The page
This book was written by non other, Yann Martel, an outstanding author who incorporates
faith
hope
& adventure
into a beautifully written tale. The book itself is 319 pages long with exactly 100 chapters which is relevant in this novel as you will discover as you read on. This book was published in September 2001 and is a number one bestseller and a winner of The Man Booker prize.
The chapter
Right lets get to the story!
This is a story about a man named Piscine Molitor Patel, otherwise known as Pi. In this book he retells his story of how his journey began and how faith, hope and a Bengal Tiger ensured his survival.
Living in India, Pi adopts his fascination of animals from his father who runs a Zoo in a place called Pondicherry, and his botany from his mother. He searches for answers as he comes across different religions, and finds peace within himself to believe in all three (Hinduism,Christianity & Islam). However, a political crisis occurs in India and causes Pi's family to make the decision to leave home and sell their animals to build a new life in Canada. Events take a turn for the worst as on their journey aboard their ship a storm hits causing Pi to take refuge in a life boat. He soon discovers that his crew consists of a wounded Zebra, a hyena, an Orangutan ( called Orange Juice) and a Bengal Tiger who goes by the name of Richard Parker.
His journey shows the struggles and hardships he went through in order to survive, Pi as a story teller makes the reader feel the emotions of loneliness happiness and loss but also the hope that there is a happy ending.
The book
So what did I think of the book?
I thought it was absolutely brilliant, its one of those books that will leave you thinking long after you've turned the final pages, its a book that makes you rack through your brain and think
"wow what just happened?!"
Its a story about growth and development and the extent of how one person can to survive .
& to be honest, i was left thinking...well what happens after?!
The message I think that Yann Martel sends out through this book is that as people we try to avoid what is actually true for things we prefer. As human beings cannot comprehend things beyond what has already been set in place before us and so we have lost the vital thing we all are capable of.
Belief.
