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The Making of Life of Pi: A Film, a Journey
The 3-D motion picture version of Yann Martel's Man Booker Prize-winning bestseller Life of Pi is the most ambitious film project to date from Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). The Making of Life of Pi: A Film, A Journey is a beautifully illustrated, graphically compelling, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a film that is destined to be a classic. Written by John Christophe-Castelli, with a foreword by Yann Martel and an introduction by Ang Lee, The Making of Life of Pi is a must-have volume for every true film buff, offering entertaining text and breathtaking visuals, while providing a fascinating close-up look at the unique approach to filmmaking of one of today's most influential directors.
- GenresFictionFilmMedia Tie In
160 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
March 22, 2013
Life of Pi is an Arduous Journey
Have you ever thought about being stranded in an ocean? How about with an adult Bengal Tiger? It would be even harder with how young you are and the limited supplies you have. Most people would give up. Not many would survive. Would you? By reading the book, Life of Pi, by Yann Martel your imagination will be greatly opened and you will become thoughtless on the multiple ways someone can survive out in an ocean by this amazing work of realistic fanatical fiction.
Piscine wants to get off of the lifeboat that’s in the Pacific Ocean and safely get to land. However, Piscine has no idea where land is and the Bengal Tiger limits his mobility. Therefore, while in the ocean, Piscine tried to keep himself occupied and healthy while keeping hope and praying he finds land. While on the lifeboat, Piscine thinks of what to do with the tiger: “A modest glow of hope flickered to life within me, like a candle in the night. I had a plan and it was a good one. I only needed to survive to put it into effect,” (187-188).
I would recommend this book to anyone who believes in God, who needs to strengthen their relationship with God, for a group of young adults, or someone who has a wide imagination and likes to believe in the impossible. I rate this book 5 out of 5, because it truly does make you imagination grow to an outstanding state with how creatively this book is written.
Have you ever thought about being stranded in an ocean? How about with an adult Bengal Tiger? It would be even harder with how young you are and the limited supplies you have. Most people would give up. Not many would survive. Would you? By reading the book, Life of Pi, by Yann Martel your imagination will be greatly opened and you will become thoughtless on the multiple ways someone can survive out in an ocean by this amazing work of realistic fanatical fiction.
Piscine wants to get off of the lifeboat that’s in the Pacific Ocean and safely get to land. However, Piscine has no idea where land is and the Bengal Tiger limits his mobility. Therefore, while in the ocean, Piscine tried to keep himself occupied and healthy while keeping hope and praying he finds land. While on the lifeboat, Piscine thinks of what to do with the tiger: “A modest glow of hope flickered to life within me, like a candle in the night. I had a plan and it was a good one. I only needed to survive to put it into effect,” (187-188).
I would recommend this book to anyone who believes in God, who needs to strengthen their relationship with God, for a group of young adults, or someone who has a wide imagination and likes to believe in the impossible. I rate this book 5 out of 5, because it truly does make you imagination grow to an outstanding state with how creatively this book is written.
August 11, 2014
LIFE OF PI, written by YANN MAREL, this book’s genre is fiction. Only one lifeboat survived the sinking of the Japanese freighter heart of the Pacific Ocean. The boat crammed five survivors: Orange - an orangutan, hyena, a zebra, a tiger named Richard Parker and Pi Patel, an Indian boy was 16. This little boat is the main setting, whose power could light a reader faith in God, as one of the heroes.
PI has a big courage and curiosity. I really admire him in these points. I can see it by his childhood. Since he was a child, he believe relationship between person and animal even if tiger. Some sufferings happened to him, but hi is still positive and he never given up his life.
In the story, I see there are really good relationship between PI and the tiger. First time, PI was afraid of the lion, but through the survival life, PI will strongly believe the Lion and I think the Lion also trust him as a good partner. The survival life and their relationship made PI strong.
PI has a big courage and curiosity. I really admire him in these points. I can see it by his childhood. Since he was a child, he believe relationship between person and animal even if tiger. Some sufferings happened to him, but hi is still positive and he never given up his life.
In the story, I see there are really good relationship between PI and the tiger. First time, PI was afraid of the lion, but through the survival life, PI will strongly believe the Lion and I think the Lion also trust him as a good partner. The survival life and their relationship made PI strong.
September 13, 2021
October 1, 2021
Do you believe in miracles? Well if you don't, The Life Of PI written by Yann Martel will change your mind. The main character is an Indian boy from Pondicherry, India named Pi. Pi’s dad is a zoo keeper and takes care of hundreds of animals. Pi goes to school, has friends and lives a normal life. This would all change when Pi comes home from school and sees his mom, dad and brother together eating dinner. His dad tells Pi to sit down and to be prepared for what he has to say. Pi’s dad tells his family that they are moving to Canada for a better life and he is going to sell all of his animals. Pi was devastated. Leaving meant that Pi would not see his friends for a while. While on the ship to Canada there was a terrible storm with waves over 100 feet that made the ship flip, and Pi was left stranded in the middle of the ocean.
Throughout the book Pi went through many problems and challenges. He had to make quick decisions. One thing that I liked was how Pi changed as a character and became smarter and more mature. I also liked how Pi, when faced with challenges, kept calm and thought things through. The author keeps the reader engaged throughout the story. He used a lot of sensory imagery while Pi was stranded out at sea. With every sip of rain water the author made you feel like you were drinking the water too. The author uses auditory imagery of sounds of fish swimming, and water droplets dripping from the sky when it rained. When Pi was stranded at sea he was left with a tiger and other animals. All died except the tiger. The tiger was a mentor but also a villian. The tiger made him more aware of his surroundings and kept him on guard. The tiger also took up lots of room on the boat which made it hard for Pi to sleep.
This was a great book overall but some things that I disliked were how the story only had two main characters, the tiger and Pi. I wished that there had been more humans that survived on the boat. I also think that the boat should have been larger. I think that this would have made the book more interesting. Another thing that I disliked was that the story was not realistic. The ship should have taken more time to sink and animals would not magically fly off the boat, landing on the lifeboat.
If you're a reader who loves fables and impactful books this book is for you. This book makes you feel a lot of emotions. It makes you feel like anything is possible and that if you put your mind to it you can survive anything. I think that this book teaches you about survival and finding strength.. If you're a reader that loves life changing books this book is for you.
Do you believe in miracles? Well if you don't, The Life Of PI written by Yann Martel will change your mind. The main character is an Indian boy from Pondicherry, India named Pi. Pi’s dad is a zoo keeper and takes care of hundreds of animals. Pi goes to school, has friends and lives a normal life. This would all change when Pi comes home from school and sees his mom, dad and brother together eating dinner. His dad tells Pi to sit down and to be prepared for what he has to say. Pi’s dad tells his family that they are moving to Canada for a better life and he is going to sell all of his animals. Pi was devastated. Leaving meant that Pi would not see his friends for a while. While on the ship to Canada there was a terrible storm with waves over 100 feet that made the ship flip, and Pi was left stranded in the middle of the ocean.
Throughout the book Pi went through many problems and challenges. He had to make quick decisions. One thing that I liked was how Pi changed as a character and became smarter and more mature. I also liked how Pi, when faced with challenges, kept calm and thought things through. The author keeps the reader engaged throughout the story. He used a lot of sensory imagery while Pi was stranded out at sea. With every sip of rain water the author made you feel like you were drinking the water too. The author uses auditory imagery of sounds of fish swimming, and water droplets dripping from the sky when it rained. When Pi was stranded at sea he was left with a tiger and other animals. All died except the tiger. The tiger was a mentor but also a villian. The tiger made him more aware of his surroundings and kept him on guard. The tiger also took up lots of room on the boat which made it hard for Pi to sleep.
This was a great book overall but some things that I disliked were how the story only had two main characters, the tiger and Pi. I wished that there had been more humans that survived on the boat. I also think that the boat should have been larger. I think that this would have made the book more interesting. Another thing that I disliked was that the story was not realistic. The ship should have taken more time to sink and animals would not magically fly off the boat, landing on the lifeboat.
If you're a reader who loves fables and impactful books this book is for you. This book makes you feel a lot of emotions. It makes you feel like anything is possible and that if you put your mind to it you can survive anything. I think that this book teaches you about survival and finding strength.. If you're a reader that loves life changing books this book is for you.
November 17, 2012
(More pictures on my blog)
This is a beautiful movie companion to the film Life of Pi. It's a 160-page hardcover with surprisingly thick paper stock.
The book looks behind the scenes at the film making process. There are stories on how filming is done in India and Taiwan, scouting and looking for locations, how the wave pool was created, when and how the computer graphics are used, the animals, etc.
The more interesting section is on filming in India where it's so busy and there's this huge difference in culture. There aren't much written about Taiwan, the country itself, but there's a lot on the wave pool that was built at an old deserted airport provided by the government.
Interestingly, Ang Lee is not one who uses storyboards for film-making, so there aren't a lot of art in the book. He likes to go with the flow, so to speak. There are plenty of photos on set and on their scouting trips.
Nice movie companion for the film.
May 16, 2022
Could you ever find yourself in the middle of an ocean? P.S. there is a Bengal tiger there too. Well if so that is basically this book. with scarce supplies and food and water. weeding a human and animals would take a lot of food. (The food he doesn't have) I rate this book a three out of five stars because of the number of things that make it somewhat believable and the number of emotions I felt even though I wasn't even there. The story about how they got into this predicament is very sad for most people because Only one lifeboat survived the sinking of the Japanese freighter heart of the Pacific Ocean. this book would be good for people who like a story that they are fully emerged and feel the same emotions as the person in the book, and just overall feel like they are there.
October 1, 2020
The question is, which story do you prefer?
In this book the spiritual and the practical do not always agree with one another. At its surface it is the story of a boy who survives a shipwreck with a tiger. But, it is later revealed that there might be an alternative tale. The question then is for this and for life, which story do you prefer?
In this book the spiritual and the practical do not always agree with one another. At its surface it is the story of a boy who survives a shipwreck with a tiger. But, it is later revealed that there might be an alternative tale. The question then is for this and for life, which story do you prefer?
May 10, 2024
This a good book. Very graphic at times but I enjoyed it all the same.
December 25, 2018
This book is about a young man called Pi, who survived a shipwreck and had to spend months on a lifeboat with a tiger named Richard Parker. The story was very thrilling and breathtaking as Pi and Richard Parker went through different adventures and having new experiences.
May 28, 2013
Life of Pi was an incredible book because it contains so much imagery and so much detail that helps the reader connect to the plot. In addition, even though the author is not American, he used really great phrases, word choice, and syntax. One example of how the author put his words together seamlessly was solely in the introduction to the book. While describing the beginning of the journey, Martel noted that “When you've suffered a great deal in life, each additional pain is both unbearable and trifling” (Martel 4). By saying this, the author set the tone for the entire book in addition to writing the introduction in the same tone he used to write the entire book. This tone makes readers feel like they are the main character, and makes his struggles feel like they are the reader’s struggles. Another strong example of this is when Pi had just found the huge tiger named Parker and he said, “You might think I lost all hope at that point. I did. And as a result I perked up and felt much better. We see that in sports all the time, don’t we? The tennis challenger starts strong but soon loses confidence in his playing. The champion racks up his games. But in the final set, when the challenger has nothing left to lose, he becomes relaxed again, insouciant, daring” (Martel 176). By describing all of this, Martel helps and forces us understand and connect to the story. Even though not everybody plays tennis, we all understand the pont Martel is trying to get across because everybody has been in a situation that was similar to that of the tennis situation. These are just two short examples out of the entire book which shows how Martel helps his readers connect to his writing and makes this book so gratifying.
August 18, 2021
I enjoyed this book overall, I think that the start was a bit slow and dragged on for a bit too long but once we were on the boat the book had me instantly hooked. It is an extremely interesting premise, and the thought of co-existing with all these animals in this kind of environment. I think that Life of Pi has one of the most interesting plot lines I have ever read, Pi’s struggles many times during the story made me see how things can be a lot worse than I often make it out to be. Life of Pi will be one book I keep in my mind for a while. Very imaginative and exciting story
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May 1, 2013Life of Pi is a fantasy with lots of adventures, and and excitement in it and fantasy. It's really fun to use your imagination to imagine if you were finding fiercesome pirates or wanting to be a princess. But no until you read Life of Pi!
It all started out Pi Patel a Tamil boy who is from Pondicherry, India. And his Father who is a zoo keeper at the worlds largest zoo in India. Pi is very into learning about his religions, and living it. a famous quote from life of Pi is "If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer, if He burst out from the cross 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' Then his father insists that he moves the animals to Canada.
Pi boards the huge ship filled with exotic life of animals all around him, it would be a long journey to Canada. But when you think things are perfect, just then the ship hits a huge wave and then the boat is shipwrecked. When Dawn breaks their were not many survivors, so then Pi is stranded on a lifeboat in the middle of nowhere with a zebra, orangatang, hyena, and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. And surviving 227 days shipwrecked and seemed like they lost everything they had. They have to overcome cold nights, the blistering heat, and harsh storms, and dehidration. They form the bond of friendship, and loyalty, and relying on each other for protection and warmth. But can Pi and the animals survive and relying on their instinct for guidence?
It all started out Pi Patel a Tamil boy who is from Pondicherry, India. And his Father who is a zoo keeper at the worlds largest zoo in India. Pi is very into learning about his religions, and living it. a famous quote from life of Pi is "If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer, if He burst out from the cross 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' Then his father insists that he moves the animals to Canada.
Pi boards the huge ship filled with exotic life of animals all around him, it would be a long journey to Canada. But when you think things are perfect, just then the ship hits a huge wave and then the boat is shipwrecked. When Dawn breaks their were not many survivors, so then Pi is stranded on a lifeboat in the middle of nowhere with a zebra, orangatang, hyena, and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. And surviving 227 days shipwrecked and seemed like they lost everything they had. They have to overcome cold nights, the blistering heat, and harsh storms, and dehidration. They form the bond of friendship, and loyalty, and relying on each other for protection and warmth. But can Pi and the animals survive and relying on their instinct for guidence?
January 8, 2013
واو ايه الفيلم التحفة ده مبدع سواء في القصة اللى خيالية بس بالتدريج والتسلسل خلتني اتاكدت انها ممكن تحصل .... اعتقد صعب القصة قراءتها تكون ممتعة زى الفيلم عشان المشاهد اللى في البحر وكمان الاسماك والجزيرة المضيئة .......... القصة باختصار عن عائلة هندية تمتلك حديقة حيوانات والابن الاصغر " باي" بطل القصة يحب النمر ويحاول يصاحبه ولكن والده يعرفه الغريزية الحيوانيه اللى فيه وبعدين تبيع العائلة كل شئ وتسافر لكندا وتغرق السفينة كلها ما عدا " باي " في قارب نجاة ومجموعة من الحيوانات عشان السفينة اللى كانوا فيها لنقل الحيوانات , وتموت الحيوانات ويتبقي هو والنمر فقط وتحلو وتحلو الحكاية ...........
March 16, 2024
I’ve seen this movie years ago but forgot nearly everything about it. So I knew I wouldn’t have no bias for being a novel about a good movie. I do normally have a bias for survival-esc stories but this just did not work out.
There are a lot of interesting ideas and themes in this book that come to fruition very well, but many things drag this story down.
Pages 1-90…WE DO NOT CARE. There does not need to be 90 pages of exposition on this kid getting bullied for his name and being the child of a zookeeper. This can be shown when he’s on the boat! Why they didn’t reveal information about the character while he was stuck on the boat for 150 pages - I do not know. Way too many wasted pages.
After the sinking of the ship and Pi is stuck on the lifeboat with the hyena, orangutan, and tiger was one of the many good moments in this book. The territorial fight’s and building tension between the creatures on the tiny vessel is a great part.
When it comes down to Pi and the Bengal…there isn’t much.
Many more wasted pages but there were some good moments. When Pi was questioning his faith and killed his first living creature was very emotional. Taming the tiger and beginning to bond was him was also great. Some smaller moments of fishing and seeing strange creatures, like the whale, helped stop the never ending boredom of this story.
Although boring during the 150 pages of ocean survival, the author paces and splits the chapters up perfectly. Leaving some short and sweet with others just long enough to get ‘the day’ or message across. As soon as they reach the island it’s like the author forgot what chapters were. He knew he was on chapter 92 and only wanted 100 chapters. So he dragged out 30 pages of island survival for one chapter. *sigh*
The island was a cool addition to the story. Richard Parker (the tiger) running away at the end was surprisingly very emotional. The only other character you care about in the book ran away with no closure.
The ending interview was fine. Another instance where it would have been fine if the author didn’t drag it out so long. I had to look up what this part of the story meant I was so bored reading it. Sounds like a good idea from what I read on Reddit, but I’d much rather figure out the message from the book.
Good story with good parts. Don’t waste your time and just watch the movie :)
There are a lot of interesting ideas and themes in this book that come to fruition very well, but many things drag this story down.
Pages 1-90…WE DO NOT CARE. There does not need to be 90 pages of exposition on this kid getting bullied for his name and being the child of a zookeeper. This can be shown when he’s on the boat! Why they didn’t reveal information about the character while he was stuck on the boat for 150 pages - I do not know. Way too many wasted pages.
After the sinking of the ship and Pi is stuck on the lifeboat with the hyena, orangutan, and tiger was one of the many good moments in this book. The territorial fight’s and building tension between the creatures on the tiny vessel is a great part.
When it comes down to Pi and the Bengal…there isn’t much.
Many more wasted pages but there were some good moments. When Pi was questioning his faith and killed his first living creature was very emotional. Taming the tiger and beginning to bond was him was also great. Some smaller moments of fishing and seeing strange creatures, like the whale, helped stop the never ending boredom of this story.
Although boring during the 150 pages of ocean survival, the author paces and splits the chapters up perfectly. Leaving some short and sweet with others just long enough to get ‘the day’ or message across. As soon as they reach the island it’s like the author forgot what chapters were. He knew he was on chapter 92 and only wanted 100 chapters. So he dragged out 30 pages of island survival for one chapter. *sigh*
The island was a cool addition to the story. Richard Parker (the tiger) running away at the end was surprisingly very emotional. The only other character you care about in the book ran away with no closure.
The ending interview was fine. Another instance where it would have been fine if the author didn’t drag it out so long. I had to look up what this part of the story meant I was so bored reading it. Sounds like a good idea from what I read on Reddit, but I’d much rather figure out the message from the book.
Good story with good parts. Don’t waste your time and just watch the movie :)
November 23, 2021
The Life Of Pi begins with the protagonist, Pi looking for faith and purpose in his life, while his father tries to teach reason to Pi. He tries to do this by showing pie how nature dosen't care, by showing him how Richard Parker kills his food. He starts to find his way by taking part of several religions and falling in love with a girl he teaches playes the drums for every day. But, tragically he is forced to move when his family decides to move out of India to America being cause of the growing turmoil in India. This marks the last time he will ever see his family and his friends, when the cargo ship transporting his fathers animals tragically breaks apart and sinks. Marking the end of humanity and the beginning of his decent into madness alone on a life boat with a bengal tiger. Drifting, waiting for his salvation.
Overall the book keeps you entertained and hooked. Sometimes the story slows down for more somber moments in the book, leading to sections where it feels like nothing is going on. But that is mostly at the beginning of the book where its setting up its story. Overall it keeps you entertained and glued to the padges. The book is not written for fast pace action but it dose have its moments, usually when Pi clashes with nature. Then it swings back into to quit somber moments, so it has material for every reading style. But, Overall the book is a great read and I would recommend it to anyone who has a free couple of nights and wants something new and refreshing to read.
Overall the book keeps you entertained and hooked. Sometimes the story slows down for more somber moments in the book, leading to sections where it feels like nothing is going on. But that is mostly at the beginning of the book where its setting up its story. Overall it keeps you entertained and glued to the padges. The book is not written for fast pace action but it dose have its moments, usually when Pi clashes with nature. Then it swings back into to quit somber moments, so it has material for every reading style. But, Overall the book is a great read and I would recommend it to anyone who has a free couple of nights and wants something new and refreshing to read.
May 22, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. From what it said, to the vivid imagery created, to the interpretative and ambiguous ending. This book made me research while I was reading, think of what the writer was trying to say and really engaged me as a reader. The mode of the message, rather than the message is what stood out to me with this book. It gives commentary on what it means to be human, how we are willing to do anything to survive: physically as well as mentally and how the human mind copes and processes horrors.
My favorite character was Johnathan Parker. How Pi had reached out to save him from drowning, but then when he realised what he was doing, he tried to 'shoo' Johnathon Parker away. But by then it was too late - the Bengal tiger had boarded the lifeboat. The best bit for me was they mysterious island and the discovery of its gruesome secret... I still get flashes of horror weeks after having finished the book. And how Johnathan Parker communicated with Pi - he seemed to know all along.
I'm sure it was unintentional, but during this island, all I saw was the animated film of Madagascar and its meerkats - which made the events that unfolded much more horrific juxtaposed with the my paradise-like imaginations of some kind of utopia.
This book is one that demands your attention. One that will make you consider yourself, your place in the world, and how far you would go to survive. And think about if doing horrific things to survive means you lose your humanity? It's definitely a book that will leave you with food for thought.
My favorite character was Johnathan Parker. How Pi had reached out to save him from drowning, but then when he realised what he was doing, he tried to 'shoo' Johnathon Parker away. But by then it was too late - the Bengal tiger had boarded the lifeboat. The best bit for me was they mysterious island and the discovery of its gruesome secret... I still get flashes of horror weeks after having finished the book. And how Johnathan Parker communicated with Pi - he seemed to know all along.
I'm sure it was unintentional, but during this island, all I saw was the animated film of Madagascar and its meerkats - which made the events that unfolded much more horrific juxtaposed with the my paradise-like imaginations of some kind of utopia.
This book is one that demands your attention. One that will make you consider yourself, your place in the world, and how far you would go to survive. And think about if doing horrific things to survive means you lose your humanity? It's definitely a book that will leave you with food for thought.
June 5, 2023
In The Life Of PI, a heartfelt book by Yannn Martel a fictional book a man gets stuck on a boat with a huge BENGAL TIGER. Will he survive?The story starts in India Pi-Patel, the son of a zookeeper, lives a pretty good life. He says that the reason he is named that is because of his Father’s and uncle’s love for swimming, he said he was named after a pool. Later in the book he gets stuck on a boat with a hyena a zebra One thing that I liked about this book was the way it described the fathers zoo. It was very in depth and detailed. Another thing I liked about the names was that they used traditional names. One thing I disliked about this book was how slow paced the beginning was and how long it took to get to the actual story. Another dislike I had was how sidetracked it kept on going and how many extra stories it had.
June 9, 2020
I had mixed feelings about this book until I was in the thick of it. It seemed a bit preachy and one-dimensional when it came to religious discussion. Once the story really took off, I was fairly engrossed. I didn't adore the style of writing, but the journey it takes you on is certainly worth the read. I loved when it took steps into the absurd as the journey grew more desperate. The ending left some open-ended questions that did not wholly come together for me, but left a bit of mystery, which I am still enjoying the residue of. I will be recommending this to my stepson, who is 11. Hopefully it holds his attention!
November 16, 2021
I am SO glad this stupid book is over. It was so long and boring. I hated reading about a boy and a tiger on a boat for more than half a year. I wish they didn’t drag it on so long and actually let me know what happened to Pi at the end. The only reason this book gets a star is because of how the ending all came together and how realistic and symbolic some of the objects and characters were. Honestly, I would and wouldn’t recommend this book. If you are a very quick reader who can get through anything go for it, but if ur looking for something cute and not boring than i don’t recommend.
June 8, 2017
I really enjoy reading this amazing book. Although I don't know many words in it and have to refer to the dictionary while I was reading, I can still feel Pi and experience with him. I watched the movie directed by Ahn Lee at the middle of my reading, it was so beautfully depicted, a lot of plots are cut off because of time limit though. I will definitely read it one more time later in my life. Pi's intellienge and bright mind and humor shows me a good example and I love him.
February 6, 2026
About as informative as a "movie behind-the-scenes" book could ever be. Very hagiographic, because it was written by a close friend and colleague of the director. But full of the kind of interviews, cast/crew photos, concept art, historical reference, etc. that can only come from full immersion in the pre, shoot and post processes.
The novel is amazing. The movie is stunning and moving. You should experience both of these before reading this book.
The novel is amazing. The movie is stunning and moving. You should experience both of these before reading this book.
January 3, 2025
I think the way this book pushes what the reader will believe is very fun. At first, I thought this book was non-fiction. I eventually I came to believe it was not, but I was unsure for a long time. It leaves you wanting to know what happens next. I finished it very quickly. I think it is an excellent book.
October 28, 2025
lol why did I think this was a true story like the whole book??🤣 Sad to find out at the end that it was not haha. But also it makes so much more sense that way- It was a page turner for me. Felt like I was there on the boat. Such a crazy story. Need to see the movie now. Loved it!!! I feel like I need to re-read it to get the deeper message and try to figure out all the symbolism though
January 10, 2013
Life of Pi
“Lions and tigers and bears oh my!” In this book it’s more like, “henna and tiger and zebra oh my!” This is from the trilling book “Life of Pi written by Yann Martel” is a very entertaining book that is well written. It is about a boy named Piscine Molitor Patel but he told everyone to call him Pi. His family lives in India where they own a zoo, but they want to start a new life in Canada so they go on a ship taking them there. The ship sinks and Pi is stuck on a lifeboat with some of the zoo animals but they are very dangerous. The book goes on to tell you about his vogue in the ocean. It is very descriptive and detailed which brings the book to life. It is great for young adults and even interesting for adults. Some may say at that there are parts are disturbing were you don’t want the book to “come to life” but even in the “disturbing” parts make the story unique.
“Bright red plastic dishes filled with water,” this is fantastic proof of how descriptive and colorful this book is. Can’t you see the popping bright red dish filled with brilliant blue water because of how it is described? I think without all these descriptive details the book would be way more dull and flat. Bright red, can’t you see it glistening in the sun? In this book it doesn’t only describes many mysterious sounds that we wouldn’t be able to hear without the way it was written.
Yann Martel is very good at describing sound which just makes this book even more real. On page 97 he wrote, “The ship sank. It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp. Things bubbled at the surface and then vanished. Everything was screaming: the sea, the wind, my heart”, it is described so well it feels like you’re actually there! He even has more sound effects like again on page 97 he uses “TREEEEE! TREEEEEE! TREEEEEE!” as the sound of the whistle, and he doesn’t even stop there. He uses the feelings that Pi felt on his adventure.
“And even if I hadn’t fallen over, my legs had no strength legs in them. But my will was strong. I was determined to move forward. I crawled, dragged myself, weakly leapfrogged to the tree”, with this writing you just get transfixed and can feel even the pain that Martel describes here. You feel the pain of the feelings in your legs. You may be thinking that it would hurt to read the book then, but it doesn’t it just puts you in a whole new world and it also paints a very vivid picture. But he doesn’t just talk about pain to paint a picture.
On page 280 he described the teeth wrapped in leaves as “and it came to light, an unspeakable pearl at the heart of a green oyster”. Isn’t that just the perfect thing to describe it? The leafs as “a green oyster” and instead of saying the middle he says, “heart”, and for the tooth “an unspeakable pearl” just all of it together paints the perfect image of what is happening. And when he first gets to the island in the middle of the Pacific he describes the green of the trees like they just pop right out of the book. Some people say that’s not very good for something’s.
On page 281 is a perfect example of why you wouldn’t want it to pop out of the book when he talks about the island being carnivorous and the sharp pain of the chemical process. Though, if Martel didn’t add these little things, then the story wouldn’t be as shocking and surprising. Another example that of something you wouldn’t want to be able to sense is on page 256 where he says, “I will further confess that, driven by the extremity of my need and the madness to which it pushed me, I ate some of his flesh”. Some people are absolutely disgusted by the thought of this, but it helps you feel the hunger of what he was going through and how hard it was.
Others might say that that isn’t the only thing bad in this book. They might say that the first part of it is so boring that how could you get past it? Well, the answer is clear, it’s not boring it is detailed and it’s setting you up for what is going to happen later in the book. If you didn’t read a book because the beginning was “boring”, then you wouldn’t read a lot of the popular books like Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, the Host and so many more. Almost all books have a “boring” part at the beginning because you need back ground information on whatever is happening. For example; you wouldn’t get why they called him Pi or why he knows so much about animals and you wouldn’t feel the pain he feels when you hear about his family. It doesn’t just give important information you need it because it sets up the feelings, settings, and characters.
Life of this book is very interesting, entertaining and extremely good about using details to make this book come to life. Even though there are some disturbing scenes with the all the details they all help prove very important points that need to be set. This book has very good senses like sight, feel and taste. If you read it, it may feel like it’s going slow at the beginning but it has to have it as many good books do its sets up many important things you need to know later in the book. Through this book you go on the marvels adventure with Pi where you feel like you are actually in his shoes.
“Lions and tigers and bears oh my!” In this book it’s more like, “henna and tiger and zebra oh my!” This is from the trilling book “Life of Pi written by Yann Martel” is a very entertaining book that is well written. It is about a boy named Piscine Molitor Patel but he told everyone to call him Pi. His family lives in India where they own a zoo, but they want to start a new life in Canada so they go on a ship taking them there. The ship sinks and Pi is stuck on a lifeboat with some of the zoo animals but they are very dangerous. The book goes on to tell you about his vogue in the ocean. It is very descriptive and detailed which brings the book to life. It is great for young adults and even interesting for adults. Some may say at that there are parts are disturbing were you don’t want the book to “come to life” but even in the “disturbing” parts make the story unique.
“Bright red plastic dishes filled with water,” this is fantastic proof of how descriptive and colorful this book is. Can’t you see the popping bright red dish filled with brilliant blue water because of how it is described? I think without all these descriptive details the book would be way more dull and flat. Bright red, can’t you see it glistening in the sun? In this book it doesn’t only describes many mysterious sounds that we wouldn’t be able to hear without the way it was written.
Yann Martel is very good at describing sound which just makes this book even more real. On page 97 he wrote, “The ship sank. It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp. Things bubbled at the surface and then vanished. Everything was screaming: the sea, the wind, my heart”, it is described so well it feels like you’re actually there! He even has more sound effects like again on page 97 he uses “TREEEEE! TREEEEEE! TREEEEEE!” as the sound of the whistle, and he doesn’t even stop there. He uses the feelings that Pi felt on his adventure.
“And even if I hadn’t fallen over, my legs had no strength legs in them. But my will was strong. I was determined to move forward. I crawled, dragged myself, weakly leapfrogged to the tree”, with this writing you just get transfixed and can feel even the pain that Martel describes here. You feel the pain of the feelings in your legs. You may be thinking that it would hurt to read the book then, but it doesn’t it just puts you in a whole new world and it also paints a very vivid picture. But he doesn’t just talk about pain to paint a picture.
On page 280 he described the teeth wrapped in leaves as “and it came to light, an unspeakable pearl at the heart of a green oyster”. Isn’t that just the perfect thing to describe it? The leafs as “a green oyster” and instead of saying the middle he says, “heart”, and for the tooth “an unspeakable pearl” just all of it together paints the perfect image of what is happening. And when he first gets to the island in the middle of the Pacific he describes the green of the trees like they just pop right out of the book. Some people say that’s not very good for something’s.
On page 281 is a perfect example of why you wouldn’t want it to pop out of the book when he talks about the island being carnivorous and the sharp pain of the chemical process. Though, if Martel didn’t add these little things, then the story wouldn’t be as shocking and surprising. Another example that of something you wouldn’t want to be able to sense is on page 256 where he says, “I will further confess that, driven by the extremity of my need and the madness to which it pushed me, I ate some of his flesh”. Some people are absolutely disgusted by the thought of this, but it helps you feel the hunger of what he was going through and how hard it was.
Others might say that that isn’t the only thing bad in this book. They might say that the first part of it is so boring that how could you get past it? Well, the answer is clear, it’s not boring it is detailed and it’s setting you up for what is going to happen later in the book. If you didn’t read a book because the beginning was “boring”, then you wouldn’t read a lot of the popular books like Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, the Host and so many more. Almost all books have a “boring” part at the beginning because you need back ground information on whatever is happening. For example; you wouldn’t get why they called him Pi or why he knows so much about animals and you wouldn’t feel the pain he feels when you hear about his family. It doesn’t just give important information you need it because it sets up the feelings, settings, and characters.
Life of this book is very interesting, entertaining and extremely good about using details to make this book come to life. Even though there are some disturbing scenes with the all the details they all help prove very important points that need to be set. This book has very good senses like sight, feel and taste. If you read it, it may feel like it’s going slow at the beginning but it has to have it as many good books do its sets up many important things you need to know later in the book. Through this book you go on the marvels adventure with Pi where you feel like you are actually in his shoes.
March 27, 2021
This film is about the life of Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel . He is so brave . And so mean . He are floating on the sea 227 days . That is so hard to survive . But the tiger name Richard Parker is the motivation for him . The film is the real story .
July 9, 2021
so... this book is absolutely good book. main character who is think about humanly and kindly. he can survive with royal bengal tiger of 227 days in pacific ocean.
he talk about his hope and fetish. he tell about his opinion to God. he can hope all of them. god is everywhere.
he talk about his hope and fetish. he tell about his opinion to God. he can hope all of them. god is everywhere.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2022
I was swept away in total fantasy land, and what is so brilliant about this is it didn’t feel like a fantasy! So real even the carnivorous island! One of my all time favourite reads, it’s a beautiful story
June 13, 2026
I loved the beautiful descriptions of the sea and the sky. I loved the tenacity and resilience of the character and the story within the story. He was so tied in with Richard Parker and the twist at the end- a fabulous story.
March 25, 2019
The writing was kind of choppy in this book. Some of it made sense but then I just kind of lost the plot.
July 12, 2019
interesting
August 22, 2020
Very exciting and some chapters were really gross, but definitely a page turner.
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