gabrielleclarke05's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Very good, I just wish it didn’t take half of the book to actually get into the plot but after that it was great. I enjoyed the characters and the twist was fun the pacing was just off
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Medical trauma, Body horror, Confinement, Mental illness, Vomit, Death, Religious bigotry, Dysphoria, Gore, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Animal cruelty, Excrement, Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, and Self harm
kirstinbuchan's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Animal death, Body horror, Torture, Vomit, Cannibalism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Excrement, Gore, Injury/injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
allie_schick's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Gore
nick13's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Look, I know this might be a bit of a hot take but this book is just...not good. If there was a better way to phrase it I would. There were so many details in this story that were just unnecessary, like that part where he lists every single thing he has on hand. It's not that I like a slow book, but like sometimes I'm just like, why are these twenty pages of nothing here? You know what I mean? And maybe I'm a bit (more like a lot) biased because I watched the movie first. Personally, most movies based on books never even strike close to what the book achieves but - how do I phrase this? - this book feels like the skeleton, the backbone that keeps the book together, and for that, I love this book, but the movie is the skin that makes it all complete. The movie is this beautiful masterpiece that takes out all of the unnecessary from the book, putting in parts that make it better, and keeps that masterful twist ending!
Basically what I'm saying is just watch the movie, it is one I always think about and is at least top ten in my favorite movies of all time and this book is, plainly, pretty less than mid-tier.
Basically what I'm saying is just watch the movie, it is one I always think about and is at least top ten in my favorite movies of all time and this book is, plainly, pretty less than mid-tier.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cannibalism, Death, and Gore
Minor: Religious bigotry and Racism
frankieclc's review against another edition
5.0
chapter 99!!!!????????
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Violence, Gore, and Cannibalism
jennifer_vars's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“I can well imagine an atheist’s last words: ‘White, white! L-L-Love! My God!‘—and the deathbed leap of faith. Whereas the agnostic, if he stays true to his reasonable self, if he stays beholden to dry, yeastless factuality, might try to explain the warm light bathing him by saying, ‘Possibly a f-f-failing oxygenation of the b-b-brain,’ and, to the very end, lack imagination and miss the better story."
"These people fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. They should direct their anger at themselves. For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out. The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart."
I listened to the audio version of this book (haven't seen the movie yet) and I really enjoyed it. It was incredibly long (100 chapters) but a great story to follow.
Because of the philosophical slant, it's pretty hard to say there is just one interpretation here. Depending on each individual reader, I can see a variety of themes readers may take away.
Personally, I've lived most of my life with a bad taste in my mouth for organized religions.In my experience, it's been a show of a lot of hypocrisy and judgement from people with the effect of dividing rather than uniting people.
However, as I've read more and reflected on the various allegories found in different religious teachings I've come to appreciate the value and beauty of some of the stories.
And that's what I took away here. It's not necessarily about believing in God. Pi believed in three different religions. It's about what it takes to believe in something. Whether that's God, yourself, the world, goodness or some other way to strive towards ideal. Reality in itself is a story, we in some ways can choose our own story. Pi's faith, connections and his creativity saved him.
"These people fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. They should direct their anger at themselves. For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out. The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart."
I listened to the audio version of this book (haven't seen the movie yet) and I really enjoyed it. It was incredibly long (100 chapters) but a great story to follow.
Because of the philosophical slant, it's pretty hard to say there is just one interpretation here. Depending on each individual reader, I can see a variety of themes readers may take away.
Personally, I've lived most of my life with a bad taste in my mouth for organized religions.In my experience, it's been a show of a lot of hypocrisy and judgement from people with the effect of dividing rather than uniting people.
However, as I've read more and reflected on the various allegories found in different religious teachings I've come to appreciate the value and beauty of some of the stories.
And that's what I took away here. It's not necessarily about believing in God. Pi believed in three different religions. It's about what it takes to believe in something. Whether that's God, yourself, the world, goodness or some other way to strive towards ideal. Reality in itself is a story, we in some ways can choose our own story. Pi's faith, connections and his creativity saved him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cannibalism, Gore, and Violence
ezrazoe4's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Surprisingly, I really liked this book- I liked its humour and animal trivia, and I enjoy the hunting and gathering elements. Though I suppose that is typical for a castaway book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Animal death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
zoiejanelle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
[originally read in high school] another life-changing read. totally altered how i view religion, karma, and the power of the universe. will definitely re-read now that i'm an adult, but i truly loved this book (and it's way better than the movie)!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Medical trauma, and Religious bigotry
lorees_reading_nook's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
slow-paced
3.0
I spent ages reading this book which, at 319 pages, is really not that long. There were many days when I felt like giving up but I kept thinking that sooner or later some great truth would be revealed and, like Archimedes, I would have a mind-blowing 'Eureka' moment. Sadly, this never happened. Plenty of people have loved and written rave reviews about this book and seem to have discovered some hidden meaning. It has won the Booker prize and was made into a movie but I couldn't connect with it on any level. Even after I slogged through it I remain confused. Was Pi delirious? Was Richard Parker just a figment of his imagination? Was the real story the one he told right at the end to the Japanese investigators? And, did we really need to be told, in graphic detail, how he butchered fish and turtles in order to survive?
I cannot deny that this novel has a great sense of place. There were moments when I felt like I was on that raft with Pi. I could feel the hot sun beating down on me and could taste the salt on my cracked lips. But, with every sentence, I was praying that Pi would be reached so that he, and his reader, would be put out of their misery. I felt the whole narrative dragged on for way too long. Perhaps I needed to delve deeper into the novel, maybe from some spiritual or symbolic aspect. I don't know. I just know I was way over my head with this one and ended up missing the point.
I cannot deny that this novel has a great sense of place. There were moments when I felt like I was on that raft with Pi. I could feel the hot sun beating down on me and could taste the salt on my cracked lips. But, with every sentence, I was praying that Pi would be reached so that he, and his reader, would be put out of their misery. I felt the whole narrative dragged on for way too long. Perhaps I needed to delve deeper into the novel, maybe from some spiritual or symbolic aspect. I don't know. I just know I was way over my head with this one and ended up missing the point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Gore
jennm's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Animal death, Blood, Death, Gore, and Violence