The Life of Pi

Yann Martel
2001

rating: very good

plot: The story of the life of a pious Indian man named Piscine, "Pi", the main part of which involves him being shipwrecked for months with a tiger.



The dust jacket on this book said, "This story might just make you believe in God." I almost put it down right then; not because I thought the book would convert me but because I feel that's an off-putting, pompous claim. By the time I finished the book, I realized the dust jacket got this wrong. The intention of this book isn't to covert the reader; it's to make the reader reflect deeply on religion.

Martel clear sentiment is that religion is just man's interpretation. The question that I'm still pondering is whether he meant that it's man's interpretation of nature or interpretation of God.

Martel starts the book in first-person, recounting how he found the man called Pi, who allowed Martel to record his life story. (This reminded me a lot to the approach of William Goldman in The Princess Bride.) Martel then switches to using the first-person voice of Pi to tell the story. Pi describes his boyhood in India, the most distinguishing part of which involves the religiously curious Pi practicing the Hindu, Muslim and Christian religions at the same time. He feels it's obvious that all worship God in beautiful ways; the respective church elders do not agree.

Pi's father is a zookeeper. Due to political change in India in the 1970's, Pi's family plans to move to Chanda with the animals. They board a Japanese cargo ship. The ship sinks in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Only Pi and the zoo's tiger survive. Pi and the tiger drift on the ship's lifeboat for seven months. Martel does not hold back in his descriptions of Pi's desperation and attempt to cling to his humanity.

When I finished the book, the first thing I thought was this author was an atheist who was very subtly trying to make his point. After further reflection, I decided the author was a religious man. Now, I believe that Martel is just a brilliant author who has found a way to engage the minds of his audience. Perhaps the only meaning he intended is the meaning the reader finds.