Life of Pi

Author: Yann Martel

Synopsis: A modern retelling of the classic "survival story," but with a few excellent twists.

------------------------------------------------------------

I picked up Life of Pi at a library book sale in Oberlin, Ohio, while in college. I didn't know anything about the novel, but its beautifully-designed cover caught my attention.

It was that cover's same allure that drew me back to it, nearly two years later. And for that I am grateful - it's the most engaging fictional work previously unknown to me, champion of classic literature and not much fond of modern, that I've attempted in months.

The story is simple. A teenage boy, son of a zookeeper, finds himself stranded at sea after a devastating shipwreck. (His name of Piscine, shortened to "Pi," lends the book its title.) In some ways, a classic survival tale, but with many colorful additions: cultural references to India, insight into the instinctual processes of wild animals, and always delightful turns of phrase. ...Oh and by the way, there's a 450-pound adult Bengal tiger sharing his lifeboat.

I cannot say more without giving away the fantastic and shocking twist at the end - worth waiting for, even when the storytelling begins to lag a bit three-quarters of the way through.

My only critique is the way the author handles his discussion of religion. In Martel's attempt to sound thoughtful - or perhaps share some deep nugget of wisdom - he instead only forces the reader to experience probably the same spiritual confusion that he did in his teen years... and with no solid denouement to his struggles. As this happens near the beginning of the book, he could easily have cut 25 pages and better preserved the momentum of his story.

Life of Pi is relatively easy to read, and the writing and the nature of the story will keep any reader hooked for its entirety. I finished it in two sittings. (Granted, the first was during a long flight across the country, but those few hours were the most enjoyable time I expended during travel.)

DO READ IF: you want to add a modern favorite to your collection.
DO NOT READ IF: you have a weak stomach for lurid descriptions of blood, killing, entrails, etc. (Since most of the protagonist's life is spent fighting against starvation, as well as feeding a wild Bengal tiger, there are scattered and frequent incidents that could make a reader quite nauseous. Vegetarians, look elsewhere.)