Book review: Life of Pi; by Yann Martel

A lot of people have watched the movie ‘Life of Pi’, but a few bother to read the book. Even I, who have always believed that books are far better than movies, when watched the movie, thought that perhaps its novel couldn’t be much better, since the movie is already amazing. But as it turned out, I was quite wrong about it.

The book is spell-bounding, amazing – I cannot just describe how 

wonderful it is.

Those who have watched the movie (like me) already know what the story is about and what to expect from the book. But this should not stop one from reading the book, because it’s not just about the storyline. It’s about the descriptions, the thoughts, the emotions, and feelings. Of a boy stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with hardly any supplies and a Bengal tiger for company.

The book is divided into three main parts, as well as into 100 chapters. Part one is Toronto and Pondicherry. This part mainly is mainly about Pi’s early life; his deep interest in religion, his experiences at his father’s zoo, his relationship with his family, and so on. Part two is The Pacific Ocean. As you might guess, this part is all about his experiences at the sea after the ship sank. Part three is Benito Juarez Infirmary, Tomatlan, Mexico. This part is basically about his meeting with two people from the Maritime Department in the Japanese Ministry of Transport, who were looking for the reasons for the ship’s sinking.

Once you reach The Pacific Ocean, it is impossible to stop reading. Part two is the longest and most exciting part of the book. It is intriguing to read about how Pi managed to survive all alone in a huge ocean with limited supplies, for over 200 days. Although he had been a vegetarian, to survive on the sea he had to eat fish, crabs, turtles and other sea creatures. And he did not only have to feed himself – he had an adult Bengal tiger with him on his lifeboat as well, who he had to feed too. In his initial days on the lifeboat, he decides that if he does not give the tiger anything to eat, it might eventually starve and die. But he soon realizes that this plan is not very feasible, as the tiger would be more dangerous when he is hungry. So he fishes for the tiger and himself. He spends a lot of his time in praying, as he has a firm belief in God.

But even then, there is so much time, and so little to do. It is quite hard for Pi to keep busy at all times. This excerpt from the book may help understand his situation: ‘My greatest wish – other than salvation – was to have a book. A long book with a never-ending story. One I could read again and again, with new eyes and a fresh understanding each time. Alas, there was no scripture in the lifeboat.’

While reading the book, at times I could not help wondering about what I would do if I found myself in a similar situation. I wondered if I had enough guts to survive in such a situation. It was a frightening thought, but is certainly something to think about.

Of course I cannot describe everything about the book, but I can say that reading it was a thrilling experience. I would recommend it to teenagers and adults who have a deep interest in life.