I finished
Life of Pi on Wednesday. My final summation is that it was excellent, and that it may be my most favorite adventure/survival book that I have read so far. Martel does an excellent job of creating Pi and his story. I think it helps that Pi is not in a conventional place. Typically castaways end up on some deserted island and can live off the land, but one can't really do that in the middle of the ocean. It was cool to feel like every bit of the story had a purpose and the convergence of his life circumstances that allowed him to survive for as long as he did. There are some books where the writing seems like filler, but in this case, everything came together nicely with his life and the purpose of taking it all down. Aside from these points, I also like the second story at the end of the book for the "non-believers." What really strikes me about Pi is his continuing faith. He is like a post-modern Job, flying in the face of skeptics whether it be skeptics of religion or his story.
Favorite moments:
- reasoning to plan of action #7
- explanation of how Richard Parker got his name
- the taming of Richard Parker
- the algae island (from a biological standpoint and also kind of in a macabre way)
- the interview with the two Japanese investigators (the side conversation is particularly funny)
Favorite quotes: (these will come at a later date, when I have both book and internet together, but keep following the blog!)
