Life of Pi by Yann Martel is a fantasy adventure story, but with an underlying theme that I never expected. Let me begin with a brief synopsis. This is the story of Piscine Patel, nicknamed Pi, and his misadventures. He is a young teenage Indian boy, son of a zoo owner. Importantly, he is a practicing Hindu, Christian, and Muslim. His experiences growing up with animals, his family, and his faiths are the main topic of the first part.
The second part of the book is about his misadventures at sea. His family decides to immigrate to Canada, bringing most of their zoo animals with them to sell in North America. They board a cargo ship, but the ship sinks, and Pi spends a total of 227 days floating in the Pacific Ocean, with a hyena, zebra, orangutan, and a Bengal tiger for company. The first three animals die one by one, but the tiger and Pi survives until they float and reach the Mexican shores. This is the longest and in my opinion, most gruesome part of the book.
The final part of the book is an interview between Pi and a couple of Japanese maritime officials. Pi narrates his story of his ordeal at sea with the animals. However, the Japanese officials find his story incredulous and unbelievable, so Pi provides another story, without the animals. The Japanese officials find parallels between the two stories, and later on, Pi asks the officials which story they prefer, to which they respond that they prefer the animal story. Pi ends the conversation with and so it goes with God.
I could analyze this novel in so many different ways. No one can deny that this is an adventure novel. I am impressed with the wealth of information this novel has with respect to marine biology and survival. The author definitely did a great deal of research for this. Some of the descriptions on survival tactics were rather disturbing, to the point that one can almost think of this as a horror novel.
However, I realized that it is only disturbing because most of us humans have the creature comforts that our day to day lives provide. We usually never find ourselves thrown into such an extreme scenario that we lose our humanness and revert to animalistic measures.
Article comments
1 - Shaleem Hosein
I read this book in one sitting, it was that interesting to me. Apparently, it is supposed to be made into a movie.
2 - Bhai
I love this book
3 - DA
I believe that both scenarios are plausable. Once Pi told the 2nd story, I went "ohh" that makes sense. I do like the animal story better and believe that a person could survive with the animals on board in just that way - they are just as afraid of us as we are of them.
4 - Jeruen Dery
Hi DA - Yes, both scenarios are indeed plausible. The neat thing about the novel is that there is no way to decide. So it is up to the reader which version on prefers, whether it's the "Disney" version or the other one.
5 - ayush goyal
this bookj is so good toread
6 - daniel churchill
this book is off the chain gurrrlllllll!
7 - yaya
heyyyy gurrl!
8 - yaya
wow daniel.....
9 - poopy joe
This sucks
10 - visitor
I want to congratulate you on a respectful, thoughtful book review. "Life of Pi" was recommended to me by my 6th grade daughter about 5 years ago, and I found it to be one of the best books I have ever read,and as you found, very thought-provoking. In fact this is the first time I have ever commented on anything online.
Unlike you, I believe in God (I am a Roman Catholic Christian), but I chose the same story as you as the "true" one, so I'm not sure the "prettier" one is actually the one meant for religious believers to choose. The story with the people for me illustrates the human tendency to fail to live up to what is best in our natures -- to be "fully human" as God intended us to be. The other story is only "prettier" because the animals are acting out their true natures or instincts, not making moral judgements or failing to act in moral ways.
Actually, as I recall (I don't have the book here) atheists and those who believe in God were considered by Pi to both have taken a leap of faith not taken by agnostics. My remembrance is that Pi's atheist friend who visited the zoo was impressed by the beauty of the animals and what nature or evolution had brought about, so possibly the animal story is the one they are supposed to choose under your analysis.
My take on the book was that Pi is Richard Parker (the tiger), and he chose to do what was necessary for survival, much in self-defense. His mother (orangutan) was not willing to kill to survive. The cook (hyena) was, and was capable of cannibalism. The tiger is a symbol for the darkness that lurks in all of us (original sin?). Pi is uneasy with his choices which fall short of the ideals of any of his religious beliefs, hence the uneasy truce with the "tiger" on the boat, and why Richard Parker runs off into the jungle upon arrival back in civilization -- which has supports to aid moral decision making (laws, social expectations, institutions, etc.). In my opinion, that is why he weeps after he says "...and so it goes with God." God wants us to live up to the human nature he created for us, but that we often turn away from, though Pi's situation is truly extreme. That is why in the Christian tradition, we needed a savior. Perhaps God would have preferred the animal story?
11 - myfeedbackaustralia
"Life of Pi" is by far, the worst book I have ever read in my life, and reminds me to never read a book based on hype alone. I regard myself as well read - books I have enjoyed (& sometimes persevered with) include sci fi (Dune trilogy, PK Dick, Neuromancer), fantasy (Tolkein, Dracula, Ryder Haggard, Anne Rice), classics (Austen, Bronte, Dumas, Tolstoy, Du Maurier, Margaret Mitchell, Agatha Christie, Orwell, Plath, Harper Lee, Scott Fitzgerald, Radcliffe, Gallico) ancient classics (Homer), modern (Attwood, Allende, Larsson, Anne Rice, Rushdie), international (Tale of Genji, Rubiyyat of Omar Khayam, Pilgrims Progress, Canterbury Tales), childrens' (Dahl, Wizard of Oz), allegorical (Lion Witch & Wardrobe, The Shack, Animal Farm) and popular (Twilight, Hunger Games, DaVinci Code, Clive Cussler, Perfume, Larsson). In comparison "Life of Pi" was a complete & total waste of time. The first 100 pages were readable (no more or less than any of the books I have read before) - I endured until the beheading of Orange Juice, when I finally put it down & asked myself - "why am I subjecting myself to this awful crap??" To read pages & pages in gory & graphic detail about how the zebra gets, over two days, pieces of its body ripped of it & slowly eaten alive made me physically sick. It was a dreadful read on the way to work & completely ruined my day. How people can say this is a wonderful book beats me!! And why would you subject children to this book or movie (unless you were ignorant of the violence & got sucked in by the hype)?? On the way home, I debated throwing the book away (something I have never done in my life before). I considered throwing it in the nearby river but didn't want to litter. It was a huge sense of relief to throw it in the bin!! If violence, gore & animal suffering to the extreme is your thing - read this book. Or if you are just a mindless follower & can be told to think a "wonderful" book is one that includes pages of graphic animal suffering. If you are sensitive to the suffering of others & love animals - stay away. If you are not sure - don't waste your time & money on this one - there are many better books to read.
12 - Tacitaquipper
Life of pi features two parallel stories about the events on a lifeboat in the pacific after the sinking of a cargo ship.
One of these stories is infinitesimally more fantastical than the other. This story, the first version that Pi tells, is the embellished version, the more colorful and amazing one which has tigers and hyenas and orangutans to satisfy your imagination. It has carnivorous islands and sea turtles and meerkats yet all is delivered in a factual and clinical tone (probably coz pi is looking back on his suffering as a reflection).
The other story is more brutal. This story is only presented to us when the two Japanese interviewers decide they don't like the first story, that they want to hear something that doesnt contradict their already set in place beliefs. This has no animals in it, but cannibals and amputations and murder. The two Japanese interviewers note that each animal corresponds to a person in the humans only story... But the only human (pi) in the animal story does not have a match up, because the tiger is a projection of himself...
Personally I believe Martel is really asking us, since it makes no difference which story we prefer, to stop being agnostic and have faith in something unproven. The choice is what matters, not which story you choose. the animal story reflects religions and parables, metaphors and euphemisms and things that do not necessarily come from your own life. The humans story reflects believing in what you can predict from your own circumstances and your own life...
I have read this book now once a year since it came out ( I was then six) and my perception of the different depths in this book have changed over the course of my life. I at first saw only the fictious story, then the psychology, and now I see the challenge of faith... I will continue to re read it and see what later life revelations can be bestowed upon me.
13 - Ankitha
nice review
14 - chiciebee
I found your proposal of the meaning of the reader's choice of story to be an interesting and thought-provoking idea. I can't say I fully agree with it, as I don't really fit in.
I am an atheist, and I choose the animal story. I fully agree with the author’s implication (as he intended); it IS the better story. It is told over the greater portion of the book and strikes a chord with the animal-lover and adventure-novel fan in me. The second is told in a chapter, but admittedly with the same beguiling charm as the first two parts; it effectively had me questioning the validity of nearly everything I read before.
But there is no choice, for me. Did I just get through a thrilling tale of adventure and survival to choose the mundane ending? No! And whatever implications on my religious persuasion can be sent to that fiery underworld of legend.
May I assert that, in reality, this is a work of fiction? That, truthfully, NEITHER of these stories ever took place? Debating which of these to choose is practically irrelevant, since neither is “true”. And determining which of the two is more likely based on statistical probability is downright daft. (How likely is it that Cinderella actually had a fairy godmother who gave her glass slippers, for crying out loud?) The only reason to entertain these discussions is to analyze yourself.
What does my choice say about me? To put in in Martel’s terms, with each decision I have chosen what I believe to be the better story. I have already explained the choice of the animal story. For my choice in faith? To believe in God when I so deeply believe that God is a figment of imagination to explain the mysteries of life? That would feel empty to me. I would feel as if the wool had been pulled over my eyes. I could never be content like that. I choose instead to believe in the general truths I perceive every day about human nature, and about science. Mr. Kumar and I would have a lot in common.
And may I assert that this novel has strengthened a notion I’ve held for a long time about peoples’ chosen religious persuasions. I can divide all individuals into two categories: those who hold views about religion, either that they believe or do not believe, and are secure enough in their belief that they do not feel the need to shove it in others’ faces, and those who are precisely the opposite, and are constantly stirring up dust and resentment in their quest to convert people to their points of view. I believe that Pi Patel, the author, and I would fall neatly into the first category. We have our beliefs, we present our beliefs, but we don’t demand that others conform to them. We coexist peacefully and learn from one another. I think this is truly beautiful.
This was a powerful work of fiction; I’ve never read a book with such an entrancing writing style. Even now I am amazed at the way Martel, as he said, twisted reality to bring out its essence. I gobbled it up like candy. This is not a novel I will forget in a hurry.
15 - Ipreferanimals
Myfeedbackaustralia, how can you say this is crap? You may not 'get' it or even care which says more about the reader, than the book. Animals die and kill, eat and suffer in nature to survive. Naivety or ignorance shuns that fact ( that is not the same thing as being affected by animals in pain through torture) and indeed this book illustrates something far higher than that.
I read this book years ago and it was not hyped by anyone. A friend sent me a copy having said she could not believe how no one had told her about this book. It is wonderful precisely because of its detail, imagination, narrative, colour and, first and foremost because of its soul. If you haven't read it, then I urge you to do so - unless you don't like to believe that animals have to kill to survive and that somehow Man's behaviour is somehow less cruel than the latter to behold on the page, or in life.
16 - Religion centred? Yes
I reckon Martel is having a fair dig at religion of all types in an indirect manner. You can choose the animals, without doubt the more entertaining story or the blunt and apparent reality of what humans would perceivably do to survive on a castaway boat. It's a novel acting as a perfect analogy for atheism v religion
17 - swarnim
it a good ,adventure book. asupeb one
18 - No name
You can give better review
19 - farida_dn
i recommend you to read this book ! love, love and love it :D
20 - kian
What do you mean with that you want to know the thruth. (people or animales on the boat) first of all this is fantasy and nothing i thruth, and the book goes under the genre novel. one of the points in a novel is that it should be a open ending.
21 - lydia
I absoultely love this review. So respectful and thoughtful. Well done. I just wanted to comment on your last sentence where you stated you might change your choice if there was evidence. The point is, the first story never had and never will have evidence...at least the kind that the second story has. You either believe it....or you dont. Don't wait for evidence is what I mean....might cost a lot.
22 - Nana
I don't even think that the animal story was prettier than the other one. Like the myfeedbackaustralia said, it was all gore and horrible. It was more detailed and vivid than the second story. And the reason why I actually want to believe to the animal story is the bengalian tiger. I don't want to think that Pi was alone all that time out to the sea and I kind of have this strong urge to believe into this almost mythical creature. Because without it the story becomes somehow empty and hollow and not because all the killing... So could this bengalian tiger be a presentation of belief as well as the symbol Pi himself? Well that is how I think, altough I like all the other interpretations and believe that they are as right as well.
I really liked the themes of this book, because I have had many losses in my life and I kind of have just discovered my religious side again, which I had lost. So it felt that these themes are very close to my life at the moment.
I believe in God and for me it means that I have this strong sense of spirits/gods/miracles/holiness/beauty in nature or in my life which I cannot rationally explain or I don't feel I even need to. I had lost this feeling or emotion for couple of years, but I'm feeling it again. It makes me happy... perhaps because it is 'a better story'.