Life of Pi
Yann Martel
number of voters: 5
percentage of voters who finished the book: 100
highest rating: 9
lowest rating: 4
average rating: 6.8
percentage of non finishers who got past Part One: 0
percentage of finishers who thought Part Two was gory: 100
A boy, a tiger, a hyena, a zebra, and an orangutan are stranded on the Pacific Ocean…. No, this isn’t the setup of a joke, it’s the setup of the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel.
The boy is likable, a zookeeper’s son who pursues three religions at once, not because he is indecisive but because he is truly that dedicated to God.
The tiger is convincing, from the story’s first introduction of the species to the very real threat of sharing a small living environment with him.
The hyena is menacing, a gory reminder of the intricacies of the food chain.
The zebra is short-lived, nothing more than a meal for all involved.
The orangutan is endearing, a brave, motherly figure who reveals her strength and her defiance.
The story is both believable and unbelievable, a fascinating concept wrapped in a realistic package of gore and intensity, survival and boredom. It’s a work of fiction that tackles issues of faith and the value of life, and it does so in a way that questions the story’s own reality.
What if I told you that the whole tale was merely a figment of the boy’s imagination, a clever invention to mask the horror of what really took place? Would you believe the sensible, believable version, or would you give yourself over to faith and trust the beautiful and fanciful account of a boy, a tiger, and the Pacific Ocean?
