life of pi book review goodreads

By Yann Martel

An expertly crafted story of Pi's survival and self-discovery is an extraordinary meditation on the essence of existence. Pi's journey through the Pacific challenges readers to embark on their introspective voyage through life's uncharted waters.

About the Book

Article written by Mizpah Albert

M.A. in English Literature and a Ph.D. in English Language Teaching.

Yann Martel’s masterpiece, ‘ Life of Pi ,’ seamlessly weaves together a tapestry of captivating characters, profound themes, evocative language, and thought-provoking context. This philosophical adventure novel has captivated the hearts and minds of readers worldwide and remains an enduring classic for its depth and exploration of the human condition.

The story of Pi

‘ Life of Pi ‘ is a mesmerizing exploration of the human spirit’s capacity for endurance and the complexities of belief in the face of adversity. Pi Patel, a young Indian boy, is shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean after a devastating storm. Alone on a lifeboat, he is accompanied by an unlikely companion, a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Together, they face the challenges of the open sea, forging a remarkable bond between human and beast. Pi’s ingenuity and resilience are tested as days turn into months, prompting him to draw upon his religious beliefs and inner strength. The novel’s narrative takes an intriguing turn as Pi’s story is questioned, leaving readers to ponder the nature of truth, faith, and the power of storytelling. 

The choice of characters 

One of the most commendable aspects of ‘ Life of Pi ‘ is Martel’s deliberate and brilliant choice of characters. Each character in ‘ Life of Pi ‘ has a unique personality and plays a vital role in the story. 

The protagonist, Pi, is a fascinating character with a multi-dimensional personality that makes him relatable and endearing. Martel did an excellent job of contrasting Pi’s curiosity and interest in religion and zoology, highlighting the human desire for intellectual understanding and spiritual fulfillment. 

Further, adding Richard Parker, the Bengal tiger, as Pi’s companion on his journey was an ingenious stroke of literary brilliance. It symbolizes the duality of nature and the internal struggle of human nature itself. The juxtaposition of Pi’s vulnerability with Richard Parker’s primal instincts raises questions about humanity and its inherent savagery.

Impressive choice of themes

The story of ‘ Life of Pi ‘ is a truly remarkable work of literature that impressively intertwines the themes of survival, faith, and storytelling. The author’s skillful portrayal of Pi’s curiosity and interest in religion and zoology highlights the human desire for intellectual understanding and spiritual fulfillment. The themes of faith and reason, belief and skepticism, are explored in a way that challenges readers to question their own convictions and find meaning in a world full of uncertainties.

Physical and spiritual survival is another central theme that permeates the novel . The juxtaposition of Pi’s survival in the unforgiving vastness of the Pacific Ocean against his psychological survival amidst adversity epitomizes the resilience of the human spirit. The novel forces readers to question their capacity for survival in the face of adversity and the extent to which faith can act as a refuge during challenging times.

Historical and cultural context

Enriched by its historical and cultural context, the novel tells the story of a young Indian boy named Pi Patel who survives a shipwreck and ends up stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. The historical and cultural context adds depth to the story, highlighting the complexities of identity and the intermingling of cultures in a globalized world. 

The historical context of India’s colonial past and subsequent journey toward globalization contributes to the narrative. Pi’s family owns a zoo, and the animals symbolize the connection between humans and the natural world, impacted by colonialism and modernization. The zoo’s closure and Pi’s journey to Canada reflect India’s changing socio-economic landscape, influenced by both its colonial history and the forces of globalization. The novel’s context serves as a backdrop for fostering cross-cultural understanding and empathy.

Martel’s choice of language and writing style

Martel’s language in ‘ Life of Pi ‘ is a seamless blend of lyrical prose and vivid imagery that transports readers to the very heart of Pi’s journey. The author’s exceptional storytelling prowess keeps readers engaged, balancing the emotional intensity of the narrative with moments of philosophical contemplation. Martel’s ability to paint breathtaking visuals and evoke a sensory experience makes the journey palpable, captivating readers with the novel’s immersive nature.

Martel’s writing is enchanting, with vivid imagery that transports readers to the heart of Pi’s struggle for survival. The author seamlessly interweaves Pi’s day-to-day challenges with moments of introspection, delving deep into the complexities of the human psyche when faced with isolation, fear, and the primal need for sustenance. As readers witness Pi’s growth from a naive boy to a resourceful survivor, they are drawn into the emotional rollercoaster of his experience.

Life of Pi Review

Book Title: Life of Pi

Book Description: In this compelling narrative, Pi faces the ultimate test of survival while lost at sea, offering a profound exploration into the complexities of human existence. As he journeys through the perilous waters of the Pacific, the story challenges readers to undertake their own introspective voyages into life's great uncertainties.

Book Author: Yann Martel

Book Edition: First Edition

Book Format: Hardcover

Publisher - Organization: Knopf Canada

Date published: September 11, 2011

ISBN: 0-676-97376-0

Number Of Pages: 319

• Lasting Impact on a Reader

Life of Pi: An Exploration of Faith and Fortitude

Yann Martel’s Life of Pi is a masterpiece that resonates with readers on multiple levels. The choice of characters, including the enigmatic Pi and the enigmatic Richard Parker, invites us to explore the depths of human nature and spirituality. Themes of survival, faith, and storytelling inspire profound contemplation, while Martel’s eloquent language immerses us in a world of wonder and introspection. The contextual intricacies add another layer of brilliance to the narrative, making Life of Pi a thought-provoking and unforgettable reading experience. This novel is a testament to the power of storytelling and its ability to enrich our understanding of the world and ourselves.

• Layered narrative with symbolism and allegory
• Compelling narration
• Exploration of a wide range of spirituality and faith
• Use of descriptive language
• Ambiguous end that leads to multi-layer understanding
• Lack of empathy
• Animal cruelty
• Complex use of symbols and language

About Mizpah Albert

Mizpah Albert is an experienced educator and literature analyst. Building on years of teaching experience in India, she has contributed to the literary world with published analysis articles and evocative poems.

Cite This Page

Albert, Mizpah " Life of Pi Review ⭐️ " Book Analysis , https://bookanalysis.com/yann-martel/life-of-pi/review/ . Accessed 11 April 2024.

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by Yann Martel ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2001

A fable about the consolatory and strengthening powers of religion flounders about somewhere inside this unconventional coming-of-age tale, which was shortlisted for Canada’s Governor General’s Award. The story is told in retrospect by Piscine Molitor Patel (named for a swimming pool, thereafter fortuitously nicknamed “Pi”), years after he was shipwrecked when his parents, who owned a zoo in India, were attempting to emigrate, with their menagerie, to Canada. During 227 days at sea spent in a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger (mostly with the latter, which had efficiently slaughtered its fellow beasts), Pi found serenity and courage in his faith: a frequently reiterated amalgam of Muslim, Hindu, and Christian beliefs. The story of his later life, education, and mission rounds out, but does not improve upon, the alternately suspenseful and whimsical account of Pi’s ordeal at sea—which offers the best reason for reading this otherwise preachy and somewhat redundant story of his Life .

Pub Date: June 1, 2001

ISBN: 0-15-100811-6

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2002

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A LITTLE LIFE

by Hanya Yanagihara ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 10, 2015

The phrase “tour de force” could have been invented for this audacious novel.

Four men who meet as college roommates move to New York and spend the next three decades gaining renown in their professions—as an architect, painter, actor and lawyer—and struggling with demons in their intertwined personal lives.

Yanagihara ( The People in the Trees , 2013) takes the still-bold leap of writing about characters who don’t share her background; in addition to being male, JB is African-American, Malcolm has a black father and white mother, Willem is white, and “Jude’s race was undetermined”—deserted at birth, he was raised in a monastery and had an unspeakably traumatic childhood that’s revealed slowly over the course of the book. Two of them are gay, one straight and one bisexual. There isn’t a single significant female character, and for a long novel, there isn’t much plot. There aren’t even many markers of what’s happening in the outside world; Jude moves to a loft in SoHo as a young man, but we don’t see the neighborhood change from gritty artists’ enclave to glitzy tourist destination. What we get instead is an intensely interior look at the friends’ psyches and relationships, and it’s utterly enthralling. The four men think about work and creativity and success and failure; they cook for each other, compete with each other and jostle for each other’s affection. JB bases his entire artistic career on painting portraits of his friends, while Malcolm takes care of them by designing their apartments and houses. When Jude, as an adult, is adopted by his favorite Harvard law professor, his friends join him for Thanksgiving in Cambridge every year. And when Willem becomes a movie star, they all bask in his glow. Eventually, the tone darkens and the story narrows to focus on Jude as the pain of his past cuts deep into his carefully constructed life.  

Pub Date: March 10, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-385-53925-8

Page Count: 720

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015

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by Hanya Yanagihara

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PERSPECTIVES

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

by Harper Lee ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 11, 1960

A first novel, this is also a first person account of Scout's (Jean Louise) recall of the years that led to the ending of a mystery, the breaking of her brother Jem's elbow, the death of her father's enemy — and the close of childhood years. A widower, Atticus raises his children with legal dispassion and paternal intelligence, and is ably abetted by Calpurnia, the colored cook, while the Alabama town of Maycomb, in the 1930's, remains aloof to their divergence from its tribal patterns. Scout and Jem, with their summer-time companion, Dill, find their paths free from interference — but not from dangers; their curiosity about the imprisoned Boo, whose miserable past is incorporated in their play, results in a tentative friendliness; their fears of Atticus' lack of distinction is dissipated when he shoots a mad dog; his defense of a Negro accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell, is followed with avid interest and turns the rabble whites against him. Scout is the means of averting an attack on Atticus but when he loses the case it is Boo who saves Jem and Scout by killing Mayella's father when he attempts to murder them. The shadows of a beginning for black-white understanding, the persistent fight that Scout carries on against school, Jem's emergence into adulthood, Calpurnia's quiet power, and all the incidents touching on the children's "growing outward" have an attractive starchiness that keeps this southern picture pert and provocative. There is much advance interest in this book; it has been selected by the Literary Guild and Reader's Digest; it should win many friends.

Pub Date: July 11, 1960

ISBN: 0060935464

Page Count: 323

Publisher: Lippincott

Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1960

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by Harper Lee

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Jenny in Neverland

Book Review: Life of Pi by Yann Martel

After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The only survivors from the wreck are a sixteen year-old boy named Pi, a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orang-utan — and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. The scene is set for one of the most extraordinary and best-loved works of fiction in recent years.

Review: This is going to be a very difficult review for me to write – not for any profound personal reason or connection I have to the book because let’s face it, nobody can have a personal connection to a boy trapped in a lifeboat with a tiger. I’m going to find this difficult because Life of Pi is so different to anything I’ve ever read before. Something so much more deep and meaningful yet blissfully simplistic . I watched the movie in the summer and was blown away by it and knew instantly I wanted to read the book from where this beautiful story came from. I don’t necessarily think the book was widely better than the film (I spoke about what I think about movie adaptations in this post ) – I prefer to look at them as separate entities but today I’m talking about the book and my gosh, what a book .

Life of Pi is about a boy called Pi, where on a trip from India to Canada where his family and their zoo animals are upping sticks and moving to start a new life, the cargo ship he is travelling on sinks. His entire family ( and most of the animals his family owned ) die, but he manages to get aboard a life boat. There’s only one problem… He’s not alone .

Life of Pi was split into 3 parts – before the shipwreck, during the survival period and briefly afterwards. It’s  told from Pi’s point of view – so he doesn’t spare you any of the gory and horrific details . The two main sections of the book: before and after are wildly different. I adored the first part the most, especially as an animal lover. I found it almost like reading a documentary – when Pi goes into the ins and outs of a zoo and all its animals. I learnt a lot from this book. A hella lot. I read it so slowly as to devour every single word during this first section, it was so deeply interesting.

Onto the middle section which essentially documents his survival days inside the lifeboat. These were very graphic . I was quite gob-smacked actually at the amount of detail which went into this part – how he got food, how he killed dorados and turtles. The research for this book must have been beyond extensive for the author to capture these so, so, very rare moments and make them so vivid and real – despite it being purely fantasy . As the story progresses and Pi’s struggle grows, you can almost feel a pull within you , along with the book. I found the middle section much more difficult to read than the first – it almost sucked the energy out of me in some parts which could be considered a bad thing but due to the nature of the book, it almost felt intentional .

This book holds so, so many messages and lessons. I’m deeply interested in religion and the such and this book focuses a lot on that – Pi has multiple religions after all! I found that so fascinating – both at the beginning and during his time at sea and how he translates his religious teachings onto what’s happening to him and most importantly, how he never, ever loses faith. His relationship with Richard Parker (the tiger) was captured beautifully with respect for both human and animal. Pi did what he had to do to survive and so did Richard Parker. But they somehow managed to live in somewhat harmony during their time together which teaches us that miracles and extensively unrealistic things can happen. And work. And survive.

Now if I don’t end this review here I honestly will not stop talking so basically, Life of Pi is a work of art . It’s a literary masterpiece in my eyes and although I didn’t 100% enjoy every page ( having to stop for 5 minutes during a particular graphic bit ) I felt it was all worth it – every word. It was honestly, one of the deepest and richest books in a very, very long time. 

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I have only seen the film, which was incredible. I will definitely pick the book up in future!

Oh you should of you loved the film you’ll love this. Some subtle differences but nothing dramatic.

Long time since I read this but I loved it. Reading the book first meant a huge surprise when you find out what is on the boat with him!

Oh gosh yeah I bet that was a huge surprise! I already knew the storyline so had I read the book first it wouldn’t have made much difference. But I wish I had read it when it first came out before I knew what happened!

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Reviews of Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio

by Yann Martel

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• Literary Fiction
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Book Summary

At once a realistic, rousing adventure and a meta-tale of survival that explores the redemptive power of storytelling and the transformative nature of fiction. It's a story, as one character puts it, to make you believe in God.  Winner of the 2002 Booker Prize.

Winner of the 2002 Man Booker Prize for Fiction. Pi Patel is an unusual boy. The son of a zookeeper, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior, a fervent love of stories, and practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam. 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 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? Life of Pi is at once a realistic, rousing adventure and a meta-tale of survival that explores the redemptive power of storytelling and the transformative nature of fiction. It's a story, as one character puts it, to make you believe in God.

My suffering left me sad and gloomy. Academic study and the steady, mindful practice of religion slowly brought me back to life. I have remained a faithful Hindu, Christian and Muslim. I decided to stay in Toronto. After one year of high school, I attended the University of Toronto and took a double-major Bachelor's degree. My majors were religious studies and zoology. My fourth-year thesis for religious studies concerned certain aspects of the cosmogony theory of Isaac Luria, the great sixteenth-century Kabbalist from Safed. My zoology thesis was a functional analysis of the thyroid gland of the three-toed sloth. I chose the sloth because its demeanour--calm, quiet and introspective--did something to soothe my shattered self. There are two-toed sloths and there are three-toed sloths, the case being determined by the forepaws of the animals, since all sloths have three claws on their hind paws. I had the great luck one summer of studying the three-toed sloth in...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

• In his introductory note Yann Martel says, "This book was born as I was hungry." What sort of emotional nourishment might Life of Pi have fed to its author?
• Pondicherry is described as an anomaly, the former capital of what was once French India. In terms of storytelling, what makes this town a appropriate choice for Pi's upbringing?
• Yann Martel recalls that many Pondicherry ...
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Booker Prize 2002

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Composed with the skills of a master, The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present-day America; a story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the enormous power of art.

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Ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Yann Martel's Life of Pi . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Life of Pi: Introduction

Life of pi: plot summary, life of pi: detailed summary & analysis, life of pi: themes, life of pi: quotes, life of pi: characters, life of pi: symbols, life of pi: theme wheel, brief biography of yann martel.

Historical Context of Life of Pi

Other books related to life of pi.

• Full Title: Life of Pi
• Where Written: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
• When Published: 2001
• Literary Period: Contemporary Fiction
• Genre: Fiction, Magical Realism
• Setting: Pondicherry, India, the Pacific Ocean, Mexico, and Toronto, Canada
• Climax: Pi finds land
• Antagonist: The hyena/French cook
• Point of View: First person limited from both the “author” and the adult Pi

Extra Credit for Life of Pi

Richard Parker. Martel got the name “Richard Parker” from Edgar Allan Poe’s nautical novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. The name also appears in at least two other factual shipwreck accounts. Martel noticed the reoccurring “Richard Parkers” and felt that the name must be significant.

Zoo. The historical Pondicherry did have a zoo in 1977, but it lacked any tigers or anything larger than a deer.

Booklover Book Reviews

Life of Pi, Book Review: Yann Martel’s life-affirming gem

The Life of Pi novel, Yann Martel’s debut, truly deserves the accolades it has received. I was thoroughly engaged and entertained by this tale. Read my full review including some memorable book quotes below and we answer your burning question – was Life of Pi based on a true story?

Life of Pi Book Synopsis

The 2002 Man Booker Prize-winning international bestseller, Life of Pi

One boy, one boat, one tiger . . .

After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The only survivors from the wreck are a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi, a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orang-utan – and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. The scene is set for one of the most extraordinary and best-loved works of fiction in recent years.

A Lesson in Persistence: Yann Martel’s manuscript was rejected by at least five London publishing houses before being accepted by Knopf Canada, which published it in September 2001. The novel has since sold more than ten million copies worldwide.

Genre: Literature, Fantasy, Action-Adventure

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Book Review

Life of Pi is poignant, inspirational and life-affirming.

The predominant narrator is our protagonist Piscine Molitor Patel, who prefers to be called Pi. Interspersed within Pi’s telling of his story of survival as a teenager, is commentary from a reporter writing an article on the life of Pi many years later.

Pi grew up in a zoo and his knowledge of animal behaviours and traits is the foundation from which he shapes his view of the world and people in general. Even the most dour of individuals could not help liking this character. His self-possession and belief is utterly charming.

Irreverent observational gems, such as the following comment by Pi when delivering his considered review of the castaway survival manual he finds in the lifeboat, consistently brought a smile to my face.

“The injunction not to drink urine was quite unnecessary. No-one called ‘pissin’ during his childhood would be caught dead with a cup of pee at his lips, even alone in a life boat in the middle of the Pacific.”

I also found the disarming simplicity of the 16-year-old character’s discussions on the differences and similarities of the world’s three major religions and his thoughts on religion in general both appealing and quite profound.

In Life of Pi Yann Martel has written such a very clever story.

There is often conjecture about novels that go on to win high-profile awards such as the Man Booker Prize, but in my opinion there should be no argument when it comes to this novel.

This story will be one that stays with me long after reading it. I strongly recommend men and women, young and old acquainting themselves with this character Pi – he is one of the most admirable, believable and inspirational characters you are likely to meet in the world of fiction.

“It is true that those we meet can change us, sometimes so profoundly that we are not the same afterwards, even unto our names.”

Audiobook format

I listened to Life of Pi on audio and strongly recommend this format. The version I listened to was narrated by Jeff Woodman . His delivery really brought to life the humour and irony the protagonist manages to find in his dire predicament.

If you haven’t tried an audiobook before this is a wonderful example of the real value of this reading format. The latest Audible edition of the audiobook is narrated by British comedian, actor and broadcaster Sanjeev Bhaskar — listen to an audiobook sample. Sounds fabulous also.

“The world isn’t just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it, no? Doesn’t that make life a story?”

The Story 5 / 5 ;  The Writing 5 / 5

Where to get your copy of Life of Pi

More inspiring reads.

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
• A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• The Museum of Forgotten Memories by Anstey Harris

More Life of Pi book reviews

‘Martel displays the clever voice and tremendous storytelling skills of an emerging master.’ – Publishers Weekly

‘Life of Pi could renew your faith in the ability of novelists to invest even the most outrageous scenario with plausible life.’-  The New York Times Book Review

‘Despite the extraordinary premise and literary playfulness, one reads Life of Pi not so much as an allegory or magical-realist fable, but as an edge-of-seat adventure.’ – The Guardian 

‘A real adventure: brutal, tender, expressive, dramatic, and disarmingly funny. . . . It’s difficult to stop reading when the pages run out.’ —  San Francisco Chronicle

Was Life of Pi based on a true story?

No, the original novel was purely fictional. But director Ang Lee wanted the movie adaptation to have depth and realism, and so reportedly consulted with real-life shipwreck survivor Steven Callahan, who spent 76 days on a life raft.

Why was Life of Pi controversial?

Some have suggested that Yann Martel’s 2001 novel is very similar to Brazilian author Moacyr Scliar’s 1981 novella  Max and the Cats , about a man in a lifeboat with a jaguar.

The Life of Pi Movie

This novel was adapted for the big screen by screenwriter David Magee and directed by Ang Lee . The movie won four Oscars including Best Director and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.

About the Book Author, Yann Martel

Yann Martel was born in Spain in 1963 of Canadian parents. After studying philosophy at university, he travelled and worked at odd jobs before turning to writing. In addition to the Man Booker Prize-winning  Life of Pi , which has been translated into over fifty languages and has sold over thirteen million copies worldwide, he is the author of the novels  Self, Beatrice and Virgil  and  The High Mountains of Portugal , the stories  The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios , and the collection of letters to the Prime Minister of Canada,  What is Stephen Harper Reading?  He lives in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Watch a video of an interview with Yann Martel on Life of Pi — source Manufacturing Intellect .

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A booklover with diverse reading interests, who has been reviewing books and sharing her views and opinions on this website and others since 2009.

LIFE OF PI Review

LIFE OF PI Review. Our review of director Ang Lee's LIFE OF PI, adapted from Yann Martel's novel and starring Irrfan Khan and Suraj Sharma.

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The Life of Pi: book review (B1)

Seven million readers can’t be wrong. What makes The Life of Pi so special?

Instructions

Do the preparation exercise first and then read the book review. If you find it too easy, try the next level. If it's too difficult, try the lower level. After reading, do the exercises to check your understanding.

Preparation

The book and its author.

The Life of Pi tells the story of Pi, a teenage boy from India, who finds himself trapped in a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with a tiger. It is the third book by the Canadian author Yann Martel, and was published in 2001. It has sold seven million copies worldwide, won several prizes and been translated into 41 languages. Yann Martel is the son of a diplomat and spent his childhood in Costa Rica, Canada, France and Mexico. After finishing university in Canada, he spent two years travelling round India and then decided to be a writer.

At the start of the book, we learn about Pi’s childhood in Pondicherry in India. His father owns the city zoo and the family home is in the zoo. When they aren’t at school, Pi and his brother help their father at the zoo and he learns a lot about animals. Pi is very interested in religion. His family are Hindu, but he is curious about Christianity and Islam too and decides to believe in all three religions.

When Pi is 16, his parents decide to close the zoo and move to Canada. They sell some of the animals to zoos in North America and the family travel by ship to Canada taking the animals with them. On the way, there is a terrible storm and the ship sinks. Sadly, Pi’s family and the sailors all die in the storm, but Pi lives and finds himself in a lifeboat with a hyena, zebra, orang-utan and an enormous tiger. At first, Pi is scared of the animals and jumps into the ocean. Then he remembers there are sharks in the water and decides to climb back into the lifeboat. One by one, the animals in the lifeboat kill and eat each other, till only Pi and the tiger are left alive. Luckily for Pi, there is some food and water on the lifeboat, but he soon needs to start catching fish. He feeds the tiger to stop it killing and eating him. He also uses a whistle and his knowledge of animals to control the tiger and show it that he’s boss.

Pi and the tiger spend 227 days in the lifeboat. They live through terrible storms and the burning heat of the Pacific sun. They are often hungry and ill. Sometimes, Pi finds comfort in his three religions, but sometimes he feels sad and lonely. Finally, they arrive at the coast of Mexico, but you will have to read the book to find out what happens in the end!

What do the reviewers think?

It’s a great book and I couldn’t stop reading it, but I didn’t want it to end either! As you read, you share Pi’s emotional journey through hope, despair, exhaustion, loneliness and joy. There’s one chapter where Pi sings 'Happy Birthday' to his mother on the day that he guesses is her birthday, even though he thinks she is dead. It’s a heart-breaking moment and it made me want to cry. Alex, 15

I found some sections of the book very boring and slow. For me, there were too many chapters without any action and just long explanations of Pi’s thoughts or his memories. Also, to be honest, I found the plot really unrealistic. I think the tiger would have eaten Pi straight away! Danny, 16

What a fascinating book! I enjoyed the story, but I also learnt a lot about animal psychology, religion and how to survive a shipwreck (you never know, it might happen to you one day!). I would recommend this book to anyone, old or young, men and women. It’s a good read! Paula, 18

Robin Newton

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Book review: Life of Pi

Posted on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 in Book Reviews | 4 comments

by Yann Martel

Piscine Molitor Patel (nickname: Pi) grows up as an impressionable young son of a zookeeper in India. When the family decides to sell the zoo animals and relocate to Canada, they board a cargo ship with the caged animals and set off. Tragedy strikes, the ship sinks, and young Pi (now sixteen, I think) finds himself on a 20-foot lifeboat with a wounded zebra, a hyperactive hyena, a likeable orangutan and a waiting tiger as his only companions. Soon, as you can imagine, it’s just he and the tiger.

Let’s back up. Pi’s passion is Christ. Well, and Muhammed. And Krishna. As a practicing Christian, Muslim, and Hindu in India, he sees no reason to choose between the three, but this drives his three spiritual advisors batty. Only one of the three can be right, right? The stage is set for a journey which will uncover God, for that is the book’s promise: to deliver a story that will make you believe in God.

But in the middle of the shark-infested Pacific ocean, with a ferocious Bengal tiger filling most of the lifeboat, God seems to slip out of the story. Where has God gone? Why bother introducing Pi’s triune confusion, if only to let God slide by the wayside? Most readers, I’m convinced, will never find Him again. You won’t find God either, if you don’t keep your eyes open, or if you point those eyes only up to heaven.  Even those who imagine they have uncovered Martel’s postmodern message may be unwilling to probe inside the fanciful tale atop the banal story wherein God dwells.

What a great review! And I agree, Martel is a great storyteller.

You have a really nice review =) did you know that the movie version will be released this November 21? Also, in 3D adventure film? Something to look forward to either ways. Here’s my review by the way: http://lorxiebookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/07/life-of-pi-by-yann-martel.html

No kidding? I gotta see it!!

Cute blog you have, btw.

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Fascinating survival tale with animal facts, gory detail.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Pi, the main character of Yann Martel's Life of Pi

The strongest message of Yann Martel's unusual nov

In Part 1 of Life of Pi, young Pi is guided by his

Whether or not Pi's survival stories are to be bel

Early in the book, Pi describes the sexual behavio

Pi, whose real name is Piscine (the French word fo

Pi says that some crew members aboard the cargo sh

Parents need to know that Yann Martel's novel Life of Pi is the story an Indian zookeeper's son, who survives a shipwreck. Though Pi generally describes his many days at sea as monotonous, he also describes the sexual behavior of zoo animals and relates tales of danger and survival with great tension, using…

Educational Value

Pi, the main character of Yann Martel's Life of Pi , shares a wealth of detailed information on a variety of topics: zookeeping, animal behavior, survival techniques, and religious beliefs and practices of Catholics, Muslims, and Hindi. However, Pi is a somewhat unreliable narrator, and a lot of what he explains about wild animals falls into the "Don't try this at home" category.

Positive Messages

The strongest message of Yann Martel's unusual novel is one of survival and the value of life. Though Pi, a lifelong vegetarian, must kill all manner of creatures to survive, the author never treats these events lightly. Pi is ever driven by his will to live and his inclusive, multi-religious love of God.

Positive Role Models

In Part 1 of Life of Pi , young Pi is guided by his parents and three religious teachers. His father uses a fairly shocking method to teach his sons to respect wild animals, but his motives are well-intentioned. Pi's mother is affectionate and protective. Pi gets to know a Catholic priest as well as leaders in the Hindu and Muslim faiths. He is moved by all of their teachings, and incorporates ideas from all three religions into his own belief system. Pi is also close to some of his schoolteachers, from whom he learns valuable academic and life lessons.

Violence & Scariness

Whether or not Pi's survival stories are to be believed, they are extremely violent and graphic. The narrator uses elaborate detail to describe wild animals killing and eating each other, and humans killing and eating animals. The book also includes acts of murder and cannibalism.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Early in the book, Pi describes the sexual behavior of zoo animals.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Pi, whose real name is Piscine (the French word for swimming pool), is teased by other children, who call him "Pissing."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Pi says that some crew members aboard the cargo ship have been drinking alcohol.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Yann Martel's novel Life of Pi is the story an Indian zookeeper's son, who survives a shipwreck. Though Pi generally describes his many days at sea as monotonous, he also describes the sexual behavior of zoo animals and relates tales of danger and survival with great tension, using elaborate detail to describe wild animals killing and eating each other and humans killing and eating animals. The novel also includes acts of murder and cannibalism. This is a gory book, no question, and not recommended for the squeamish. Parents might also note that Pi forms his own belief system from the teachings of the Catholic, Hindu, and Muslim religions, saying that he simply wants to "love God."

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (5)
• Kids say (43)

Based on 5 parent reviews

"Reality is Unliveable"

No no no, what's the story.

Yann Martel's novel LIFE OF PI is the story of Piscine Molitor Patel, who likes to be called \"Pi\" because children made fun of his name, calling him \"Pissing\" when he was a boy. Pi grows up in India with his brother, Ravi, his mom, and his dad, who runs a zoo. As a boy, Pi struggles with the identity issues connected with his name and with his personal belief system. He visits leaders of three different religions, and joins the Catholic, Hindu, and Muslim faiths. When Pi's parents decide to move their family to Canada, the Patels board a Japanese cargo ship that will take them and some of the zoo animals to North America. However, disaster strikes the ship and Pi must battle for survival. Most of the book is a narration of Pi's time at sea. The film adaptation of Life of Pi is scheduled for Nov. 21, 2012, release.

Is It Any Good?

Life of Pi is a fascinating and original story of survival and identity. Martel creates a wonderfully realized, clever character in Pi, and a unique world of home, zoo, school, and various houses of various gods. The bit where all three religious figures realize that Pi has joined their faith is quite funny, and so wise. Readers have come to love Pi by the time his ship sinks, and every terrifying, bloody struggle he faces is met with intelligence and frought with tension. This is a smart, absorbing novel, although, given its gory descriptions, not a book to be enjoyed with a meal.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the lesson Pi's father teaches his sons with the tiger and the goat. Why is this important in Life of Pi , and how does this experience affect Pi's ability to survive in the lifeboat?

Which of Pi's stories do you believe?

What do you make of Pi's religious inclusiveness? Does it make sense to you? Can people believe in more than one faith?

Book Details

• Author : Yann Martel
• Genre : Literary Fiction
• Topics : Ocean Creatures , Science and Nature , Wild Animals
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date : September 11, 2001
• Number of pages : 336
• Last updated : June 9, 2015

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the starving artist

I'm determined. are you, book review: life of pi.

I have read Life of Pi a couple of times and I like it. I have reasons, and I’ll give them to you in a sec. I also always leave it a little disappointed. I think my main beef with this book is that Yann Martel tried too hard to sell us his perceived moral. Turns out, what he has to say about religion isn’t all that compelling, but what the book says about guilt, is much more so.

Life of Pi is a fantasy story (which really sits pretty close to magic realism) about an Indian teenager who grows up in the 60s and 70s, the son of a zookeeper and intensely interested in religion. When his family decides to emigrate to Canada, they crate up all the sold animals and embark on a giant tanker ship across the Pacific. After the ship sinks in a storm in the middle of the night, Pi is left alone on a lifeboat with a tiger, a hyena, a chimpanzee, and a wounded zebra. How could he possibly make it more than 250 days without being eaten alive?

Note: If you stop reading halfway through this book, you have not fairly experienced it. I am okay with you disliking it and stopping, but I’m just telling you that it doesn’t work, this time, to judge it based on the first half or even two-thirds. What happens in the last quarter, even the last several pages, is like the chemical at the end of an experiment that crystallizes the solution and shows us what we were doing all along. So.

What I like: the twist (when you realize this story is getting out of hand) and then the double twist (when you realize this book isn’t at all what you thought it was). The detailed description that brings things to life, like you’re really there, stranded on a boat in the middle of the ocean with a tiger and you have boils on your butt. Or you’re eating a raw turtle. Or whatever. The bits of wit and humor. The many science-y facts (many zoological) as well as the keen observation of biological life that brings it into a highly-saturated focus. The thing is, Life of Pi should drag out to make you feel the pain, like The Man and the Sea or The Pearl , so I’m mostly okay with how long it can feel. Also, you like Pi, which is a win for the character, because—in my reading of it—he’s trying to absolve himself. Pi is a character so observant, smart, and passionate that when we put on our Pi suit it’s like we’ve never truly seen the world before and we’re worn raw with how much we perceive and sense and think.

What I don’t like: the twist. How can I like it and not like it? It really seemed to come out of nowhere, but then it settles in and you might even grow to appreciate it, as I did. And perhaps the book does drag out a bit much, especially with the religious stuff. When Martel drags things out at sea, it is because he is vividly painting this alternate reality so that we can almost taste Pi’s regret and his need to do it over. But when Martel hoovers over religious themes for too long, Martel’s trying to sell us a package that is not really what we get. As I said before, this book is not about religion or about God or even about belief (ultimately, at least not in the way it’s often read). It’s about if truth can be more true told differently and, more importantly, what lengths we would go to, to hide our dark side from others and even ourselves. Awkward , especially when Martel brackets the story with a real-fake writer researching a real-fake man and one of the characters tells him, emphatically, “I have a story that will make you believe in God.” This is a rabbit trail. Do not believe it. Wish this line was NOT there.

Besides not helping us believe in God and instead showing us what guilt can do to a man, though, there are juxtaposing layers of the story that beg questions about truth and reality, fiction and fact, similar to The Things They Carried ¸ which I happened to just review. It’s not quite as direct or even as successful as O’Brien’s masterpiece, but it would make for some great discussion. Does it matter which version of Pi’s story is real? Which one is told? Which one ends up being truer? Are they essentially the same story? Yadda Yadda. While Martel eventually crashes his own party, I think, we can still strike off on our own conversation.

Here’s what I have to say, with SPOILERS: Like I said, I think the real theme of this book was what happened to a boy who grew into a man very regretful of how he had behaved at a pivotal moment in his life. Remember, when we have doubts cast on the entire story, that includes the end all the way to Pi’s childhood. The only thing we can trust as untainted are the italics, and that only includes his life as an adult. So we know that he surrounds himself with a strange amalgamation of religions at that point, but Pi’s relationship with religion growing up and especially some of the more fanciful moments there, is in question. In other words, even these early stories of religion have to be read through the lens of a shamed boy who did terrible things under great pressure and sought to create a story that would account for the moral truth, the knowable facts, and cocoon his guilt at the same time. Certainly it’s not a book to make one believe in God, as we are led to believe in the intro. In fact, it’s almost like Pi doesn’t understand religion at all, trying to use it as a shield against his own depraved nature, as something to distance himself from his story. Maybe like amulets. Or maybe that is Martel’s point, but it’s not how people seem to interpret it. I have a friend who thinks Pi asserts that all religions are equally false, so belief in any is good. And there is an interesting switch at the end: you think Pi is asserting the truth of all faiths and then we realize he is an untrustworthy narrator and he asks his listeners which story is better and when they say the one with the animals (though it isn’t accurate,) he says, “And so it goes with God.” Which means what ?!? The more beautiful life of faith is not based in reality? But it’s still better (whatever that means)? Perhaps that is what Pi is saying. But do I believe him? No, I don’t. Furthermore, I wish this line was also NOT in the book. (SPOILERS over)

Life of Pi is an interesting tale with a pretty cool twist or two, good writing, a little humor, a bit of beauty, and a lot of immersive detail.

PS. I got the craziest copy of this book, used, sight unseen. My daughter thinks it’s kind of amazing or at least funny, but it is seriously defaced to the point of distraction. Photo to the right.

I have seen it and liked it, but I need to re-watch it to review it for you. I am a fan of Ang Lee. HERE is an old review.

“…reason, that fool’s gold for the bright…” (p5)

“My fingers, which seconds before had been taste buds savouring the food a little ahead of my mouth, became dirty under his gaze. They froze like criminals caught in the act” (p7).

“Animals in the wild lead lives of compulsion and necessity within an unforgiving social hierarchy in an environment where the supply of fear is high and the supply of food low and where territory must constantly be defended and parasites forever endured. What is the meaning of freedom in such a context?” (p16).

“I know zoos are no longer in people’s good graces. Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both” (p19).

“This was all a bit much for me. The tone was right—loving and brave—but the details seemed bleak” (p28).

“It was my first clue that atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith, and every word they speak speaks of faith. Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them—and then they leap” (p28).

“To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation” (p28).

“…zoo detractors should realize that animals don’t escape to somewhere but from something ” (p41).

“Christianity bustles like Toronto at rush hour. It is a religion as swift as a swallow, as urgent as an ambulance. It turns on a dime, expressed itself in an instant. In a moment you are lost or saved” (p57).

“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” (p71).

“I wish he hadn’t fretted so much. It’s hard on a son to see his father sick with worry” (p78).

“The ship sank…. Everything was screaming: the sea, the wind, my heart…” (p97).

“I didn’t even notice daybreak. I held on to the oar, I just held on, God only knows why” (p107).

“Without a driver this bus is lost. Our lives are over. Come aboard if your destination is oblivion—it should be our next stop” (p111).

“To lose a brother is to lose someone with whom you can share the experience of growing old, who is supposed to bring you a sister-in-law and nieces and nephes, creature to people the tree of your life and give it new branches” (p127).

“I was no longer crying because of my family or because of my impending death. I was far too mumb to consider either. I was crying because I was exceedingly tired and it was time to get rest” (p131).

“With a tiger aboard, my life was over. That being settled, why not do something about my parched throat?” (p135).

“The only reason I didn’t stand up and beat it off the lifeboat with a stick was lack of strength and a stick, not lack of heart” (p136).

“Every part of you, in the manner most suited to it, falls apart. Only your eyes work well. They always pay proper attention to fear” (p161).

“In my experience, a castaway’s worst mistake is to hope too much and do too little” (p168).

“I have learned since that cargo ships travel too quickly for fish. You are as likely to see sea life from a ship as you are to see wildlife in a forest from a car on a highway” (p176).

“I had in my life looked at a number of starry nights, where with just two colours and the simplest of styles nature draws the grandest of pictures…” (p193).

“It was frightening, the extent to which a full belly made for a good mood” (p213).

“The salt went on eating everything with its million hungry mouths” (p238).

“As my heart exalted Allah, my mind began to take in information about Allah’s works” (p260).

“I did not scream. I think only in movies is horror vocal” (p281).

“What a terrible thing it is to botch a farewell” (p285).

“’If you stumble at mere believability, what are you living for? Isn’t love hard to believe?’” (p297).

“Isn’t just looking upon this world already something of an invention?” (p302).

“’So what happened, Mr. Patel? We’re puzzled. Everything was normal and then…?’ / ‘Then normal sank’” (p316).

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