Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Hello and welcome to my Bailee's Bookshelf review of Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Or as I like to call it a break from bloody Les Mis. I know that may be mean as it was a product of its time but by God was this refreshing. If I still had to read Les Mis continuously I don't think I could've lasted the week.

I am tempted to talk about the cover a little and it's slight inaccuracies but it is very stylised. It is also very pretty with the pleasant contrast between the sky and the sea. So without further ado: the story. (Warning: SPOILERS)

We start off by getting to know the young Pi Patel or by his full name Piscine Molitor Patel named after a French swimming pool . . . long story. We see him growing up in the city of Pondicherry in the Tamil Nadu region of India. He lives with his parents, the owners of the local zoo, and his older brother Ravi. He starts school but is constantly made fun of for his name in school. So when secondary school rolls around he is quick to make amends and create his new identity. Every class on the first day he writes:

My name is Piscine Molitor Patel

known to all as Pi Patel

And by the end of the day everyone was singing it with him. One day, on holiday, he finds a church and decides to investigate. He meets apriest who tells him about Jesus and the story of his crucifixion and resurrrection. Pi, a Hindu, can't imagine a god who would willingly be beaten and mocked on behalf of everyone else but by the end of the trip realises that he is enthralled by his humanity and pledges to follow Christianity. He later also finds Islam in a similar way with a baker. Tragedy seems to strike as the father announces atrip to Canada as many American buisnessmen offer to bu many of the zoo's animals. They travel on a boat called the Tsimtsum through the Pacific until the boat is caught in a horrible storm and due to some fault in the engine ends up sinking. Pi barely escapes onto a lifeboat with a zebra and a hyena - later joined by an orangutan caled Orange Juice. After many weeks the hyena eventually starts eating the zebra to Pi and Orange Juices dismay. The hyena eventually kills Orange Juice too but soon after it is revealed that a 450 pound Bengal Tiger called Richard Parker has been hiding there. After he eats the hyena it's just him and Pi. Pi struggles at first but begins to find his way when he finds a locker of supplies and builds a raft to separate himself and the boat. He gets into a routine, learns how to fish and even begins to train Richard Parker. That is until a terrible storm hits that destroys the raft, destroys most of the supplies and destroys their spirit. They even go blind briefly. But then they come across an island made of algae and full of meerkats. They rebuild their strength and energies and feel content. Until Pi realises that the island is carnivorous and slowly destroys and assimilates your body into itself. Pi runs off with Richard Parker back to the ocean, althugh now with food and supplies. Eventually they make it to land, Mexico to be exact, and he tells his story to the ship company.

Throughout the first part there are snippets from the author himself talking with Pi about his journey so I would just say to read the author's note because I almost didn't and it would've been really confusing if I hadn't. It was actually quite hard to write the story as it has a weird balance. In essence it is a very simple story: "Boy trapped on a lifeboat with a tiger and hijinks ensues". But at the same time there is so much that happens or at least feels like it does. What I mean by that is that the monotony of this life at sea is so well delivered that every new element introduced feels like a game changer and a big event. That made it very difficult to pick out the important parts. But that is all a part of the magic that enthralls you with this story and definitely not a downside. The book is written with relatively short chapters with most being only a few pages long and barely any going over ten. But with that you also have fillwr chapters. Not ones like how Richard Parker got his name or the list of supplies but the really short ones that were clearly there because of symbolism. What do I mean by that? Well Pi, in hospital, says that they could tell the story with one-hundred chapters. So that's what Martel does. Judging by the fillers it must be something the real Pi said that Martel had to stick to, if he made it up he would make up a number for himself to fit the story well. But this isn't nearly as distracting as Ende's alphabetical chaptering so I'll let it slide. It doesn't interrupt the flow too much.

This is another book that isn't afraid to show a bit of violence. Obviously on a boat with a 450 pound Bengal tiger there is bound to be some violence. I would say that the story a lot of the time has a very Big Fish feel to it. It's sort of detached and quite fantastical at some times which gives it that storytelling feel. But the difference between this and Big Fish is that this one makes sure to snap you back to the harsh reality of the situation now and then. There is a lot of build up with the hyena as we see it slowly getting madder and madder. So when Pi wakes up and sees the zebra missing a leg and the hyena covered in blood it is quite shocking. It goes in and out of a weird trip of a castaway slipping into a lonely madness and the cruel world of the animal kingdom and what it'll do when pushed to extremes. If you can get queasy or are just averted to slight gore then I still say you shouldn't give up on it but just try and get through it as the product is rewarding. Eventually, as Pi becomes more adapted to his environment it is described much less vigorously as it has become a weekly and maybe even daily occurrence. Just do your best to power through.

Pi Patel is probably one of the most interesting narrative voices I've ever had the privelege of reading. He is insightful, he is witty, he is dry and down to earth. But mostly of all these he is human. He is one of the realest and most believable characters I've read. Maybe it's because he was a real person I don't know but what I do know is that I believe him. It seems that one of the best ways to examine the human mind is on the edge of it's breaking point. Seeing the trauma and grief that he goes through and the limits his mind can go while he attempts to hold onto his humanity. As well as the memory of his family. Day and night there is something on his mind, something to fix, something to do. We see him at his lowest lows, alright, and it gets dire. He gets to points several times where he completely gives up on life and even wishes for the sweet release. But for all of this there is plenty of time that he is great. He hits his stride, he keeps his mind busy and he stays on top of things. This makes the tragedies and accidents even more powerful. It is this back and forth movement and switch-around is the key part of his character. In the wrong hands this could quickly become monotonous and even frustrating. It always borders on this at times but he never loses you. You never grow to to harbour any hate for this boy or resentment. This also could work against him. Throughout literature and film a character that becomes "too perfect" is never good. But as I said this never becomes any sort of problem. He is flawed but real and that is the perfect character - in terms of quality.

I usually try to keep these reviews neutral from any political or religious subjects. And I intend to stay neutral here too. But one of the overarching themes of this book (and the movie adaptation) is Pi's religion. And while I don't agree with them all - of course - they are very interesting. I won't go into detail about them but one specific part I think is very fascinating. The living island. I've read on many theories and many an analysis of it. The general consensus is that it is the representation of giving up. Pi has gone through his worst and lowest point and now suddenly he comes upon a paradise. It has almost everything he could want. A food source, a place to sleep, shade etc. but then at night we see the destructive effects of giving up. The island is carnivorous. It consumes and destroys. When Pi finds the teeth in the trees it is representing of the consuming of the human soul that this state leads top, which Pi comments upon himself. Once he gets past this lowest point and accepts his state of desperation it isn't long before he is found again on the shores of Mexico.

Overall, if you want a seriously good and seriously well told story examining the human psyche and the true limits of the human will to live. If you want an in-depth examination of beliefs and religion. Hell, if you want a great story that will really refresh you and give you a feeling of human existence. Then this is the book for you. Even if you just think the premise is kind of cool than I recommend it. There is a lot I left out in the story description so there is plenty more to keep you appetised. I'm sorry for the shorter review but just know this is definitely a book I will return to in the near future.