Just finished listening to this wonderful story. It comes on 9 CDs (11.5 hours): I started it in early December, when I was doing a lot of driving, and it took forever once I returned home and my car excursions were limited to errands.
What I'm trying to do with recorded books is find a story that goes linearly from point A to point B. Dreamy soliloquys and stream of consciousness stuff doesn't work for me in the car.
This story, to give just the bare bones of it, is told by the sole survivor of a Pacific Ocean shipwreck, who drifts for 7 months in a lifeboat along with a bengal tiger.
The tiger is the only other survivor of the wreck: the narrator's family, zoo owners, were transporting their animals from India to Canada, where they were planning to begin a new life (and zoo).
The book chronicles the many bizarre, improbable, horrific, and miraculous events of the journey of this lonely sailor. The detailed descriptions of how Pi - the narrator - learned to fish, tame a wild tiger, find water and spiritual strength aboard his lonely craft are compelling.
I spent many moments in my driveway after arriving home, with the car turned off and my eyes closed, listening to the end of a chapter.
Excellent investment. Note also that amazon.com sells it for $26; I paid $37, the list price, at Borders.
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