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deathmetalheron's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Never has a book that effectively describes one of the most repetitive existence in the most fascinating and engaging fashion. The vast majority of chapters are essentially "man on boat in ocean lives" but the book is shockingly easy to get through and was a certified page-turner.
Life of Pi is one of those books you wish you read in high school, you hope your English teachers assigns. This should be The Great Gatsby, the one book where everyone at school goes and actually unironically loves it. It's a bona fide classic.
What makes a book truly a classic is that it has enough depth for the scholar, but can easily be enjoyed by a pedestrian reader. There is so much metaphor and symbolism to be read into, Pi's role as a storyteller/unreliable narrator can be questioned, whether or not his animal friends represent concepts or other people--but like Pi in his interview at the one, he asks which story is better. The one with the tiger, of course. Honestly, you could hack off the third part and this book would still be incredible, maybe not as deep, but still incredible.
I think the most brilliant part of the ending is a part I didn't see touched on often enough--Richard Parker leaving Pi on the Mexican beach unceremoniously. It shows that it truly was a relationship of convenience, there is no "boy and his big cat" element here, they were two kindred spirits. It is excellent for a book that clearly loves animals and their lives to establish that wild animals are still wild. But it also plays into the concept the tiger is some sort of survival instinct/id of Pi and as soon as he finds civilization again it leaves, no longer needed.
Life of Pi is one of those books you wish you read in high school, you hope your English teachers assigns. This should be The Great Gatsby, the one book where everyone at school goes and actually unironically loves it. It's a bona fide classic.
What makes a book truly a classic is that it has enough depth for the scholar, but can easily be enjoyed by a pedestrian reader. There is so much metaphor and symbolism to be read into, Pi's role as a storyteller/unreliable narrator can be questioned, whether or not his animal friends represent concepts or other people--but like Pi in his interview at the one, he asks which story is better. The one with the tiger, of course. Honestly, you could hack off the third part and this book would still be incredible, maybe not as deep, but still incredible.
I think the most brilliant part of the ending is a part I didn't see touched on often enough--
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Excrement, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief, Murder, and Religious bigotry
alxrads1350's review against another edition
5.0
What an interesting , beautiful , sad but also faithful piece of art
mamahest's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
princesscai08's review against another edition
4.0
I was quite confused by the ending. Not sure which story is the real one.
isabellaaaareadsss's review against another edition
read half, no more shall be read out of self respect
marieeveduchesne's review against another edition
5.0
There is something about a book that connects to you. In some ways, the connection is in the story: how it is written and such. For some, it may be the portrail of the characters and the author's way of writing.
For me, this book was because of the story. It did took me weeks to get into it, but I read on, eventually. It tells the story of a young castaway with animals on the same boat, going back to the present. It may or may not be a good starter but trust me, it will. As the story unravels and comes to an end, Martel shows his ability to aid a reflexion about life, the what-if's and religion. Yes, this book has a religious tint to it and it is soemthing you should not forget when you read the novel.
Some may say that the fact that it contains facts about zoology and theology might distract you and it might have done it for me. As somebody might have said before me: it's important but not crucial to our well-being.
What makes Martel's story even better is that he, as a writer, has an hability to write metaphors that connect with the story and that make it seem like it is a fable or a story to read to your children at night (Though that wouldn't be a good option...) He has also an ability to write beautiful words like:
"It was my luck to have a few good teachers in my youth, men and women who came into my dark head and lit a match."
"Doubt is useful for a while...But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation."
With this long review, I will say this: you might have two sorts of relationship with the book. Either you like it or you don't. I believe I am in the first category, of the ones who loved it and that they have make me think a lot more than I thought I would.
For me, this book was because of the story. It did took me weeks to get into it, but I read on, eventually. It tells the story of a young castaway with animals on the same boat, going back to the present. It may or may not be a good starter but trust me, it will. As the story unravels and comes to an end, Martel shows his ability to aid a reflexion about life, the what-if's and religion. Yes, this book has a religious tint to it and it is soemthing you should not forget when you read the novel.
Some may say that the fact that it contains facts about zoology and theology might distract you and it might have done it for me. As somebody might have said before me: it's important but not crucial to our well-being.
What makes Martel's story even better is that he, as a writer, has an hability to write metaphors that connect with the story and that make it seem like it is a fable or a story to read to your children at night (Though that wouldn't be a good option...) He has also an ability to write beautiful words like:
"It was my luck to have a few good teachers in my youth, men and women who came into my dark head and lit a match."
"Doubt is useful for a while...But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation."
With this long review, I will say this: you might have two sorts of relationship with the book. Either you like it or you don't. I believe I am in the first category, of the ones who loved it and that they have make me think a lot more than I thought I would.
pantsuitparty's review against another edition
3.0
Tedious at times, but not unreasonably. I think tedium was what Martel was trying to get at with the heavy focus on a deconstruction of being castaway. The ending of this book allows the tedium to pay off, letting it shine as unique parable for the foundation on which faith based mythologies are founded.
npwallace16's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was very intriguing and the story flowed along nicely despite the fact that it is about a boy who spends 277 days on a lifeboat with a tiger.
If you watched the movie, you were probably severely disappointed as I was. The movie does not do this book justice. So, give this book a try before you completely dismiss it based on the mediocre movie that was made for such a fantastic book.
Overall, I liked it immensely.
If you watched the movie, you were probably severely disappointed as I was. The movie does not do this book justice. So, give this book a try before you completely dismiss it based on the mediocre movie that was made for such a fantastic book.
Overall, I liked it immensely.