February 2008 Host: Nancy

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Summary

“I have a story that will make you believe in God.,” we are told at the beginning of this book. This is the story of Pi Patel, the sixteen year old son of a zookeeper who grew up in India. Pi enthusiastically (and to everyone’s concern) studies and begins practicing three different religions, Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism. It is this precociousness that will eventually serve to Pi’s advantage. The father decides to pick up and start a new life in Canada. The family and all of the zoo animals are loaded onto a giant freighter, which later sinks. Pi, the sole human survivor, ends up in a lifeboat with a 450 pound Bengal tiger, a hyena, an orangutan and a zebra. Pi Patel must use all his strength, wits, and faith to survive 227 days adrift at sea in a 26 foot raft - with one of the most deadliest animals on earth - the Bengal tiger. This book won the 2002 Man Booker Prize.

Discussion

-Everyone enjoyed the book, even though some had already read the book, it was read again - and enjoyed a second time. This is one of those rare books where a second reading is pleasurable and different reflections, metaphors, symbolism, and allegories, come to light.

-There was a lot of gore in the book, the author did not leave out any details, especially when some of the animals ripped each other apart. There was a flesh eating forest as well as descriptions of meals consisting of things such as fish eyes, cigarettes, or turtle innards.
It was felt that some of the gory descriptions were necessary to understand what lengths humans (or animals) will go to for survival.

-Certain parts of the bible are alluded to in the book such as the anti-Eden island and blindness and despair (that appears frequently in the new testament). There were many metaphors in the book - one being Pi’s struggle with his faith.

-It was a relief to read a book with absolutely no romance involved.

-There was a lot of detail put into the section on how zoos are run, however, this was necessary for understanding the eventual training of the tiger.

-This was a long book club meeting - we talked until midnight about various things besides the book - and we all wondered where the perogies were.