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A review by jennifer_vars
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
“I can well imagine an atheist’s last words: ‘White, white! L-L-Love! My God!‘—and the deathbed leap of faith. Whereas the agnostic, if he stays true to his reasonable self, if he stays beholden to dry, yeastless factuality, might try to explain the warm light bathing him by saying, ‘Possibly a f-f-failing oxygenation of the b-b-brain,’ and, to the very end, lack imagination and miss the better story."
"These people fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. They should direct their anger at themselves. For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out. The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart."
I listened to the audio version of this book (haven't seen the movie yet) and I really enjoyed it. It was incredibly long (100 chapters) but a great story to follow.
Because of the philosophical slant, it's pretty hard to say there is just one interpretation here. Depending on each individual reader, I can see a variety of themes readers may take away.
Personally, I've lived most of my life with a bad taste in my mouth for organized religions.In my experience, it's been a show of a lot of hypocrisy and judgement from people with the effect of dividing rather than uniting people.
However, as I've read more and reflected on the various allegories found in different religious teachings I've come to appreciate the value and beauty of some of the stories.
And that's what I took away here. It's not necessarily about believing in God. Pi believed in three different religions. It's about what it takes to believe in something. Whether that's God, yourself, the world, goodness or some other way to strive towards ideal. Reality in itself is a story, we in some ways can choose our own story. Pi's faith, connections and his creativity saved him.
"These people fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. They should direct their anger at themselves. For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out. The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart."
I listened to the audio version of this book (haven't seen the movie yet) and I really enjoyed it. It was incredibly long (100 chapters) but a great story to follow.
Because of the philosophical slant, it's pretty hard to say there is just one interpretation here. Depending on each individual reader, I can see a variety of themes readers may take away.
Personally, I've lived most of my life with a bad taste in my mouth for organized religions.In my experience, it's been a show of a lot of hypocrisy and judgement from people with the effect of dividing rather than uniting people.
However, as I've read more and reflected on the various allegories found in different religious teachings I've come to appreciate the value and beauty of some of the stories.
And that's what I took away here. It's not necessarily about believing in God. Pi believed in three different religions. It's about what it takes to believe in something. Whether that's God, yourself, the world, goodness or some other way to strive towards ideal. Reality in itself is a story, we in some ways can choose our own story. Pi's faith, connections and his creativity saved him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cannibalism, Gore, and Violence