Friday, December 9, 2011
Life of Pi
I am currently reading Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. Not "pi" as in 3.14 etc, just for your information - this isn't a math book. I got this book a couple years ago and read a few pages - I considered those pages some of the boringest (yeah, I know it isn't a real word) literature I had ever read. However, I recently pulled the book off the shelf, trying to find one of the books in my collection that I never got around to reading. This book follows the life of a young man named Piscine Molitor Patel, or Pi. He grew up on his family's zoo, around animals and nature. His family moves from India to Canada in the book, a startling change. At first, with the scientific descriptions in the book, I thought this would be some very fancy-schmancy science-based novel. But then, as it went on, I doubted that. India, a cultural hub near the Middle East, is and was always near multiple religions - Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Pi is influenced by the differing religious views around him, as he talks to a priest, a pandit (a Hindu someone), and an Islamic mystic. As a teen, Pi follows all three religions - for example, for his birthday, he asks to be baptized and given a prayer mat. Yann Martel goes pretty deep into religion, an often controversial subject. However, the 123 pages of the book that' I've read (a bit over a fourth) is introduction - not too much character development. In the book, I am currently at a tense part where Pi and his friend are on a sinking boat filled with zoo animals, presumably from his zoo. I think that this is the only real drawback so far - 1/4 of the book was a mere introduction. However, Martel's descriptive writing style and deep ideas are appealing. If you like deep books that make you think, then I suggest you take a look at Life of Pi.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This book sounds very interesting, and although parts of that introduction does sound like some of the "boringest" literature you probably have ever read, I am curious to see what will happen to Pi when his different faiths clash in later parts of the book. I am also interested to see how his parents will act during this crucial time in the story. I also wonder what Yann Martel's approach to this conflict that is bound to happen will be, and how he will explain this very delicate topic of religion. When you finish the book, I would be very interested in reading a summary of the book.
ReplyDeleteEarlier this year I was debating on weather or not I should read Life of Pi, and It sounds fantastic! I've never read any of Martel's work before but I think I might try it out. He sounds like a very profound writer, but 1/4 of the book as an intro? I thought the Book Thief had a long intro, It sounds like a brilliant read though. I do beilive, that his works have had much praise from the critics. I'm still lost for a second book to read and this might be a brilliant story to read.
ReplyDeleteuh-huh. This book sounds interesting, but i don't really keep reading a book with either: a long introduction or a slow start. I would like to read this book, but i'm not sure if I would keep reading it or if I would get bored and put it on the shelf to never touch it again. I will probably read this book if i have the time.
ReplyDelete