Connection to myself/personal response - Life of Pi



 

Life of Pi is one of my favorite books that I have read so far. The book did not receive rave reviews from some of my classmates but I personally enjoyed it thoroughly and could not put it down. The book had elements of spiritually, the importance of learning , endurance and hope against all odds. Which made it all the more enjoyable to read. There were always two meanings to every aspect of the book and if you read too fast or skimmed the novel quickly you would miss the real meaning of what Yann Martel was saying and describing which is what I find the majority of my classmates who did not enjoy or understand the novel did.  From what others have told me and reviews I’ve read I found that the large majority of readers did not necessarily enjoy the first section of the book. I however found it very interesting seeing the perspective of a young boy discovering  and taking interest in different world religions also his take on the reaction of his parents and his different priests to his devout interest in religion. All of this taking place in a land foreign to me was a perfection combination. I also loved reading his life growing up on a zoo and the zoo lore his father taught him. The stories about other animals kept the book interesting. What was very fascinating was the carry-over from part one to part two. During part one a lot of detail was put into Pi’s schedule of praying zoo work and school all very precise and Pi followed diligently. While Pi and Richard Parker were on the raft Pi functioned with the same mentality of schedule order and organization. He almost immediately took an organized inventory after the boat sank, made plans what to do with Richard Parker and made himself a raft. I was already very engrossed in the bulk of the book but the conclusion was fantastic. I do not love when books have devastating endings. Pi did lose his family which is horrible but every good story and hero has to have a tragedy but all in all Pi turned out well in life. Why I thought the ending was so fantastic was the loose end that Yann Martel and that even after the book was finished you kept on thinking. Yann Martel left evidence that either of Pi’s explanations could be true. The story of his mother and him surviving with the cook and sailor sounded more realistic and probable but there were small mammal bones left in the bottom of his life raft which would give evidence of his encounter with the Meer cats and the island. By the end the interviewers put two and two together that the stories are intertwined as the zebra is the sailor the hyena the cook and that both stories follow the same plot but one with animals the other with people.  What made you kept you thinking even after the book finished was which story was true? Or a combination the both? Either way the book was very well written and the first book without rape which I was very appreciative of that break. Life of Pi had double meanings and aspects philosophy and overall an excellent book which I thoroughly enjoyed.