loved this book . Immediately wanted someone to talk to about whether the tiger was the one doing the eating or not. Really a great read ( )

This book took a really long time for me to get into, but once it picked up, it was really hard to put down. All in all, a good read. ( )

Unlike majority of the books I've read this year, which I sought after and bought, this book found me. I stumbled across it in a coffee shop which offered customers free books. And I am forever grateful for that coffee shop. Like most people my age, this book is not as popular as the movie and I've seen the movie before. So I pretty much knew the story and I am someone who doesn't enjoy spoilers. However, I decided to give this book a go since the memory of the movie was quite faded in my mind and therefore I could not recall all the details of the story accurately. That was a great decision on my part.

In short, this book absolutely blew me out of the water (pun intended). Every page was as interesting as the last and it was such an absolute pleasure to read. The themes of god, religion, life and death were never overdrawn and every element of the novel seemed to be in balance without being given too much or too little attention, which in turn accentuated the overall plot. Lot of the novels that I have read this year focused on literary complexity which needs to be dissected in order for the average reader to wrap their heads around the story and although complexity is admirable, the author often sacrifices the reading experience for it. But the author of this novel did nothing of that sort, he used direct and concise words without adding unnecessary complexity. That is not to say there is no literary complexity at all; there is plenty of space for detailed literary analysis. This novel also has a very compelling story-telling which makes it a bliss to read.

The novel ends with an unusual cliffhanger where the readers are offered the choice between two completely different stories. Neither of those stories will change the overall ending of the novel, but either, will topple the experience of the novel on its head and the feeling left behind.

I would highly recommend this novel to everyone, even if you have watched the movie. The movie obviously skips out quite a few details - although not crucially important to the overall plot - that changes the overall pace and the tone of the story. The novel, without a doubt is the superior of the two. ( )

With 'The Life of Pi' Yann Martell tacitly promotes a positive, imaginative approach to life. The young protagonist Pi reveals his tale of a potentially tragic voyage across the sea in a life boat accompanied by a zebra, an orang-utan, a hyena and a Bengal tiger. After an inital slow start this compelling tale gathers speed from page 80 onwards and concludes with the greatest ending to a book I have read; a magnificent prestige. ( )

Very well written adventure story that begins after a hundred or so pages. A great survival tale if taken at its simplest level. ( )