Book Review—The Life of Pi

Dr Julie Hudson, Executive Director of Clinical Support Services reviews The Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

Life of Pi, published by Harvest Books, won the 2002 Man Booker Prize for fiction. The plot summary from the book jacket outlines the story of Pi, a teenage boy who ends up as the only human being in a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean with a hyena, an orang-utan, an injured zebra and a large Bengal tiger.

On the basis of this summary, I had anticipated a fantasy adventure and was therefore quite unprepared for the actual depth and complexity of a story of survival against the odds.

There are many subplots to this novel which has religious, multi-cultural and human relationship overtones. Although fiction, within the context of the novel, the reader is not always certain what is told by the story-teller of what is fact or fiction, present or past, memory or fantasy. Although implausible, the story is somewhat believable. The novel is entertaining in a sometimes macabre although ultimately uplifting way. Wild animals did indeed behave as wild animals. Humans behaved to the best and worst of expectations.

There are really only two key characters in this novel. Pi Patel, is an Indian boy initially en route from India to North America with his family aiming to start a new life. Pi is a devotee of Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. He is an animal lover, son of a zookeeper and, as becomes obvious during his voyage, an innovative problem solver and survivalist against the odds. The other key character is Richard Parker, an intimidating 450 pound Bengal tiger who shares Pi's journey almost to the end.

Life of Pi is ultimately enjoyable reading although has an unsettling edge. As an award winning novel, the book received critical praise which is well summarised as, “A story to make you believe in the soul-sustaining power of fiction and its human creators, and in the original power of storytellers like Martel”—Los Angeles Times Book Review.