Life of Pi

Piscine Molitor Patel doesn't like his name so he changes it to Pi.  Pi doesn't like what really happened in the 227 days he spent stranded in the Pacific, so he changes it too.  It's about story telling and story telling at its best.

I first heard of the title from a friend from way back when blog was the thing and Ang Lee hasn't directed yet another tiger movie.  I haven't forgotten the book. I once borrowed the e-book from the library.  Reading from a tiny screen isn't really my thing and I wasn't able to finish it before the god damned DRM kicked in on the expiration date. One day I shopped at BJ (not having one), like any domesticated male does, and picked up a copy there for $9.99.  I remember the e-book from the library doesn't even have different fonts denoting different voices like in the book does.  Even the book I bought is a low grade trade paperback (remember BJ), but still I found it infinitely much readable than the screen.  I doubt a bigger screen would make any difference.  This copy has the picture still from Ang Lee's movie adaptation as cover.  I am OKAY with that.  I haven't seen the film except the trailer or teaser out there.

The author or Yann Martel says "the story will make you believe in god."  It's a tall order and personally I don't think the book has much to do with religions or even preachy.  It makes some interesting points and say them in an interesting way, to wit: how he compares Christianity's God sending his Son to die for the sinners to the young protagonist's father sending him to the lions.  For the most part I read it like a young adult's adventure book and I guess to a large extent it is.  But like what infomercials say, "Wait, there's more!"  The story definitely takes on a progressively darker tone when it reaches the end.  Is Pi a reliable storyteller?  Does Richard Parker, the Bengal tiger even exist? And for that matter, the zebra, the orangutan and the hyena?  Or does it even matter?  I think the story is decidedly ambiguous ... or not, in a good way (not the sucky kind like Lost).  It actually makes me think and question what I just read.  Overall a pleasant good read.

Endnote:  a word for young readers:  it has some gruesome scenes about cannibalism.