Kindle Book: Life of Pi

Life of Pi

by Yann Martel

Length: 326 pages

Format: Kindle book
Price: $8.63
Author Website: http://www.lifeofpi.co.uk/ (He doesn't appear to have a website...this is the best I could do!)

Basic Premise: Young Piscine (or Pi, as he prefers to be called) lives a quiet life as the son of a zookeeper in the small village of Podicherry in India.  When his parents decide to pack up their zoo an ship it across the ocean to Canada, a freak-accident that sinks the ship results in Pi finding himself on a lifeboat with a most unlikely host of animals - the most dangerous? A tiger.

My Take: 8.5 out of 10 (scale here)
This book was my first book on my new Kindle!  (Can I just say I LOVE LOVE LOVE MY KINDLE!) It was chosen by my book club and I was unsure of what to expect.  But it was wonderful.  It was interesting and very well-written.  I loved the style of the author, and the fact that he wove the back-story and the present story together.  The first part is all about Pi's exploration of spirituality.  He explores Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity, and believes that they are not mutually exclusive - in other words, you can be a Hindu, a Muslim, and a Christian all at once.  (He and I disagree on this point.) The second part is him on the lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan, and yes, a fully grown adult male tiger.  Having read Unbroken, I knew a bit of what to expect from someone lost at sea, but it was thrown into a whole new light with the presence of a tiger, whom Pi felt he must feed, because once the food stopped coming, where would the tiger look for his next meal?  It was endlessly interesting!

My one complaint about this book was the ending.  I wanted more from it.  It had what I call a "stop" ending.  I tell my students not to use a "stop" ending, because it's like the author slams on the breaks and gives you literary whip-lash.  You want a nice, slow, easy ending that causes no discomfort.  I was discomforted.  I wanted more answers than the author gave.  I had more questions, being someone who hates loose ends.

I watched the trailer the morning after I finished the book and am excited about the movie!  Hoping my book club girls want to all go watch it together before it leaves the theater!