Review: Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Life of Pi by Yann Martel won the Man Booker Prize in 2002.  And it is easy to see why - I can only imagine the judges were as impressed by the writing and captivated by the story weaved by Martel as I.  I resisted reading this for a long time - I didn't think the story of a boy lost at sea in a boat with a tiger would hold my interest.  I was certainly wrong and this book is about much more than the boy and the tiger.

The narrator is Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi), a teenager living in Pondicherry in India with his parents and brother, Ravi.  His father is a zookeeper and the first part of the book focuses on Pi's life at the zoo and we learn about the animals and the ways in which they interact with humans.  But this is not mere narration - Pi offers insights throughout the narrative.  For example:

I don't mean to defend zoos.  Close them all down if you want (and let us hope what wildlife remains can survive in what is left of the natural world). I know zoos are not in people's good graces.  Religion faces the same problem.  Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.

 Religion is a theme that is often returned to throughout the book but in the first third, in particular, there is a focus on it as Pi begins to explore the great religions of the world.  Raised by parents who did not espouse any religion, Pi is curious about the major religions and approaches them with a naivete and openness which is refreshing.  As a Catholic, I had to laugh at Pi's analogy for God's sacrifice of his Son to save the world from sin:

Humanity sins but it's God's son who pays the price? I tried to imagine father saying to me, "Piscine, a lion slipped into the llama's pen today and killed two llamas.  Yesterday another one killed a black buck. Last week two of them ate a camel. The week before it was painted storks and grey herons . . . The situation has become intolerable. Something must be done. I have decided the only way the lions can atone for their sins is if I feed you to them".

"Yes, father, that would be the right and logical thing to do. Give me a moment to wash up."

His analogy speaks to the absurdity of the core tenets of some religions when you take them absolutely literally.  Without faith and the willingness to accept what you may not understand, the tenets can seem like stories.

Pi proceeds from Christianity to Islam and Hinduism and ultimately adopts all three religions - he can see what is common among all three religions and just wants to love God - the structure by which he does that is less important to him.  Again, a valuable message especially in a world that is torn apart by what divides religions rather than what unites them.

In the next segment of the book, Pi and his family (and the animals who have been sold to zoos in North America) embark of a sea journey to Canada.  His parents have decided to emigrate.  Their boat sinks and Pi lands in a life boat with Richard Parker, a Bengal Tiger.  Pi is lost at sea for seven months and he chronicles his efforts to survive.  He fights for food, water and of course, the tiger.  The story seems unbelievable but it is captivating.

The story takes a surprising turn at the end which I won't go into here so as not to ruin it for anyone that hasn't read it yet but suffice it to say it made me reconsider the entire book.  This is certainly a book you can read multiple times - it is so rich, you would get something additional from it with each read. I highly recommend this book!