger

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Common Sense Media Review

Fascinating survival tale with animal facts, gory detail.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Yann Martel's novel Life of Pi is the story an Indian zookeeper's son, who survives a shipwreck. Though Pi generally describes his many days at sea as monotonous, he also describes the sexual behavior of zoo animals and relates tales of danger and survival with great tension, using…

Why Age 16+?

Whether or not Pi's survival stories are to be believed, they are extremely viol

Pi says that some crew members aboard the cargo ship have been drinking alcohol.

Pi, whose real name is Piscine (the French word for swimming pool), is teased by

Early in the book, Pi describes the sexual behavior of zoo animals.

Any Positive Content?

The strongest message of Yann Martel's unusual novel is one of survival and the

Pi, the main character of Yann Martel's Life of Pi, shares a wealth of detailed

In Part 1 of Life of Pi, young Pi is guided by his parents and three religious t

Violence & Scariness

Whether or not Pi's survival stories are to be believed, they are extremely violent and graphic. The narrator uses elaborate detail to describe wild animals killing and eating each other, and humans killing and eating animals. The book also includes acts of murder and cannibalism.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Pi, whose real name is Piscine (the French word for swimming pool), is teased by other children, who call him "Pissing."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

The strongest message of Yann Martel's unusual novel is one of survival and the value of life. Though Pi, a lifelong vegetarian, must kill all manner of creatures to survive, the author never treats these events lightly. Pi is ever driven by his will to live and his inclusive, multi-religious love of God.

Educational Value

Pi, the main character of Yann Martel's Life of Pi , shares a wealth of detailed information on a variety of topics: zookeeping, animal behavior, survival techniques, and religious beliefs and practices of Catholics, Muslims, and Hindi. However, Pi is a somewhat unreliable narrator, and a lot of what he explains about wild animals falls into the "Don't try this at home" category.

Positive Role Models

In Part 1 of Life of Pi , young Pi is guided by his parents and three religious teachers. His father uses a fairly shocking method to teach his sons to respect wild animals, but his motives are well-intentioned. Pi's mother is affectionate and protective. Pi gets to know a Catholic priest as well as leaders in the Hindu and Muslim faiths. He is moved by all of their teachings, and incorporates ideas from all three religions into his own belief system. Pi is also close to some of his schoolteachers, from whom he learns valuable academic and life lessons.

Parents need to know that Yann Martel's novel Life of Pi is the story an Indian zookeeper's son, who survives a shipwreck. Though Pi generally describes his many days at sea as monotonous, he also describes the sexual behavior of zoo animals and relates tales of danger and survival with great tension, using elaborate detail to describe wild animals killing and eating each other and humans killing and eating animals. The novel also includes acts of murder and cannibalism. This is a gory book, no question, and not recommended for the squeamish. Parents might also note that Pi forms his own belief system from the teachings of the Catholic, Hindu, and Muslim religions, saying that he simply wants to "love God."

Where to Read

Parent and kid reviews.

• Parents say (5)
• Kids say (43)

Based on 5 parent reviews

"Reality is Unliveable"

No no no, what's the story.

Yann Martel's novel LIFE OF PI is the story of Piscine Molitor Patel, who likes to be called \"Pi\" because children made fun of his name, calling him \"Pissing\" when he was a boy. Pi grows up in India with his brother, Ravi, his mom, and his dad, who runs a zoo. As a boy, Pi struggles with the identity issues connected with his name and with his personal belief system. He visits leaders of three different religions, and joins the Catholic, Hindu, and Muslim faiths. When Pi's parents decide to move their family to Canada, the Patels board a Japanese cargo ship that will take them and some of the zoo animals to North America. However, disaster strikes the ship and Pi must battle for survival. Most of the book is a narration of Pi's time at sea. The film adaptation of Life of Pi is scheduled for Nov. 21, 2012, release.

Is It Any Good?

Life of Pi is a fascinating and original story of survival and identity. Martel creates a wonderfully realized, clever character in Pi, and a unique world of home, zoo, school, and various houses of various gods. The bit where all three religious figures realize that Pi has joined their faith is quite funny, and so wise. Readers have come to love Pi by the time his ship sinks, and every terrifying, bloody struggle he faces is met with intelligence and frought with tension. This is a smart, absorbing novel, although, given its gory descriptions, not a book to be enjoyed with a meal.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the lesson Pi's father teaches his sons with the tiger and the goat. Why is this important in Life of Pi , and how does this experience affect Pi's ability to survive in the lifeboat?

Which of Pi's stories do you believe?

What do you make of Pi's religious inclusiveness? Does it make sense to you? Can people believe in more than one faith?

Book Details

• Author : Yann Martel
• Genre : Literary Fiction
• Topics : Ocean Creatures , Science and Nature , Wild Animals
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date : September 11, 2001
• Number of pages : 336
• Last updated : June 9, 2015

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What to read next.

The Handmaid's Tale

The House of the Spirits

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

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The Literary Edit

Review: Life of Pi – Yann Martel

Life of Pi is one of those books that’s been on my radar for a number of years now. Having won the Man Booker Prize in 2002 and been recommended to me by multiple friends I certainly didn’t mean to wait over a decade since its publication to read it – but alas, as with many book bloggers, my to-be-read pile is ever growing and it only recently made it to the top.

A tale that fuses fantasy with adventure, Life of Pi tells the story of Pi, a Tamil boy from Pondicherry, whose family decide to sell their zoo in India to move overseas. Following an ill-fated shipwreck, Pi goes onto incredulously survive 227 stranded onboard a boat with a Bengal tiger called Richard Parker.

A multi-layered novel whose protagonist is spiritual even before facing unsurmountable odds as he battles to survive, early on in the story we witness Pi – who’s born a Hindu – encounter Christianity and Islam and become a worshipper of the three traditions.

Much of the story that follows the shipwreck is as much about our unwavering survival instinct as it is about the mystery of the wilderness and the vast unknown. The author’s melodic prose illustrates a barren yet beautiful landscape and Pi suffers at the hands of Mother Nature, misfortune and at the hands of his mind.

Poetic, lyrical and beautifully written, Life of Pi is a thought-provoking tale that speaks to readers the world over. A coming of age novel at its core, we witness the self-discovery and spiritual journey of the protagonist as he survives against the odds. Abundant with themes of both spirituality and religion, self-perception, the importance of family, and the nature of animals, Life of Pi is a rich tale of morality, faith, and the fine line between fact and fiction.

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Summary and Reviews of Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio

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• First Published:
• May 1, 2002, 336 pages
• May 2003, 336 pages
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Book Summary

At once a realistic, rousing adventure and a meta-tale of survival that explores the redemptive power of storytelling and the transformative nature of fiction. It's a story, as one character puts it, to make you believe in God.  Winner of the 2002 Booker Prize.

Winner of the 2002 Man Booker Prize for Fiction. Pi Patel is an unusual boy. The son of a zookeeper, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior, a fervent love of stories, and practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam. When Pi is sixteen, his family emigrates from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship, along with their zoo animals bound for new homes. The ship sinks. Pi finds himself alone in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and Richard Parker, a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi, whose fear, knowledge, and cunning allow him to coexist with Richard Parker for 227 days lost at sea. When they finally reach the coast of Mexico, Richard Parker flees to the jungle, never to be seen again. The Japanese authorities who interrogate Pi refuse to believe his story and press him to tell them "the truth." After hours of coercion, Pi tells a second story, a story much less fantastical, much more conventional--but is it more true? Life of Pi is at once a realistic, rousing adventure and a meta-tale of survival that explores the redemptive power of storytelling and the transformative nature of fiction. It's a story, as one character puts it, to make you believe in God.

My suffering left me sad and gloomy. Academic study and the steady, mindful practice of religion slowly brought me back to life. I have remained a faithful Hindu, Christian and Muslim. I decided to stay in Toronto. After one year of high school, I attended the University of Toronto and took a double-major Bachelor's degree. My majors were religious studies and zoology. My fourth-year thesis for religious studies concerned certain aspects of the cosmogony theory of Isaac Luria, the great sixteenth-century Kabbalist from Safed. My zoology thesis was a functional analysis of the thyroid gland of the three-toed sloth. I chose the sloth because its demeanour--calm, quiet and introspective--did something to soothe my shattered self. There are two-toed sloths and there are three-toed sloths, the case being determined by the forepaws of the animals, since all sloths have three claws on their hind paws. I had the great luck one summer of studying the three-toed sloth in...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

• In his introductory note Yann Martel says, "This book was born as I was hungry." What sort of emotional nourishment might Life of Pi have fed to its author?
• Pondicherry is described as an anomaly, the former capital of what was once French India. In terms of storytelling, what makes this town a appropriate choice for Pi's upbringing?
• Yann Martel recalls that many Pondicherry ...
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Book review: “The Life of Pi” By Yann Martel

Maybe there are deep levels of allegory to the book. There are certainly hints.

Martel names his central character Pi, a nickname that Piscine Molitor Patel gives himself to avoid being called Pissing by his classmates.

It is also, as Piscine makes clear at school, the same word as the number in mathematics that is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, 3.14159…… and on into infinity.

Maybe Pi is a stand-in for the individual human spirit that, once started, has no end. Or not.

“A story to make you believe”

In an author’s note after the title page, the novel’s narrator — maybe a fictional “Yann Martel,” maybe not; he’s never named — is initially told that the story of a shattering event in Pi’s life “will make you believe in God.” A page later, after having exhaustively interviewed a middle-aged Pi, the narrator himself writes that it was “a story to make you believe in God.”

That story involves the 227 days that the 15-year-old spends in a lifeboat.

With a tiger.

What happens is that the transport ship carrying Pi and his family from India to Canada sinks, and Pi finds himself in a lifeboat with the tiger, a zebra, a hyena and an orangutan. Needless to say, the tiger makes quick work of the three animals.

So, after losing his family in the sea tragedy, the boy is forced, alone, to face the fear of death from the ocean, from the elements, from sharks, from starvation, from thirst and, if that weren’t enough, from this tiger.

We’re definitely in the territory of mystical realism or magical realism or whatever you want to call it.

Pi survives by developing a relationship with the tiger in which the animal’s might, ferocity, hunger and instincts are balanced by the boy’s intelligence, bravery and zoological knowledge. (Did I say the boy’s father was a zoo director?)

Pi embraces his fear. Is the aim of the book to teach that lesson? Pi = us. Tiger = fear. We only achieve a full life by coming to terms with our fears. Is that the allegorical point?

The lifeboat story takes up the middle two-thirds of the novel. In leading up to that account, the narrator relates that, as a child, Pi was precociously religious — and promiscuously.

One after the other, in quick succession, Pi takes up Hinduism, Catholicism and Islam. But, with each new faith he accepts, he doesn’t discard any earlier one.

His non-religious family doesn’t know of his simultaneous beliefs in these religions until, on a stroll down the beach, they and Pi bump into the three clerics who have been involved in what each believes to have been the boy’s conversion to the cleric’s faith.

So Pi is presented as a boy who believes in God, loves religious thought and ritual, but transcends the petty quibbles and wall-building of organized religion.

Maybe Pi is a stand-in for us. Maybe Martel wants us to see that we should believe in God but not worry about which one or many of the world’s religions we use to get to Him. Or not.

Turning to God

Given this build-up — “a story to make you believe in God” and Pi’s pan-religious acceptance — it is more than a bit amazing that, during his lifeboat ordeal, the boy says very little about God. Then, at the very end of the story, when the boy and the tiger seem doomed to die on the seas, Pi tells the narrator:

It was natural that, bereft and desperate as I was, in the throes of unremitting suffering, I should turn to God.

And then the boat hit a beach in Mexico, and the boy and his tiger were saved — the tiger running off into the jungle, the boy being found by some villagers.

There is no discussion of what “turn to God” meant. No link between that turning and the surviving.

Is the point here — the point of the novel — that it doesn’t do much good to talk about God with the words of reason? That the only way to understand God and “see” God is with a sort of peripheral vision?

Allegories, such as Dante’s “Divine Comedy” and Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress,” involve characters and situations that are stand-ins for a belief system or set of ideas. In those cases, the Christian faith.

It doesn’t seem to me, after reading “The Life of Pi,” that Martel has a particular system of theological ideas in mind in telling the story.

Something else going on

I’m thinking that something else is going on. I’m thinking that Martel has included these allegory-type elements and the various God-talk because they make for a more interesting story.

I’m left thinking that this is a story about stories.

The end of the book is taken up with Pi being interviewed by two representatives of the Japanese shipping line that had owned the cargo ship that sunk, killing everyone except for the boy.

He tells them the story of his ordeal on the lifeboat with the tiger. They don’t believe it.

Which story?

So, over nine pages, he gives them a completely different story about the lifeboat ordeal, without the tiger but with his mother, an injured sailor and the ship’s homicidal cook as company. It is a gruesome story of murder and cannibalism.

“In both stories the ship sinks, my entire family dies, and I suffer.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“So tell me, since it makes no factual difference to you and you can’t prove the question either way, which story do you prefer? Which is the better story, the story with animals or the story without animals?”

So Martel seems to be saying that life is more interesting, more vibrant, if we tell better stories — even if those stories aren’t based on the facts.

And/or that, when we hear interesting and vibrant stories that stretch our credulity, we shouldn’t be so hard-assed about insisting on reason and likelihood.

A better story

And when it comes to God — I didn’t find the novel “a story to make [me] believe in God.” I already do, but, if I were a non-believer, I don’t think I would find faith proven by this book.

Proof isn’t on Martel’s agenda. His argument, I think, is that life is more interesting, more vibrant, if we think there is a God.

God is a better story.

No God is a good story, too.

On the other hand, being wishy-washy about the reality of a Supreme Being — being an agnostic — is to fail at life. In fact, midway through the book, the middle-aged Pi says:

I can well imagine an atheist’s last words: “White, white! L-L-Love! My God!” — and the deathbed leap of faith. Whereas the agnostic, if he stays true to his reasonable self, if he stays beholden to dry, yeast-less factuality, might try to explain the warm light bathing him by saying, “Probably a f-f-failing oxygenation of the b-b-brain,” and, to the very end, lack imagination and miss the better story.

Martel’s “The Life of Pi” is “a better story.”

Patrick T. Reardon 8.22.12

Written by : Patrick T. Reardon

For more than three decades Patrick T. Reardon was an urban affairs writer, a feature writer, a columnist, and an editor for the Chicago Tribune. In 2000 he was one of a team of 50 staff members who won a Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting. Now a freelance writer and poet, he has contributed chapters to several books and is the author of Faith Stripped to Its Essence. His website is https://patricktreardon.com/.

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Life of Pi: Book Review

Life of Pi book review

There are always going to be some books that stay with you for the longest time. For me, I cannot help but think about Life of Pi by Yann Martel. The plot and the character make this one of the most intriguing novels and it doesn’t hurt that the movie was good too. Find out why you should be reading this epic novel!

Life of Pi Summary

Piscine Molitor Patel, or Pi as he has come to be known, is the child of a local zoo manager. Pi tells us what he has learned by watching the animals at the zoo. We also learn about Richard Parker, a 450-pound tiger that got his name by a clerical error and got the name fo its human captor.

Besides his life at the zoo , Pi also tells us about practicing multiple religions and is a vegetarian. He was raised as a Hindu, and at 14 started practicing Islam and Christianity. Instead of choosing just one, Pi decides to choose all three because he believes each one has its own benefit.

In 1976, Pi and his family decides to leave India and head to Canada to start a new life. And the zoo is coming with them. Pi’s family board a Japanese freighter ship that is transporting all of the animals. But a ship gets caught in a storm.

Pi escapes in a lifeboat but he has unwelcome guests. Also in the lifeboat are a bunch of the zoo animals including a zebra and at the tiger. Pi survive on a lifeboat with a wild animal while also managing his rations. Will Pi survive or lose his sanity as he is stranded in the middle of the ocean with a captive tiger?

Even thought the story is fiction , it is still an unbelievable tale. What makes the book come to life is Pi and his approach to life. He decides to practice three religions which contradict each other. Yet Pi makes it work. His approach to life is unique and I’d say the real selling point of the novel .

Of course, Richard Parker is also a big reason why the book became so popular. A tiger on a lifeboat stranded in the middle of the ocean with a boy is the wildest story a kid could make up. But it works on so many levels. Great writing can make any plot work well and Martel does just that.

This is a novel that everyone should read at least once. Not only does it have an interesting plot, but it also has an interesting protagonist. He questions a lot of things instead of just accepting them and makes for a fun and endearing protagonist as a result. The movie is visually stunning but nothing beats a book! Happy reading!

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I absolutely loved this book. The writing was brilliant. Martel crafted such a great protagonist.

Yes I agree!

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Jenny in Neverland

Book Review: Life of Pi by Yann Martel

After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The only survivors from the wreck are a sixteen year-old boy named Pi, a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orang-utan — and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. The scene is set for one of the most extraordinary and best-loved works of fiction in recent years.

Review: This is going to be a very difficult review for me to write – not for any profound personal reason or connection I have to the book because let’s face it, nobody can have a personal connection to a boy trapped in a lifeboat with a tiger. I’m going to find this difficult because Life of Pi is so different to anything I’ve ever read before. Something so much more deep and meaningful yet blissfully simplistic . I watched the movie in the summer and was blown away by it and knew instantly I wanted to read the book from where this beautiful story came from. I don’t necessarily think the book was widely better than the film (I spoke about what I think about movie adaptations in this post ) – I prefer to look at them as separate entities but today I’m talking about the book and my gosh, what a book .

Life of Pi is about a boy called Pi, where on a trip from India to Canada where his family and their zoo animals are upping sticks and moving to start a new life, the cargo ship he is travelling on sinks. His entire family ( and most of the animals his family owned ) die, but he manages to get aboard a life boat. There’s only one problem… He’s not alone .

Life of Pi was split into 3 parts – before the shipwreck, during the survival period and briefly afterwards. It’s  told from Pi’s point of view – so he doesn’t spare you any of the gory and horrific details . The two main sections of the book: before and after are wildly different. I adored the first part the most, especially as an animal lover. I found it almost like reading a documentary – when Pi goes into the ins and outs of a zoo and all its animals. I learnt a lot from this book. A hella lot. I read it so slowly as to devour every single word during this first section, it was so deeply interesting.

Onto the middle section which essentially documents his survival days inside the lifeboat. These were very graphic . I was quite gob-smacked actually at the amount of detail which went into this part – how he got food, how he killed dorados and turtles. The research for this book must have been beyond extensive for the author to capture these so, so, very rare moments and make them so vivid and real – despite it being purely fantasy . As the story progresses and Pi’s struggle grows, you can almost feel a pull within you , along with the book. I found the middle section much more difficult to read than the first – it almost sucked the energy out of me in some parts which could be considered a bad thing but due to the nature of the book, it almost felt intentional .

This book holds so, so many messages and lessons. I’m deeply interested in religion and the such and this book focuses a lot on that – Pi has multiple religions after all! I found that so fascinating – both at the beginning and during his time at sea and how he translates his religious teachings onto what’s happening to him and most importantly, how he never, ever loses faith. His relationship with Richard Parker (the tiger) was captured beautifully with respect for both human and animal. Pi did what he had to do to survive and so did Richard Parker. But they somehow managed to live in somewhat harmony during their time together which teaches us that miracles and extensively unrealistic things can happen. And work. And survive.

Now if I don’t end this review here I honestly will not stop talking so basically, Life of Pi is a work of art . It’s a literary masterpiece in my eyes and although I didn’t 100% enjoy every page ( having to stop for 5 minutes during a particular graphic bit ) I felt it was all worth it – every word. It was honestly, one of the deepest and richest books in a very, very long time. 

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I have only seen the film, which was incredible. I will definitely pick the book up in future!

Oh you should of you loved the film you’ll love this. Some subtle differences but nothing dramatic.

Long time since I read this but I loved it. Reading the book first meant a huge surprise when you find out what is on the boat with him!

Oh gosh yeah I bet that was a huge surprise! I already knew the storyline so had I read the book first it wouldn’t have made much difference. But I wish I had read it when it first came out before I knew what happened!

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Teen Book Review: Life of Pi

Title: Life of Pi Author: Yann Martel Publication date: 2001 Genre: Survival, Adventure Recommended for: 13+ Rating: 4/5 stars

Pi Patel, a God-loving boy and the son of a zookeeper, has a fervent love of stories and practices not only from his native Hinduism, but also from Christianity and Islam.  When Pi is sixteen, his family and their zoo animals emigrate from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship.  Alas, the ship sinks-and Pi finds himself in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger.  Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi.  Can Pi and the tiger find their way to land? Can Pi’s fear, knowledge, and cunning keep him alive until they do?

The Life of Pi is a classic book from the early 2000s and still is great today.  The overall great story, as well as the surrealness of it all makes the book especially interesting.  Additionally, lost in the ocean, Pi comes up with lots of interesting and philosophical ideas that are interesting to see from his perspective.  It is similar to many other adventure and survival-based novels, but with the interesting twist of having a Tiger surviving alongside Pi.  Even if you have already read the book, or seen the movie, it is fun to revisit the world of Pi Patel and Richard Parker.  If you haven’t seen or read it already, then this is the perfect book for anyone.

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Exploring the Depths of Survival and Faith: A Comprehensive Review of 'Life of Pi' by Yann Martel

• Author: Admin
• March 23, 2024

In the realm of modern literature, few books manage to leave a mark as indelible as Yann Martel's "Life of Pi". This extraordinary novel, which has garnered both critical acclaim and widespread popularity, offers a rich tapestry of themes and emotions, intertwining the survival story of a young boy with profound reflections on faith and the human spirit.

At its core, "Life of Pi" is a survival story, one that takes the reader on a journey across the Pacific Ocean. Pi Patel, the protagonist, finds himself stranded on a lifeboat after a tragic shipwreck. His companions in this ordeal? An orangutan, a wounded zebra, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Martel's depiction of this unlikely scenario is both imaginative and grounded, weaving a narrative that feels as real as it is fantastical.

The relationship between Pi and Richard Parker forms the crux of the novel. Martel masterfully explores the dynamics of fear, power, and mutual dependence. The tiger, initially a terrifying threat, gradually becomes a source of companionship and a crucial factor in Pi's survival. This progression is not just a tale of a boy and a beast; it’s a deeper exploration of how adversity can lead to an unexpected and profound bond.

Martel's prose is a blend of the simple and the profound. He has a unique ability to convey deep philosophical ideas in a language that is accessible yet thought-provoking. His descriptions of the ocean, the sky, and the solitude of Pi are vivid and evocative, painting a picture that is both beautiful and haunting. The narrative, oscillating between the present and Pi's reflections, adds a layer of depth, making the reader ponder the nature of truth and belief.

A significant theme in "Life of Pi" is the exploration of faith and religion. Pi, interestingly, practices Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, finding solace and meaning in all. This interfaith perspective is rare in literature and is handled with respect and curiosity. The novel does not advocate for any one religion but rather celebrates the human need for belief and the search for something greater than oneself.

Another intriguing aspect of "Life of Pi" is its exploration of the nature of storytelling and reality. Martel presents an alternative version of Pi's story towards the end, prompting readers to question which version is true, or if truth in storytelling matters at all. This ambiguity is not a flaw but a strength of the novel, as it invites multiple interpretations and discussions.

However, "Life of Pi" is not without its criticisms. Some readers might find the narrative pace uneven, with certain sections, particularly at the beginning and the end, feeling slower compared to the gripping survival tale at sea. Furthermore, the philosophical and religious musings may not resonate with everyone, potentially alienating readers who prefer more straightforward narratives.

Despite these minor qualms, "Life of Pi" remains a masterpiece of modern literature. It’s a novel that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page, a testament to Martel’s skill as a storyteller and his deep understanding of the human condition. It’s a tale of survival against all odds, a meditation on faith and the power of stories, and ultimately, a celebration of life in all its complexity and wonder.

In conclusion, Yann Martel's "Life of Pi" is a remarkable novel that challenges, entertains, and enlightens. It pushes the boundaries of storytelling, blending reality with fiction in a way that is both innovative and deeply human. Whether you're a lover of adventure, a seeker of philosophical depth, or simply a fan of well-crafted narratives, "Life of Pi" is a book that deserves a place on your shelf.

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Plot Summary

By yann martel.

Life of Pi is a captivating story of Pi Patel and the catastrophic shipwreck followed by the harsh realities of survival at sea.

Article written by Mizpah Albert

M.A. in English Literature and a Ph.D. in English Language Teaching.

Yann Martel’s novel ‘ Life of Pi ‘ is a masterfully crafted story of survival and faith. The novel’s story follows Pi’s life in various parts of the world, like India, Canada, and predominantly in the Pacific Ocean. Pi undergoes the tumultuous conditions of the Pacific Ocean post the shipwreck, in which he loses his family and is left stranded alone on a lifeboat. The story testifies to how faith can help sail through adverse times.

Spoiler-free summary of Life of Pi

Piscine Molitor Patel, precisely called “Pi”, is the narrator and protagonist of the novel. He is the youngest son of the Patel family, who owns a zoo in Pondicherry, India. Growing up in his family’s zoo, Pi develops a deep love and understanding of animals, particularly a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. During the political unrest in India, his family decides to move to Canada, and they set sail on a Japanese cargo ship along with the animals from their zoo. However, tragedy strikes when the ship sinks during a storm. Pi miraculously survives and finds himself adrift on a lifeboat but soon realizes he is not alone. He shares the boat with several animals, including an injured zebra, a hyena, an orangutan, and Richard Parker, the tiger. The story progresses as Pi is left alone in the vast Pacific Ocean with just Richard Parker. The question “Who wins the war of survival? and how? makes the rest of the story.

Life of Pi Plot Summary

Warning – This article contains important details and spoilers

Yann Martel’s ‘ Life of Pi ‘ unfolds the tale of Piscine Molitor Patel, also known as Pi Patel, through a clever interweaving of past and present events. The miraculous account chronicles Pi’s survival post the shipwreck. The novel opens with the Author’s visit to India in search of a good story. Traveling from the North to the South of India, he accidentally encounters a man in Pondicherry who tells him an unbelievable story of faith. Eventually, the Author visits Pi, the story’s protagonist, in Canada and gets firsthand information about the journey. To distinguish the present and the past events, the Author has employed both the past and the present tenses, as well as he has used the first person as well as the omnipresent point of view. The story of ‘ Life of Pi ‘ is divided into three parts: Part 1 – Toronto and Pondicherry, Part 2 – The Pacific Ocean, and Part 3 -Benito Juarez Infirmary, Tomatlan, Mexico.

Part 1 – Toronto and Pondicherry

The Author’s note in the novel plays a crucial role as the Author tries to give a realistic touch to the story. At the beginning of ‘ Life of Pi ,’ a writer visits Bombay (now Mumbai) in the hope of writing a good story about Portugal. However, whatever the story he had written failed him miserably, for the novel lacked “that spark that brings life to a real story.” Discouraged, the visiting writer travels to Pondicherry, the former capital of French India. At a coffeehouse, he talks with an elderly man, Mr Adirubasamy. Knowing the Author’s condition, he offers to share a story that he claims is “a story that will make you believe in God.” Intrigued, the writer agrees to speak to the novel’s protagonist, ‘Pi Patel’. Pi narrates the incidents from his childhood, the incidents that happened after boarding the ship when he was just 16 years old, and his unforgettable journey on the Pacific Ocean. He acknowledges who helped tell the story, including Mr. Adirubasamy in the Author’s note.

Pi begins by narrating his present life, where his religious practices and studies at the University of Toronto helped him heal and thrive despite the tedious journey’s impact. Moving on, he explains to the visitor the meaning of his strange name, which was given to him after the French pool, Piscine Molitor. His name had been a source of mockery for fellow children when they called him “pissing” instead of “Piscine.” However, he made a dramatic impression of his name when he introduced himself as “Pi” in short. He compared it to the mathematical “Pi” and the number 3.14, which is used to calculate the circumference of a circle in geometry. Growing up in his family’s zoo, he was fascinated by animals from a young age. His father taught Pi and his brother Ravi about the dangers beheld by each of those animals and the tricks to handle them. He taught them that it is essential to teach the animals the importance of territory, which is more important in handling animals and keeping them under control. Besides his passion for the zoo and the animals, Pi was fascinated by spirituality and embraced Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam simultaneously. However, political unrest prompts Pi’s family to sell the zoo and move to Canada. As a result, in 1977, when Pi was 16, his parents decided to move the family, along with many of the zoo animals, on a cargo ship.

Following, the Author brings the story back to the present and points out his impressions of the adult Pi: Happily married with two children, home filled with religious iconography, and cupboards stuffed with vegetarian food. However, Pi regrets not having enough photos of his parents and brother. Luckily among the few photos, he has a photo of the tiger Richard Parker and shows it to the visiting writer.

Part 2 – The Pacific Ocean

Pi’s family boarded a Japanese cargo ship named the Tsimtsum. Unbeknownst to anyone, a disaster strikes when the ship encounters a violent storm in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The ship sinks, leaving Pi stranded as the sole human survivor on a lifeboat. However, he was not alone on the lifeboat because along with him, the confined space was shared by: a zebra, an orangutan named Orange Juice, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

As the days turn into weeks, the hyena kills the already-injured zebra and eats the orangutan. Eventually, Richard Parker, the 450-pound Bengal tiger, eats the hyena. Left alone with Richard Parker, Pi starts to fear for his life and mourns his family. His ingenuity and resourcefulness are tested as he watches the events in front. Ultimately, he realises that he must confront his fears and establish dominance over Richard Parker to ensure his survival. Initially, he constructs makeshift rafts to keep a distance from the tiger and feeds on the supply on the boat as he waits to be rescued. As days pass by, he runs out of supply and is confronted by the reality of keeping himself alive with whatever he can get his hands on. Though a vegetarian, following the survival kit, he catches fish for sustenance and collects rainwater to quench his thirst. Pi endures storms, hunger, and isolation as days pass, all while developing a unique relationship with Richard Parker. Their coexistence becomes a delicate balance between fear and mutual reliance.

In their journey across the vast ocean, Pi and Richard Parker encounter a carnivorous island inhabited by meerkats, initially seeming like a paradise. However, they soon discover the island’s true nature, and the lifeboat becomes their only refuge.

Part 3 -Benito Juarez Infirmary, Tomatlan, Mexico

Eventually, after 227 days at sea, the lifeboat reaches the coast of Mexico. Pi and Richard Parker make their way to land, where the tiger disappears into the jungle without looking back, leaving Pi to face his rescue and recovery. In the concluding part of the story, Pi recounts his incredible tale to Japanese officials investigating the shipwreck. He tells them about the animals and their lifeboat survival struggle. However, the officials find the story hard to believe, prompting Pi to offer an alternative version involving human characters, including his mother, a sailor, and a murderous cook. However, Pi insists that the animal story is true, suggesting that the human story metaphorically represents the events.

What is the message of Life of Pi ?

‘ Life of Pi ‘ conveys that every Life is a story, and one can choose their story. Similarly, ”A story with God is the better story”. Every life on this planet is interdependent, and with belief, life continues. 

Where does the story Life of Pi begins?

‘ Life of Pi ‘ begins in Pondicherry, India, the birthplace of the protagonist, where the Author meets Mr Adirubasamy. Pi reflects the story to the writer as an adult. He recalls growing up as a child, his parents, the day he became Pi Patel, his religious practices, and others.

What is the main point of view of Life of Pi ?

‘ Life of Pi ‘ is written in the first person point of view through the perspective of both the Author and the protagonist. The prefatory Author’s Note is written in the first person by the Author, who explains how he came to hear the story. The story (Part One and Part Two) is told in first person by Pi.

Does Pi face any challenges during his journey?

Pi faces numerous challenges during his journey, starting with the storm that leaves him stranded on the Pacific Ocean. From then, he battles hunger, thirst, and exposure to harsh elements while being adrift in the vast ocean. Additionally, he must come to terms with witnessing the animal kingdom’s violent nature and his primal instincts for survival.

What are the highlighted themes in Life of Pi ?

‘ Life of Pi ‘ deals with various themes that range from survival, faith, and spirituality, the power of storytelling and imagination, the relationship between humans and animals, and the nature of reality. The novel explores how humans cope with adversity and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of extraordinary challenges.

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About Mizpah Albert

Mizpah Albert is an experienced educator and literature analyst. Building on years of teaching experience in India, she has contributed to the literary world with published analysis articles and evocative poems.

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