Book Information
|
|
ISBN-13: 9780156027328 - ISBN-10: 0156027321 Publication Date: 5/1/2003 Pages: 336 |
Member $avings: $16,106,722.80
|
Books Available: 4,139,950
|
Members Online: 1,202
Your source for swapping books online - Read...Swap...Save!
How To Swap Books?
Sign Up
Search 
Kiosk
All Books
Book Browser
Advanced Search
Books Posted Today
Member Book Reviews
NYT Best Seller List
Newbery Medal Winners
Pulitzer Prize Winners
Most Traveled Copies
Club Wish List
Login
Community
Member Directory
Discussion Forums
Blog
Donations
Live Chat
Box-O-Books
Book Journal
Maps
The Eclectic Pen
Fun Stuff
Top 50s
Pulse of PBS
Spread The Word
Photo Gallery
Recipes
Club Tag Cloud
Member Testimonials
Help Center
Kiosk
Book Reviews of Life of Pi
227 Book Reviews submitted by our Members
sorted by voted most helpful
Leslie R. (
24 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is a fascinating book. There is so much fact in it that I kept checking that it was actually fiction.
Within the book is a treatise on the benefits of zoos and how, if they are created and maintained properly they are the best possible environment for the animals involved.
There is a discussion on comparative religions – Muslim, Hindu and Christianity. The main character gets involved and practices all three. He describes how they all benefit him in different ways.
Then there is the main part of the book – how to survive in a lifeboat at sea for seven months – especially if you are sharing the boat with a Bengal tiger. So there’s a short treatise on how to train a tiger – how to let him know you are the alpha male and therefore he is not to dominate (aka eat) you.
Much of the book is matter of fact, and it is all beautifully written.
I HIGHLY recommend it.
21 member(s) found this review helpful.
You have to start out reading this book with no expectations. It is completely unrealistic of course in the beginning, but when that is behind you, it is a surprisingly good story of survival and the close bond between man and creatures. And the end leaves you thinking for quite some time.
Liese S. (
21 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book is genius.
The beginning is a bit dry--about the first 80 pages were hard for me to get through (I wanted the TIGER! Bring on the TIGER!) but once the story got moving it was a beautiful, fascinating book. One of the best endings of all time, IMO. And you can go back and read the beginning once you've finished the book, and have a much better appreciation for it.
I highly recommend this book; it well deserved the Booker Prize.
17 member(s) found this review helpful.
I did not finish the book, I think the writing is excellent and the story compelling but for all animal lovers,reading the details of zoo animals being eaten alivel and Zebra's flesh being torn off as the Zebra lay in misery still alive. If I had know the book had this vivid discriptions of animals being butchered and tortured I would not have ordered it. Maybe after the Zebra incident the book's detail on animal torture ends I don't know becasue I couldn't risk having to read more about these beautiful animals being slaughtered. If you are the kind of person who gets squimish when animals are brutally sacrificed for the sake of the story don't read this. I only wish someone had told me that.
Megan (
14 member(s) found this review helpful.
Absolutely amazing. The best book I read in 2004 hands down. About a boy ,Pi Patel, who unfortunately finds himself stuck on a float with some interesting zoo animals, and his survival among these beasts. It left me thinking long after I was finished reading. It is so much more than meets the eye. This is one of my keepers. Rated 5/5
14 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was simply amazing. Lots of people said I should read it, and while I was halfway through I was still thinking, "There's got to be something I'm missing here."
There was.
Just keep reading...you won't be disappointed!
10 member(s) found this review helpful.
A very unusual story. I am still unsure whether I like it or not. Deep in some places and in others graphic description of desperate survival measures such as cannibalism. Well written and humorous at times, but if you like action packed novels, you will find it too slow. Pi Patel is an interesting and highly intelligent character.
9 member(s) found this review helpful.
Personally, I felt the book started very slow, but was, overall a tremendous find. I read it for book club and it yielded a fantastic discussion. Highly recommended.
8 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wow. I just finished this book and I can already tell it's one that I'll never forget. Yes, it can be slow reading at times due to its introspective nature. However, I think it's a powerful and enriching story.
Jessica M. (
6 member(s) found this review helpful.
I LOVE this book! It's really a great book for all ages--good for children since it's a fun adventure and great for adults since you can really delve into the deeper meaning of the story. Life of Pi is one of my favorites. I recommended it to so many friends.
5 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was absolutely amazing! How the story begins and the summary at the back of the book are completely different. What Pi goes through makes you envision the story. It's almost like Yann Martel experienced these events. Simply wonderful!
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is a great read and one that I highly recommend. Through most of the book, I couldn't put it down although there were some parts that dragged for me. The ending, in my opinion, is what makes this novel truly great. I think everybody should read this book and make sure you finish it! Regardless of whether you like the book or not, keep reading. The end turns a entertaining piece of fiction into a breathtaking and haunting literary masterpiece.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is in my top three favorite books of all time. We chose it for our book club, and we are still talking about it a year later.
The author gives such a loving and fresh look at humankind and a view of the Divine. There are moments in which the agony of Pi (the powerful young protagonist) is so keenly felt that I found myself sitting the book down and contemplating the experience as if it were my own.
This is a beautiful novel. The only portion of the book in which I had trouble identifying with was the visit to the island. Along with my book club friends, I did not understand what the author was trying to convey.
Still, if I only could take three books with me, Life of Pi would be one of them.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
My Mom gave me this book and told me how great it was but I thought it was terrible. Horribly depressing!
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Several friends and I have decided (based on reading this book particularly) to start up a book discussion group on "books we were supposed to love but we really only like, and not even that much." We want to dissect our experiences with so many of the books that have won awards and got all sorts of critical acclaim and our friends rave about but we just think are so-so.
There are a few shining moments in Pi - I like his religious discussions particularly - but I found it on the whole tedious, and the time aboard the lifeboat a particularly painful slow slog. I repeatedly had to check that I had turned to the correct next page when I finished a page, because there was so little continuity and so much rambling that didn't do anything but make me feel I was stuck on a lifeboat too. I didn't think that the second telling of the story was "life changing", although it was amusing and added dimensions to the first, and it didn't make up for the long time it took me to get there.
If you are bored but you get as far as Pi's boating experiences with Richard Parker, you might as well finish the book just to know what the author is leading up to (skimming in the middle is fine, but do read from chapter 90 to the end), but if you get bored before they sail on the Tsimtsum, don't worry about going on.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
I really did NOT like this book! It's on my list of "bad reads"! Definitely thumbs down in my book!
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
A little slow-moving. Worth reading, but really only once...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Life of Pi is not always a comfortable read, but it is thought provoking and marvelously written. The adventure story is a page-turner, but the reason this book stays with me is the exploration of religious and philosophical ideas. The second time I read it was even more satisfying than the first.
Terrifying and disturbing at times, as well as joyful and life-affirming, this isn't a book to be read when you are looking for a light read. It is, however, a beautiful journey and worth the discomfort.
Chelle B. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I cannot even express how much I enjoyed this book. It is amazingly well written and brings about many of the theological, worldly, and evolutionary debates of which no one can agree on one solid answer. I think this is an excellent book for anyone who is ready to sit down and try to think about what he/she believes is reality.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Simply one of the best books I've ever read. Maybe a metaphor...but tremendously engaging and philosophical at the same time. High fives all around.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Reading this book is like a 6-month exercise program; tedious, repetetive, and seemingly never ending, but the fruit of your labor is well worth it. The ending would have meant nothing without first laboring through the middle 60 chapters. And they weren't that boring...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Another reviewer coined the term "magical realism" to describe this book and that is the most fitting epithet that I can think of. The author challenges you with a bizarre and captivating story yet the narrative is always an authentic, beliveable voice.
The book is in three parts, with the major action occurring in the middle part. The beginning did not seem slow or dull to me, but it seemed to be the introduction to a good tale, a journey to be enjoyed, not rushed through. If you aren't aware of what is coming in the middle section, you won't be tempted to view that as the main action of the book, and the events will be as much a shock to you as they are to the Pi, the main character.
Yann Martel's prose is fascinating. His words are a pleasure to read and are the magic carpet that allow you to suspend disbelief and enter fully into the world he has created. If you enjoy well-crafted writing, this book will be a treat.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
"Life of Pi" is the story of Piscine Patel. Pi and his family are moving from India to Canada. However, on the way there, the boat they are traveling on sinks. Pi finds himself stranded in a lifeboat with an unusual mix of company.
I had a really hard time getting into "Life of Pi". After a week I was only a little over 50 pages in. So, to me, "Life of Pi" had a pretty slow start. In fact, I almost put it aside with no intention of finishing it. I had heard great things about it, so I pushed through. There were aspects of the story of course that I found fascinating, but it wasn't until I was half way through that I really got into the story and knew I would finish.
I really enjoyed the second half of the book. But, it was an effort for me to get there. I do recommend that you read "Life of Pi". I do think though that "Life of Pi" is geared more towards the young male readers than to 20 something female readers.
When you read "Life of Pi", you'll certainly learn a thing or two about survival.
Kate F. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I found this book completely fascinating, which was particularly gratifying because while I consider myself spiritual, I am not, in any way, a religious person. In fact I find most organized religions rather repellant, but theology from a historical perspective or non-preaching fictionalized standpoint, can be really fascinating, and this certainly fills the bill.
I found myself captivated by Pi and his companion, Richard Parker, and his tale of survival, whether embellished or not, was gratifying and uplifting, and not so much *inspiring* to me as it was reassuring. We find the ability to accomplish things we never thought possible when we are faced with the most dire of circumstances, even if that means training a tiger in the middle of the open sea.
I remain captivated and sated by thie story, so much so, that I have a large print of the image shown above, on the book, on my bedroom wall, as even the images of the aquatic life swimming under Pi is somehow comforting to me.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
The first time I tried to read this book, I HATED it. I only made it about 50 pages before putting it back on my bookshelf. About a year later, I picked it up again and was able to read it all the way through and found it much more enjoyable. Overall, very well written and holds the readers attention well. This is not a mindless read and does require time to focus on what you are reading.
Joanne K. - Ypsilanti, MI reviewed on 10/4/2007...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Couldn't finish this!! About 3 years ago (before I knew about this site) I read 80 pages or so and couldn't stand to waste any more time on it. Wish I would have written down specifically what bugged me because now I can't remember, except for something about the way he presented the descriptions of the religions, it was too simplistic and cheesy somehow. But like at least one other reviewer says, maybe getting past the first 100 pages would have done the trick.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was....interesting. If you can get through the first 100 pages or so, it gets better and there is quite a twist at the end. I read this for my book club and there was much to discuss about it. Not a quick read, but worth it in the end.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I liked this one. Stranded on a life raft with a tiger, how does one survive? This book is one version of how that might happen. I rushed home everyday from work to listen to more of this on audio. I got no housework done. The ending is very good, I nearly cried. I don't want to say too much and give anything away. I am certain this book will make my top 10 of the year. Beg, borrow or swap but read this book.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Fascinating and informative. Interesting reading on the lives of animals and survival at sea. A great story!
LeeAnn B. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
A unique story, and those are hard to come by. It is well written, vivid, and will make you think. I enjoyed it, twice!
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Very very good. Left to the imagination what really happened, looked at zoos completely differently after reading this.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Luminous, impossible to put down read ... with a surprise ending that keeps you thinking. Stay with it for the first couple of chapters and be prepared to take an unforgettable adventure. Not one you will soon forget.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
A fabulous romp through an imagination by turns ecstatic, cunning, despairing and resilient, this novel is an impressive achievement "a story that will make you believe in God," as one character says. The peripatetic Pi (ne the much-taunted Piscine) Patel spends a beguiling boyhood in Pondicherry, India, as the son of a zookeeper. Growing up beside the wild beasts, Pi gathers an encyclopedic knowledge of the animal world. His curious mind also makes the leap from his native Hinduism to Christianity and Islam, all three of which he practices with joyous abandon. In his 16th year, Pi sets sail with his family and some of their menagerie to start a new life in Canada. Halfway to Midway Island, the ship sinks into the Pacific, leaving Pi stranded on a life raft with a hyena, an orangutan, an injured zebra and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. After the beast dispatches the others, Pi is left to survive for 227 days with his large feline companion on the 26-foot-long raft, using all his knowledge, wits and faith to keep himself alive. The scenes flow together effortlessly, and the sharp observations of the young narrator keep the tale brisk and engaging. Martel's potentially unbelievable plot line soon demolishes the reader's defenses, cleverly set up by events of young Pi's life that almost naturally lead to his biggest ordeal. This richly patterned work, Martel's second novel, won Canada's 2001 Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction. In it, Martel displays the clever voice and tremendous storytelling skills of an emerging master.
Candy B. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
My head hurts. This book makes me think WAY too much. The first 100 pages were a real snooze fest for me. I knew most of the religious facts and it the text was VERY heavy. I used it to fall asleep to two nights in a row.
The problem? From there it gets really good... so I read the next 200 pages late into the night last night. My overall impression is that the book is entirely too wordy, it's heavy readying that doesn't always flow through the mind easily. I felt like I had to digest this book paragraph by paragraph instead of chapter by chapter.
This is not a book I would have usually read (in fact, I'm going to be reading a nice mindless Patterson book to scrub my brain clean after this one) *laugh*
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD....
I, of course, believe the 2nd story, the one that's more plausible. My big problem is that I can't get past the meerkat bones that were left in the boat. Perhaps they were some other animal's bones? Pi seemed so sure they would be tested and proven to be meerkats though...
I'm also having problems figuring out the island and Richard Parker. Was Richard Parker Pi? God? He found the strange island while recovering from blindness. I know there's some significance to that, but I can't figure it out. Perhaps it represented him at first giving himself up to death, then maybe seeing it for what it was (he "found" his own teeth) and the drive to continue on.
One other thing... the other guy that the tiger killed. The other blind man in the boat. Who was that? Everyone was dead by that point except the tiger. ARGGGHHH....
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was amazing! A metaphor? A story? A real experience? Beautifully written with vivid details. I loved this book.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I tried reading this a few months ago but just couldn't get into it. Then my friend Lauren and I were discussing the TV show "Lost." My theory was that they're all dead (just like an episode of the old Rod Serling TV series "Twilight Zone"), but she speculated that it was going to be just like the end of this book. So I read it, and now I know what she meant. (Don't want to spoil the book for anyone who hasn't read it, so that's all I'll say.)
I've heard lots of great things about this book, so hopefully others will like it better than I. As I told Lauren, I hated this book almost as much as Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea." She agreed, saying that she just liked the ending. Then she added that she never even finished "The Old Man and the Sea," so far all she knows that book ends with a surprising twist, too.
Deanna L. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
My son read this for school, but apparently skipped the last chapter where men from the shipping company came and interviewed Pi about his ordeal (he was stranded for 227 days on a lifeboat with a tiger). Skipping it, he missed the entire point of the book.
An intriguing treatise on human and animal nature. An animal lover and trainer myself (but not tigers!), I loved the part when Pi used his life jacket whistle and the drag anchors on the boat to get the tiger to associate the whistle with seasickness and thus control his behavior. Brilliant!
I was intrigued at the amount of discussion on religion in it, as well... Pi is a Christian/Muslim/Hindu.
The back of the my copy has a list of book group discussion questions, and it'd make a great one for that!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Slow to start - not a really quick read - lots of details. But will leave you thinking. Worth the start to get it read.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Magic, funny magic. Great!
Emily O. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. It explores so many topics, and so deeply. And then ending is so wonderful and so unexpected that it made me rethink the entire book. It is definitely a book worth reading at least once.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Surprisingly,I was extremely shocked at the ending. I was truly taken by surprise. I don't think a book has ever done that to me. Utterly original and completely weird, but that is what makes it special.
Shanan O. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I promise you, at the end, you'll go, "HUH???" and then want to read it all over again.
Jill F. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Stunning! A must read for anyone who thinks the novel (as a form of writing) has left the realm of literature.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
An interesting book, with many layers. I'm not even sure I understand all the hidden meanings in the book. It is one of those book that will stick with you for years to come. Some aspects of the book are very complicated, yet parts of the book are very simply written. Its a book all about contrasts. I would recommend it.
Melody C. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I guess I'm in the minority- just couldn't get into this book
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I was really excited about this book but i have to admit, I wasn't really into it. I read a little more than half and got extremely bored. I might try to keep reading but it just didn't hold my attention.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This story completely captured me. It is the story of a man who survives for over a year marooned on a lifeboat in the open ocean with a live tiger on board. There is a really great explanation for how he finds himself in this position, which is amazing to read about. Although it is fiction, there are so many parts that ring true. The start is a bit slow, but still entertaining, and the author really takes his time introducing the character to you, so that later, when he's on the lifeboat, you understand more about who he is. If you read only a few books in your life, read this one!
Arturo C. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I didn't like it at the start, but it was slowly engaging, easy to imagine.
Religion, swimming pools, funny ideas, zoos, India, family, the sea. Then showing a tiger who is the boss because it is eating your companions in a boat that survived an accident at sea. Then lasty you are found alone in that boat, the tiger is gone because it was a projection of your own mind. You were the tiger.
I'm still thinking about it while writing these lines. Creepy and but very, very good.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Really great book and the end really blew me away. Highly recommend this one to everyone.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Entertaining story about a 16 year old indian boy as the sole survivor of a sunken cargo ship. Stranded in the Pacific for 227 days with zoo animals aboard a lifeboat. Discussions of religion, sea survival,and how to become the alpha male when your partner is a full grown bengal tiger. Lots of slapstick humor.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is one I will never swap! An instant classic - a must read!
Debra L. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I could not put this book down. Excellent tale that combines humor, tragedy, religion and animal behavior. The story begins with an Indian zookeeper who decides to relocate his family and several zoo animals to Canada. The novel progresses fairly normal until the cargo ship sinks. I cannot give too much detail without giving the story away, however, the younger teenage son of the zookeeper is the only survivor....along with an orangutan, a zebra, a hyena and a tiger. This unlikely group is thrown together on a single lifeboat. These animals are not domesticated pets! Some of the situations on the lifeboat are appalling and tragic while at the same time the telling of this tale is hilarious. This is an extremely well written tale of survival. It is very believable and contains well researched animal behavior discussions. There is a twist to the parable at the end that will leave you shocked and questioning what you have read. You will have to read this one to believe it! I would highly recommend this book for a reading club or church study group!
Amy S. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I bought this book, and then my father gave me a copy for Christmas. He knows my taste well. I'm glad I have another copy, because this is a book I will re-read, lend to friends, and actually want sitting on my bookshelf forever. An inspiring and original tale reminiscint of a fine classic. Which is what this book is destined to become.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is definitely a book for adults, possibly the oldest of the teen years. Excellent book, stark and violent in places, with lots of internal conversation for the boy on the boat. Utterly fascinating, and then when I read the epilogue, I got the surprise of my life, yet my suspicions were confirmed at the same time, or not. Still can't decide. This isn't because the author waffles, but because he writes in such a way as to tell you all sorts of things- but he doesn't decide for you, or explain things to death, or interpret for you. He leaves it up to the many facets of reader experience. Truly skilled!
Great reading, riveting, could not put it down. I was a bit taken aback by the description of the violence, so I hesitate to give five stars. It's a survival book and that probably means stark writing, so oh well. It is really well written.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
For some reason had a difficult time getting into the book, never did finish it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I don't think I've ever read a book quite like this one before. You will need to suspend your sense of reality and then you will fall in love with it too! :)
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book is a fascinating look at how the human conscience works.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book is so imaginative and well written. The story is amazing and I was so pulled in by it all that I felt like I was there and this was real. This is no doubt, one of the best books I've ever read. It is unique in subject matter and style.
Elizabeth K. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I really didn't like this book. It was confusing and dry.
Lynne J. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wow. Just .... wow. Sometimes I can't understand why books win awards and honors. But for Life of Pi, which is a Mann Booker Prize winner and is on the 1001 Books list, I totally get it. This is a really great story - and also an awesome mind twister.
Pi Patel grew up in India as the son of a zoo keeper. Although his parents were athiests, Pi follows the Hindu, Christian and Muslim faiths - all at the same time. He can't understand why this should be a problem because, as he says, he just wants to "love God".
When Pi is sixteen, his parents decide to move to Canada. He and his parents board a Japanese ship bound for North America. Many of the zoo animals travel with them, as they had been sold to various zoos in the US and Canada. When the ship sinks, Pi finds himself alone on a lifeboat with a zebra, hyena, baboon and Bengal tiger. Eventually, through somewhat gruesome natural animal actions, only Pi and the tiger are left in the boat.
The story of how Pi survives for seven months in a 26-foot lifeboat with a man-eating tiger was utterly fascinating to me. And it starts out very believably. But as the months wear on without rescue, the stories begin to become more and more unbelievable - almost as if Pi was halucinating. And yet the way the stories are told, they ARE believable. But are they true? The ending of the book seems to explain what truly happened to Pi, but does it really? The truth is left up to the reader. In the words of Pi Patel, "The world isn't just what it is. It is how we understand it."
Nicole N. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved this book. I will say that we read it in book club and several of the members where not able to finish because they felt it got a bit long and boring in the middle. However…everyone who read the ending – loved it. I encourage anyone who reads the book to stick with it to the end – I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Mary Kay L. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wow, this is a great book! Its very hard to describe, but it is outstanding.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is the greatest book. Like nothing I've ever read before. It is neat because it is possibly a true story.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Incredible. This is without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read. What a wonderful study of human nature and the world in which we live. Pi seems to crawl right out of the pages to become a living person, weaving a story that will undoubtedly linger in your memory.
A. J. C. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I really liked this book, very funny, but strange, definitely original.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wow! If you want a book that makes you look into your own psyche this is it. It's a wonderful read and then the ending takes you by surprise and shocks you while making you wonder what would YOU do?
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is one of the best books I have read in years.I loaned my brother a copy and then he had to loan it out so there were other people he could talk to about the book. You will spend months-maybe years- thinking about it after you finish it. Really, really excellent book.I should mention it starts out slow- Stick with it! It's worth it!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I had a hard time finishing this book. The Life of Pi was a book just a little too deep for me.
A very inspirational book, it just had a hard time keeping my interest.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Great book the story makes you appreciate a little bit more what you have. I look at life from a different angle and notice every little detail i come upon.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I was a little bored but finished it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Very good book - it will make you think about Religion, particularly the 3 Abrahamic ones, not in a lecturing way.
The whole story can be seen philosophically as a life journey, the struggle between your lower and higher selves, finding false havens, and so on - it can be interpreted on several different levels --- or you can just read it as a very entertaining tale of survival. I'm keeping this one so I can re-read it later.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is a fantastic read!! I loved every word of it.
Andy R. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
"Life of Pi" describes the edgy adventure of a young man from India and how he was stuck on a lifeboat with a tiger. It sounds too fantastic, but the author makes it believable. The first third of the book relates anecdotes about Pi's life in India, his religious beliefs, and his family. The tiger encounter begins later in the book. "Life of Pi" discusses philosphy, religion and human stamina all while learning how to live with a tiger in a small space. I love this story. Destined to be a modern classic.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I could not put down this book once I opened it. I could read it again.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved this book!! Very different story line, intriguing, didn't want it to end. I highly recommend it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Fascinating story of a young boy shipwrecked on a lifeboat with a tiger. The ending is terrific - leaves you guessing what really happened.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A wonderful fantastic novel that you will not be able to put down.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Slow to start, but I read on and ended up liking it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Did not understand what all the hype was about this book. Struggled to get through it. Disappointed in the end.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
It's a good story, with good characterization and metaphors. It had a good meaning, but seemed kind of trite once the book was finished.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I only read a couple of chapters of this book before deciding it wasn't for me. It's very popular, but it's not my cup of tea.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
inventive, poetic, unique. highly recommended.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Very engaging and well written with enough details to convince the reader it could be a true story.
Peggy L. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Philosophical and secular, enjoyable read about life lessons learned by a zookeeper's son
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book haunted me for some time with its meaning. I found it intriguingly full of metaphor and very philosophical. Pi as a young Indian boy in a lifeboat with an assemblage of animals takes on a "noah's ark" feeling, but then ony Pi and the Tiger
are left and the strategy for survival interrupts Pi's fantasy life. I was driven to read this but then by the end, wasn't always sure what it had really been about:)
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Didn't like it, but do remember the story one year later.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I heard so many good things about this book, I was excited to read it. What a letdown! The beginning was great, the middle was excrutiating, and the ending was anti-climatic. But please be your own judge. I think I was just so fed up with the middle, that the ending would have to have really blown me away to make up for it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Although I skipped the gruesome animal sections, I still loved this book. Philosophical, spiritual and humorous, Martel is a brilliant writer. Pi is an inspiration to us all.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Pi-thetic! Psuedo-religious babble. I prayed for the tiger to eat Pi and end my misery. Awful on all fronts.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I thought it was an interesting read. There were a few pages that were hard for me to get through due to all the very detailed occurrences.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is the best book I've read in a very long time. It's not just a tale - if you read it that way, the beginning will be boring and the end will be irritating and maybe disappointing. The book is a profound portrayal of the human reality of stories, how it isn't always enough to ask "was it true?", because the "false" story contains human truths that "just the facts" can't express. This is why the author says it's a story that will make you believe in God - human experience is inevitably more than just the facts of what happens. Usually I HATE books that claim that truth is relative, it doesn't matter whether something is true or false, all that matters is your beliefs, or some such "truthiness" drivel. Likewise books that insist that religious writings are "literal truth." This book was not like that. Truth is not relative, nor does belief equal truth. It's just that Truth includes more than "just the facts."
Krista m M. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved this book. It can be very intense at times. In the end it leaves you questioning reality. Definately read this book1
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I know I am in the minority, but I just couldn't get into this one. Picked it up 2-3 times but never got through it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I really liked the first 80 percent of this book. Unfortunately, the author let me down in the end with a relativistic and unbelievable ending. If you're philosophical at all it might bug you. But it was still worth the read.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
interesting. wierd. ending makes the whole thing a lot clearer. glad i read it
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
The story of a boy stranded in the Pacific Ocean with the company of a tiger. This book drags a bit at the beginning but once you get past the initial part, it is thrilling.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Magical story about survival. Living next to a Bengal tiger in the middle of the ocean. Dominance of intelligence allows Pi to live from day to day. Excellent. susan
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A riveting story beautifully told. Not to be missed.
Carol C. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
lifted my spirits in a dark time. truly a remarkable book.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I listened to this book on my iPod and loved every minute of it. In fact, it is one of those books that you keep checking to see if it is a true story. Unfortunately (or fortunately for the characters involved), it is not. Well written and very creative. Takes a premise that seems hard to believe, until you start reading!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Full of funny anecdotes, surprises, survival skills and warming thoughts. Nice to read to a cup of tea.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Everyone should read this book. Really. I wouldn't say that about anything else I've ever read. Starts slow but stick with it, it's worth it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Interesting book. Worth reading. Gave it a B+.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A book that's dying for a sequel, maybe about a giraffe named Theta.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I am the one person in America who didn't like this book. Don't let it dissuade you. You'll like it, everyone else did. I did like the tiger.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
My favorite novel! A little boy is shipwrecked and finds himself trapped on a lifeboat with a live tiger! This is the story of Pi's trip across the ocean with his ferocious companion. All sorts of terrifyingly real as well as mind-bogglingly fantastical things happen.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Hubby liked it quite a bit, but thought is started out slow. I loved the whole thing, cover to cover. My father in law agreed with hubby. I think they weren't looking for the deeper meaning in the beginning. It talks a lot about countering public belief and gives religious insight (PS I am NOT religious). I found it very intriguing.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wow! What an original, thoughtful, disturbing and wonderful book. Don't let anyone tell you the ending.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
An interesting story about faith, survival, and human nature. I really enjoyed the talk and descriptions of all the animals.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Very funny in spots, tragic in others.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wonderful storytelling. A lovely tail intricately woven to captivate despite the extraordinary circumstances.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book seems overrated to me. Perhaps I'm not getting it, but I found it dull and long and I fell asleep on most attempts to read it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A quick read nicely told. Whimsical premise and lots of fun, tho a little sad.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
FUN, FUN, FUN!! A witty writer.
I really loved this book..captivated me...did'nt want to put it down!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Good read, not what you expect. Not for the squeamish. Different, interesting, well-written.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is certainly a book unlike many I have read before. While you may get the impression that this book is solely about the journey of a boy and his struggle to survive in a lifeboat in the Pacific, this is really so much more than that. Martel's main character has unique views on religion, and this may make you consider your own more carefully. It's really a good book, and it ought to be read. It makes you think in addition to having a great story.
Maura C. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
interesting story about a young boy's survival of a shipwreck.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Entertaining, moving, and thought-provoking. Really a "do not miss" book, despite its reputation for being a plagiarized work (I don't remember whether this news item was ever refuted).
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved this book. After reading a lot of negative and positive opinions I decided to find out what the fuss is all about. I'm glad i did because it is a book I will always remember. I loved reading about Pi's struggle on the lifeboat. It reminded me of Robinson Crusoe a little.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
the story had me guessing until the very end. It is boy meets animal all aboard a small lifeboat
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A real adventure,outrageous as it seems, it wins your heart, and makes you regain faith once again in the inner strength a boy can have in the face of danger and death.
When Pi Patel is sixteen, his family and their zoo animals emigrate from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship. The ship sinks, and Pi finds himself in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and a 450 pound Bengal tiger.
Pi's fear, knowledge and cleverness keep him alive.
The first few pages found me almost giving up on this book as it just wasn't making sense and seemed so off the wall, but at the advice of someone who had read it, I stuck with it and it didn't take long before it sucked me in. It's an outrageously unlikely story told as a memoir, and it's told in such a convincing fashion with such convincing explanations with regard to animal behavior that I found myself checking the back cover to see if it was based on a true story. It gets even more ridiculously impossible as it goes on but never stops being convincing and entertaining. And despite the fact that the book has only one human character throughout most of it, I found it to be hugely entertaining, fascinating, well-written and a book I would recommend to anyone.
Shelley G. (I absolutely loved this book. Such a compelling read, and the messages it contains on life, survival, spirituality, belief, nature, and human nature I found beautiful. The "twist" at the end really got me. Now I want to re-read the book. I think knowing the ending I would get more out of it the second time. It makes you think. I closed the book and sat and just thought about it for a long time. I had to come to my own conclusion about the "island," and I think I did! Now I'm waiting for my husband to read it so we can discuss it. Great, great read!
Karen D. (I loved this story of Pi and his tiger.This is one book I will keep and I will recommend it to my friends for a good read.There is one gory scene on the boat. But the rest is fantastic.Great story if you love animals.
This book was an adventure. I couldn't put it down. It did take awhile to get into but once I did I was thinking about it constantly. A very good read.
I know most critics and readers sing the praises of this book, the ending ruined the story for me. I despise stories that become preachy and try to teach a one-sided moral lesson. Though the majority of the book is entetaining. I wish I hadn't read the last 50 pages.
whoa- I won't forget this one. I grew tired of the book a couple of times as I was ready for the water adventure to begin and there are some grotesque parts but overall an easy read and I'm glad I kept reading, the ending keeps you thinking for a long time. A lot of symbolism in this book.
Enjoyed this book. Fun. Easy. I think even people who don't like reading might like this one. I would read it again (and I don't re-read books).
Amelia W. (It took me a while to get into this book. The first part of the book seemed just to babble on and on. Towards the middle it starting picking up and had a strong finish with a twist at the end. Not a book I would recommend to everyone, but if you have read Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and The Sea"; you would probably like this.
I loved this book. It was delightful, magical..I couldn't put it down.
Mandy M. (I love this book...it takes awhile to get into the begginnig , but once you get past that, it takes off. I'm not sure how this author thought of the premise of this book, but that is what makes a great book! Read and enjoy!
I loved this book! It is fantastic. A great summer read that you will not be able to put down. Read with no expectations and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Makes you think. Leaves you guessing. Love IT!! Made me want to reread it to see if I missed anything. Such a vivid story! I could really picture all the fantasitc things Pi experiences. I'll reread this book over and over.
Did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did from reading the blurb. One of my all time favorites. Will read it again and again!
Though this book won much acclaim, I could not even finish it. There are too many other books that I would like to read. In sum, "much ado about nothing."
Kimberly I was given this book as a gift from my little sister, and was shocked that I'd enjoyed it as much as I did. Very pleased~
Laura R. (This book is very interesting, it does suspend reality and makes you think. it is one of those books that you read and then find yourself thinking about months later... stretches your imagination, and your mind, I liked it. Much different than most books i choose, so it was a pleasant surprise! Well written.
This was a great book. The writing process must have been an interesting one. The story really sucked me in, and surprised me. I enjoyed the tale, and the lesson.
Janine H. (
Monica K. (this book was sooo good. great i mean. i didnt quite understand the ending though. i would defenitly recommend.
CHERYL M. (This book is worth reading. It's definitely different. I really enjoyed reading about the zoo and I learned things about zoos that I never knew. I wouldn't put this on my top 10 list but it's enjoyable. The author is very creative and came up with an entirely unique story.
A bit slow to start, but a great book. And it's supposed to be based on a true story!
Once I picked up this book I couldn't stop reading until I'd finished it.
this book was very good. Was it real? a dream? hallucination? you decide...
"Life of Pi is a real adventure: brutal, tender, expressive, dramatic and disarmingly funny--It's difficult to stop reading when the pages run out." - San Francisco Chronicle
A great book. Pi and his family emigrate from India to North America. His father was a zookeeper and has brought the zoo animals with him. The boat sinks and Pi finds himself on a raft with hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and a 450 pound Bengal tiger. Soon there is only Pi and the tiger. The highlights of the story is how the two manage to survive on board the raft.
This is one of the most imaginative novels I've read (and I usually read SciFi). A boy is trapped on a boat (life raft really) with a former zoo kept bengal tiger. Can they make it to safety together? A really interesting look at life.
I enjoyed this book, it was entertaining. I thought that the descriptions of Pi's experience were the best part. I could really "see" what he was seeing.
I could only get through the first 50 pages. It was boring and too drawn out. Maybe you will like it, it just wasn't for me!
Quirky, compelling story! Well written. I couldn't put it down!
The book was a little hard to get into at first, but once I got into it I was hooked. It was a charming story & very a very detailed account of what one might expect when lost at sea. Hard to beleive it was fiction, but then again who could survive over 200 days on a lifeboat with a tiger??
Young boy is adrift on the ocean in a lifeboat with several zoo animals...one quite dangerous. Thought-provoking page-turner that leaves you wondering about the ending. Great discussion book for book groups.Easy read.
This was a thoroughly delightful book. The following book review is from Amazon, and much better said that I could do.
Amazon.com
Yann Martel's imaginative and unforgettable Life of Pi is a magical reading experience, an endless blue expanse of storytelling about adventure, survival, and ultimately, faith. The precocious son of a zookeeper, 16-year-old Pi Patel is raised in Pondicherry, India, where he tries on various faiths for size, attracting "religions the way a dog attracts fleas." Planning a move to Canada, his father packs up the family and their menagerie and they hitch a ride on an enormous freighter. After a harrowing shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean, trapped on a 26-foot lifeboat with a wounded zebra, a spotted hyena, a seasick orangutan, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker ("His head was the size and color of the lifebuoy, with teeth"). It sounds like a colorful setup, but these wild beasts don't burst into song as if co-starring in an anthropomorphized Disney feature. After much gore and infighting, Pi and Richard Parker remain the boat's sole passengers, drifting for 227 days through shark-infested waters while fighting hunger, the elements, and an overactive imagination. In rich, hallucinatory passages, Pi recounts the harrowing journey as the days blur together, elegantly cataloging the endless passage of time and his struggles to survive: "It is pointless to say that this or that night was the worst of my life. I have so many bad nights to choose from that I've made none the champion."
An award winner in Canada (and winner of the 2002 Man Booker Prize), Life of Pi, Yann Martel's second novel, should prove to be a breakout book in the U.S. At one point in his journey, Pi recounts, "My greatest wish--other than salvation--was to have a book. A long book with a never-ending story. One that I could read again and again, with new eyes and fresh understanding each time." It's safe to say that the fabulous, fablelike Life of Pi is such a book.
An unusual story of courage and perseverance. A boy, a tiger and a boat....
GREAT BOOK! IT STARTS OUT A LITTLE SLOW, BUT TERRIFIC ONCE YOU GET INTO TO IT.
This a really interesting book and it won the Booker a few years back...It is a fable about a boy and a tiger stranded on raft, a sort of microcosm of the world where theboy looks at life and the different role that each being can play.
Great book for a reading group. Story of Pi Patel the son of a zookeeper that finds himself stuck alone on a boat with some animals, one of which is a Bengal tiger. How he lives while trying to find land is amazing.
Great book, very quirky account of teenaged boy in a lifeboat with hyena, orangutan, zebra, and tiger as his companions. Never entirely clear what part is fantasy or hallucination, what part "real."
So great -- wonderful imagination and fable, of sorts. I was so engrossed by it.
The son of a zookeeper, Pi Patel has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior and a fervent love of stories. When Pi is sixteen, his family emigrates from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship, along with their zoo animals bound for new homes. The ship sinks. Pi finds himself alone in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and Richard Parker, a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi, whose fear, knowledge, and cunning allow him to coexist with Richard Parker for 227 days while lost at sea. When they finally reach the coast of Mexico, Richard Parker flees to the jungle, never to be seen again. The Japanese authorities who interrogate Pi refuse to believe his story and press him to tell them "the truth." After hours of coercion, Pi tells a second story, a story much less fantastical, much more conventional--but is it more true?
Jennifer L. (I loved it and I hated it. Makes for a great book club discussion!
I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure book. It's an amazing story about man trapped on a small boat with a huge tiger. The writing and plot are very well done. A page turner.
-----A phantasmagorical tale with an improbable hero-----
Pi Patel, a God-loving boy and the son of a zookeeper, has a fervent love of stories, and he practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam. When Pi is sixteen, his family and their zoo animals emigrate from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship. Alas, the ship sinks--and Pi finds himself in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutang, a wounded zebra, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger. The Titanic was nothing like this! Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi. Can he and the tiger find their way to land? Can Pi's fear, knowledge, and cunning keep him alive in the lifeboat with the tiger until they do?
300 pages of a story similar to the "Old Man and the Sea." Easy read with large print.
I was somewhat board with the book. It has A LOT of background information. More than I think it needs and it seemed to jump around a lot. Read the following and judge for yourself!
Here's what's on the back of the book: Pi Patel, a god-loving boy and the son of a zookeeper, has a fervent love of stories and practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam. When Pi is 16, his family and their zoo animals emigrate from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship. Alas, the ship sinks - and Pi finds himself in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an oragutan, a wounded zebra, and a 450-pound Bengal Tiger. Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi. Can Pi and the tiger find their way to land? Can Pi's fear, knowledge and cunning keep him alive until they do?
This was a really different book. I really enjoyed reading it, and it will stick with me for a while. Quite the ending!
Great Book! It was a little slow to get in to, but once I was able to it was a very ejoyable read!
Bernie N. (The son of a zookeeper, Pi Patel has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior and a fervent love of stories. When Pi is sixteen, his family emigrates from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship, along with their zoo animals bound for new homes.
The ship sinks. Pi finds himself alone in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and Richard Parker, a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi, whose fear, knowledge, and cunning allow him to coexist with Richard Parker for 227 days while lost at sea. When they finally reach the coast of Mexico, Richard Parker flees to the jungle, never to be seen again. The Japanese authorities who interrogate Pi refuse to believe his story and press him to tell them "the truth." After hours of coercion, Pi tells a second story, a story much less fantastical, much more conventional--but is it more true?
Marcy M. (Very interesting tale. Not my usual genre but enjoyable just the same.
This is a very interesting book about a boy called Pi Patel who grew up in India the son of zookeeper parents. He recounts his childhood and his singular adventures after being the sole survivor of a shipwreck.
Excellent book, thought-provoking, funny. Very different from what I was expecting.
An adventure of a shipwrecked boy and the animals that went with him.
A story of survival and faith. A fantastic read
Modern classic of a boy and his hungry tiger cast adrift.
Pi Patel a god-loving boy and the son of a zookeeper, has a fervent love of stories and practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam. when Pi is 16, his family and thier zoo animals emigrate from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship alas, the ship sinks and Pi finds himself in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi can Pi and the tiger find their way to land can Pi's fear, knowlegde, and cunning keep him alive until they do
Guy in a lifeboat suriving incredible journey with tiger
This book starts out a little slow, but keeps your attention. It kept me guessing until the end.
I loved this book...I was very good..unexpected but good.
Zoe Lee absolutely loved this book..a true adventure..Z
Pi Patel, a God-loving boy and the son of a zookeeper, has a fervent love of stories and practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam. When Pi is sixteen, his family and their zoo animals emigrate from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship. The ship sinks--and Pi finds himself in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi. Can Pi and the tiger find their way to land? Can Pi's fear, knowledge, and cunning keep him alive until they do? (Fiction)
Sixteen year old boy finds himself in lifeboat with animals from family zoo. Has to use his wit and cunning to survive when he and tiger are only ones left.
Pi Patel, a God loving boy and the son of a zookeeper, has a fervent love of stories. When he is sixteen his family and their zoo animals emigrate from India to North America aboard a cargo ship. Alas, the ship sinks and what follows is the story of Pi's survival.
Absolutely brilliant. A little slow in the beginning, but an amazing story.
Very well written. Thought provoking. Reminded me of The Old Man and The Sea, but it will never replace it for me. :)
Pi Patel, a God-loving boy and son of a zookeeper, has a fervent love of stories and practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam. When Pi is 16, his family and their zoo animals emigrate from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship. Ala, the ship sinks--and Pi finds himself in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Can Pi's fear, knowledge, and cunning keep him alive until they reach land?
I LOVED this book. Smart, funny, engaging and wonderful!
Great bookclub book. Pi Patel, age 16, ends up on a lifeboat w/ a tiger. Tale of his life before the shipwreck and journey w/ the tiger.
oh i just loved this book. It was one of the best books that i\'ve read in a while. Supposedly m.night shyamalan wanted to make a movie about it... i wonder if it\'s still going to happen?
<< Back to Book Details of " Life of Pi"