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sassypants1313's review against another edition
emotional
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
holliewong's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
alreadyemily's review against another edition
3.0
A fun read. Much more religion than I was expecting, but mostly confined to the beginning 50-100 pages. If you've never heard the name Richard Parker before reading this book, be sure to look it up after you finish it.
katiescho741's review against another edition
4.0
When I first encountered this book, the blurb made me think it was going to be a magical story about a boy who shares a lifeboat with a zebra, orangutan, hyena, and tiger and has adventures with them.
What this books actually is, is a story of raw, horrific survival. It's so real while having a touch of the surreal.
The writing is visceral, especially the parts about Pi eating fish and turtles. But it's also beautiful, as Pi describes the tiger's habits, and the wonders he sees as he takes a "stroll" along the Pacific. This book is also a lesson in zoology and the benefit of great zoos...it almost feels like a love letter to zoos at times! Martel has obviously done his research on that topic.
There's dry humour, wonder, religious ecstasy, and pure happiness in amongst the horrors Pi sees and experiences. I always think the cover of the book makes it look like a fairy-tale, but it's more like one of those creepy dark ones by the Brothers Grimm.
There are two jolting moments when you read this book for the first time, one near the start and one at the end. I have read this book three times and knowing the jolts are coming doesn't diminish them. This book is a great one to re-read because you see the events in the lifeboat so differently.
What stops this being a tragic slog of a book is that we are reminded at the start that Pi survived, grew up, went to college, got married, had kids, and so his story has a happy ending. My only small criticisms are that the boat talk had me a little confused at times as I haven't spent a lot of time around or in boats so I struggled to picture what was going on, and the religious talk near the start dragged on a little in parts. However, mostly I found his triple religion to be wonderful!
This is just such a beautiful book and well worthy of the hype.
What this books actually is, is a story of raw, horrific survival. It's so real while having a touch of the surreal.
The writing is visceral, especially the parts about Pi eating fish and turtles. But it's also beautiful, as Pi describes the tiger's habits, and the wonders he sees as he takes a "stroll" along the Pacific. This book is also a lesson in zoology and the benefit of great zoos...it almost feels like a love letter to zoos at times! Martel has obviously done his research on that topic.
There's dry humour, wonder, religious ecstasy, and pure happiness in amongst the horrors Pi sees and experiences. I always think the cover of the book makes it look like a fairy-tale, but it's more like one of those creepy dark ones by the Brothers Grimm.
There are two jolting moments when you read this book for the first time, one near the start and one at the end. I have read this book three times and knowing the jolts are coming doesn't diminish them. This book is a great one to re-read because you see the events in the lifeboat so differently.
What stops this being a tragic slog of a book is that we are reminded at the start that Pi survived, grew up, went to college, got married, had kids, and so his story has a happy ending. My only small criticisms are that the boat talk had me a little confused at times as I haven't spent a lot of time around or in boats so I struggled to picture what was going on, and the religious talk near the start dragged on a little in parts. However, mostly I found his triple religion to be wonderful!
This is just such a beautiful book and well worthy of the hype.
cdoyle99's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kiki_99's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
renaeanalise22's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
ellie_bronte's review against another edition
5.0
Whoa. Just, whoa. I mean don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this book a good amount before I hit the third part of it but it was definitely the last part that took this entire story and pumped it with so much more meaning.
I had to give this book a go because the premise is so out there. I mean, how could you not at least a attempt a book claiming a survival story of a sixteen year old and a Bengal tiger? How can one validate a story like this, make it plausible because wouldn't the tiger just eat the boy? And then you take nature's elements, and food, and shelter in account and, yeah, had to try it!
And it did not disappoint at all. The Life of Pi balances adventure with philosophy, with religion, with factual information, and I wasn't bored in the slightest because it was all written well, is in it felt like someone credible was telling me this story. Which this is a tall order since early on this book claims to fulfill a tall order: "This story will make you believe in God."
Well damn, okay I'll humor you and keep listening.
I kind of nodded and determined where they were going with this, that yeah of course I'll believe in God and miracles because despite everything riding against Pi, he survives. Isn't that how this kind of story usually works? But then Part 3 happens...
And the story changes entirely.
This well written story where you're rooting for Pi and you know will have a happy ending, suddenly takes on a darker connotation and from there you decide for yourself whether to accept the story with the zebra, orangutan and Richard Parker, or believe the bleaker story that's spewed out in several pages. Which would you rather believe, Pi poses this question and if there's no factual backing for either story, then what does it matter what you believe?
Whoa. Just. Whoa.
And not just that, the fact that you can now take the same story and read it all over again with the second story in mind, brings up so many more questions, such as how killing is justified if it's animals doing it and not humans, because animals kill with a reason behind it (i.e. food, threat). And how there were some moments where Pi seemed like he was hallucinating but can be grounded now in a much morbid outlook. And yet there are some elements, such as the carnivorous island, which are still unclear but to really analyze what was going through his head psychologically acknowledges some much darker aspects to him. Of course the situation is grim, but the explainable due to the animals suddenly enters the morally gray, the things we don't have the answer to.
But on top of all this, there are other themes that I really enjoyed with Pi. For example, how he chooses to follow three seemingly separate religions. And also how he would rather suffer with a tiger that could maul his face in record time, versus suffering total loneliness. And just how survival really changes a person, how the humanity has been stripped from Pi because at the end of the day he needs to do what he must to survive, and how he really isn't any different from the animals he tends to.
Ugh, this book. I need to give it another read just to see this other point of view. Five stars, definitely five stars.
I had to give this book a go because the premise is so out there. I mean, how could you not at least a attempt a book claiming a survival story of a sixteen year old and a Bengal tiger? How can one validate a story like this, make it plausible because wouldn't the tiger just eat the boy? And then you take nature's elements, and food, and shelter in account and, yeah, had to try it!
And it did not disappoint at all. The Life of Pi balances adventure with philosophy, with religion, with factual information, and I wasn't bored in the slightest because it was all written well, is in it felt like someone credible was telling me this story. Which this is a tall order since early on this book claims to fulfill a tall order: "This story will make you believe in God."
Well damn, okay I'll humor you and keep listening.
I kind of nodded and determined where they were going with this, that yeah of course I'll believe in God and miracles because despite everything riding against Pi, he survives. Isn't that how this kind of story usually works? But then Part 3 happens...
And the story changes entirely.
This well written story where you're rooting for Pi and you know will have a happy ending, suddenly takes on a darker connotation and from there you decide for yourself whether to accept the story with the zebra, orangutan and Richard Parker, or believe the bleaker story that's spewed out in several pages. Which would you rather believe, Pi poses this question and if there's no factual backing for either story, then what does it matter what you believe?
Whoa. Just. Whoa.
And not just that, the fact that you can now take the same story and read it all over again with the second story in mind, brings up so many more questions, such as how killing is justified if it's animals doing it and not humans, because animals kill with a reason behind it (i.e. food, threat). And how there were some moments where Pi seemed like he was hallucinating but can be grounded now in a much morbid outlook. And yet there are some elements, such as the carnivorous island, which are still unclear but to really analyze what was going through his head psychologically acknowledges some much darker aspects to him. Of course the situation is grim, but the explainable due to the animals suddenly enters the morally gray, the things we don't have the answer to.
But on top of all this, there are other themes that I really enjoyed with Pi. For example, how he chooses to follow three seemingly separate religions. And also how he would rather suffer with a tiger that could maul his face in record time, versus suffering total loneliness. And just how survival really changes a person, how the humanity has been stripped from Pi because at the end of the day he needs to do what he must to survive, and how he really isn't any different from the animals he tends to.
Ugh, this book. I need to give it another read just to see this other point of view. Five stars, definitely five stars.
ekmook's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75