A review by theseasoul
Life of Pi, by Yann Martel

adventurous reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

|| 5 ⭐️ ||

I’d heard of this book many times. People having read it in school and such. I didn’t know anything about the book prior to reading it, except that it probably involved a boat and a tiger. I saw it at a thrift store and figured I might as well give it a read, just to get it over with. I was expecting to rate it no more than 3 stars.

Nobody told me it was such a stellar book. What the heck.

The first part of the book intrigued me with its intellectual, philosophical and religious ponderings, even though as a Christian, most of the religious conclusions made by the main character saddened me. I enjoyed being immersed in the Indian culture here as well—it felt natural and wasn’t being shoved down my throat like many other books that explore different cultures. I appreciated Pi’s knowledge of and respect for animals, and felt like I learned a lot (even if some of it didn’t line up all the way with reality).

The shipwreck was the real start of not being able to put the book down. I had to know what happened next; whether Pi survived, how long he survived for, what he did to survive, how he overcame challenges… chapter after chapter. I didn’t find a single chapter tedious or boring. Even “tedious” is what you’d expect from a boy sitting in a lifeboat by himself in the middle of the ocean for 277 days. Pi and the tiger weren’t truly the only beings in the lifeboat… I was there too. It was such an immersive story.

This book is a masterpiece.

|| Content warnings to protect your heart ||
Parts of this book are very disturbing. Animal abuse/death/mutilation can get pretty graphic. Cannibalism too. Descriptions of and interactions with feces and bodily fluids (animal and human) are not held back.
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