I'm an English teacher in Berkshire. I love reading and wish I had more time to do so. Also to be fo...
I'm an English teacher in Berkshire. I love reading and wish I had more time to do so. Also to be found on DooYoo as brokenangel.
Member since:24.11.2003
Reviews:73
Members who trust:27
This is a story to make you believe in the power of story-telling.
The basic premise is at once simple and surreal: after a cargo ship sinks, a young boy (Pi) tries to survive on a lifeboat in the Pacific, accompanied by a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger, a hyena, a zebra and an orang-utan. This struggle for survival takes up the middle third of the novel and is simultaneously realistic and magical. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the capabilities of a tiger, Pi and the big cat are soon the only survivors and their uneasy co-existence gives the boy ample motive to try to feed them both: a healthy animal is less dangerous than an injured one.
Although the events in the Pacific form the main dramatic section of the novel, there is a long build up to prepare you to suspend your disbelief. First the author tells you how he came to write this story, using a mixture of fact and fiction that deliberately blurs the lines between reality and story. This is a story, we are told, that will make you believe in God - and so it might, if you agree with Martel's argument that God is a 'better story' than 'dry, yeastless factuality'. (I wonder how many religious people would care to hear their beliefs described as simply good story telling.)
Next, we are introduced to Pi himself, who is telling his story to the 'author'. In this section, his story largely consists of three parts: how he got his full name (Piscine) and his nickname (Pi); why zoos are actually more humane than real life; and how he became a Hindu, Buddhist and Christian. It is easy to become impatient with this section (100 pages odd) on a first read, because you want to find out how on earth he managed to survive on a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger. However, the ideas discussed are vital to creating the necessary beliefs and atmosphere for the main section of the novel and it is at least interesting to read such a clear defence of zoos. If you are struggling, be assured that the story does become far more dramatic and engaging.
After explaining why they were travelling, Pi's narrative voice takes over for the entire middle section and a wonderful story unfolds. Touches of humour are evident throughout as Pi explains (for example) 'how to train your animal at sea in a lifeboat', for any people who might endure his own special situation (don't waste your urine!). On a second read, this could drag in places as the monotony of Pi's life is emphasized, but on the first read I raced through this section, eager to discover what would happen next. Increasingly improbable events do occur, which eventually lead you to question Pi's truthfulness, but this is part of the argument that Martel is creating, and the events are truthful in a symbolic sense.
The short final section is an interview in which Pi tells his tale to an incredulous audience. (This is not a spoiler; we know from the opening pages that Pi Patel survived.) Once again, there are deft touches of humour throughout this scene, and Martel returns to the idea that all communication is a form of story-telling.
Overall, the novel is entertaining, interesting and (on a first read at least) gripping.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Some books defy categorisation:Life of Pi, the second novel from Canadian writer Yann ... more
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 thats the right word,...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Some books defy categorisation: Life of Pi, the second novel from Canadian writer Yann ... more
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 thats the right word...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Some books defy categorisation: Life of Pi, the second novel from Canadian writer Yann ... more
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 thats the right word...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Some books defy categorisation:Life of Pi, the second novel from Canadian writer Yann ... more
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 thats the right word,...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Some books defy categorisation: Life of Pi, the second novel from Canadian writer Yann ... more
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 thats the right word...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Oct 28th, 2008
very helpful by (100%):
