Life of Pi by Yan Martel

The Life of Pi
by Yann Martel
$14.00

Paperback: 326 pages

Publisher: Mariner Books (May 1, 2003)

ISBN-10: 0156027321

ISBN-13: 978-0156027328

Annotation/Flashtalk:

How can a teenage boy survive on a life raft in the ocean with only a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra, and a Bengal tiger as company for 227 days?

Summary:

Pi Patel is the son of a zookeeper in Pondecherry India.  He spent some of his most formative younger years trying on various religions and learning about the nature of animals from his father.  After a change in the political regime in India, his father decides to sell the zoo including the animals and move the family to Canada. 

On the fourth day of their journey, the Japanese freighter they are riding aboard sinks about half way to Midway.  Pi finds himself alone in a lifeboat with only a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra, and a Bengal tiger as company.  One by one the animals are dispatched by the tiger and Pi must find away to keep himself alive, and the tiger satiated.  He eventually finds rescue supplies on board the ship, among them are ration biscuits, water, a survival book and supplies for distilling sea water and fishing.  When the supplies run out, Pi begins to fish and distill water.  Using all of his wisdom, his senses and faith Pi struggles to survive by building an auxiliary raft to float at a safe distance from Richard’s domain of the lifeboat.

After 227 days in the ocean, the lifeboat runs aground in Mexico where Richard Parker runs into the jungle never to be seen again.  When questioned by the Japanese authorities Pi recounts his story only to have them question its validity.  When he offers them an alternate version they begin to understand his original version of the story.

Genre/Subgenre: Adventure/Suspense

Evaluation: 3-stars.