This is not the latest book I have read, but it is the most haunting. A couple of years ago I stopped reading fiction. A string of poorly written books led me into a non-fiction holiday. This book gives me fresh hope for the genre.

Synopsis
Life of Pi by Yann Martel is the closest thing to narrative perfection I have ever encountered. This story—a kind of re-telling of Noah’s arc from a non-Christian perspective—is unlike any other. It is hard to summarize because it can be read on many different levels, but regardless, it is a story about animals, shipwrecks, and religion. A young Indian boy encounters a catastrophe during his family’s ocean voyage followed by a harrowing struggle to survive with only the most basics elements, his wits, and a Bengal tiger named Robert Parker. The complexity of the story, however, is not revealed until the end.

Some ideas that leapt out at me
At first when Pi realizes he is not only adrift at sea, but trapped with a Bengal tiger, he tries to figure out how he will get rid of Robert Parker. It is the tiger or me, Pi feels. But slowly Pi begins to realize that it does not have to be that way, and in fact, his survival depends on saving the tiger, not killing him. It is a fascinating statement about how humans need companionship—even if that partner is not another human being. We need a witness to our struggles and we to feel like someone (or something) needs us.

The animals in the zoos are said to enjoy being in captivity more than being in the wild. This idea, which sometimes angers readers, is quite controversial. But the way Martel explains it through the voice of Pi is something to think about. On top of that he imbeds the similarity between animals and humans throughout the work. In fact, the whole book is really a question of where does the animal stop and the human begin? What is the difference between us in the eye of God?

Who should read this book
Any reader that is intrigued by surrealism, philosophy and/or religion should read this book. It is definitely a work that explores where fact ends and fiction begins. It asks us to think about the nature of reality.
It should be kept in mind that this book is not for the faint of heart. It is one of the most brutal and gory works of fiction I have ever read. The cruelty is not superfluous; it is essential to the story. I will not go into detail about these elements, but it is something I think readers should be warned about.

Lighter moments
There were parts of this story that made me laugh out loud. Even through the razor-sharp tension there were some funny moments. I will not reveal too much and take away the fun for other readers, but a couple examples are:
• How Robert Parker got his name
• Pi’s take on religion being a practicing Hindu, Christian and Muslim

Problems
As much as I liked this book it did have its problems. It is very slow in the beginning and difficult to get engrossed in. I almost put it down because it seemed to be going no where. Then out of the blue I found the work so absorbing I could barely concentrate on anything else until I finished it.

While I am fan of surrealism, the island of carnivorous plants was a bit hard to take. I had to put the book down for a few days because I began to feel like the author was having a giant joke at my expense. While I understand the point of it, now, I am still uncomfortable with that part of the story.


Life of Pi is undoubtedly unlike anything you have ever read (or may ever read again). I cannot help thinking about a primitive oral tribe of wandering people who might have told a story like this at night around a campfire. It has such depth that it could be elevated to a sort of mythology (which could not be more fitting for a book about religious and philosophical ideals.)




Recommended: Yes