The Life of Pi

I picked up this book because I had heard from several people that it was good, and also because it won the Mann Booker Prize, and so any late 20th/21st century fiction scholar worth her salt better read it. I bought it, put it on my shelf, and then forgot about it in craziness of writing my dissertation.

As a quick aside--I think that for those writing or researching dissertations, that process is much like deciding which college you want to go to during your senior year of high school. It's stressful, you don't really want to think about it if you don't have to, there's the pressure of deadlines, and it's what everybody always asks you about. I'm honestly grateful for all those who show interest in what I'm working on, especially considering that when I eventually try to publish it after I graduate, if it gets published, six people will buy it and they will all be related to me. But it just feels that right now, my whole life is hanging on me finishing this thing, and I'd do anything to not think about the deadlines that are looming closer and closer. So if at some point, you ask "How's the dissertation?" and I scowl at you and say something snarky, please understand that it's nothing personal :)

Anyways, back to The Life of Pi. I picked it up two nights ago when I was stressing out about everything I had to do and I couldn't fall asleep. I needed to read something NOT related to my dissertation, and I finally remembered this book sitting on my shelf. And before I knew it, I was 40 pages into it.

It's a really fast, interesting read. I bogged down a little in the middle because it seemed slightly repetitive, but things picked up again quickly. Basically, the novel tells the story of Pi Patel, whose family is moving from India to Canada via freighter. The freighter sinks, and Pi ends up stranded on a lifeboat with a fully grown Bengal tiger.

This book will be interesting for those who enjoy survival stories, but it's much more than that. Before Pi moves to Canada, he has become a devout follower of Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Thinking about how his religious beliefs connect with the survival narrative that follows is thought-provoking and insightful.

Plus, who doesn't like a book filled with wild animals? It's the same sort of excitement as going to the zoo, without having to leave the comfort of your own home.