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This thread is to discuss Yann Martel‘s book, Life of Pi.


***Please remember to mark spoilers.***

Participants: Joan, Hannah, Lisa

Suggested break down of reading so that you can check in and let us know how you're doing. The following breakdown is purely a suggestion and is therefore not set in stone.

Rather than putting dates for each section I've done it so that it takes into account that not everybody will necessarily have the book at the same time.

Week 1: 115
Week 2: 115
Week 3: 115
Week 4: 115

Thank you for setting up the thread Mary Pat :) looking forward to my first buddy read

I'm starting this today. This book intimidates me but yet I want to read it.

I should hopefully be starting by Wednesday, just waiting for Amazon to deliver it.

I feel I've been spreading myself thin lately, attempting to read too much at the same time so I want to finish "Slaughterhouse-Five" before starting this. I'll probably get to it Friday/during the weekend :)

Hannah wrote: "I should hopefully be starting by Wednesday, just waiting for Amazon to deliver it."

Okay maybe more like Thursday at this rate, as still waiting for it to be dispatched let alone delivered. Amazon says expected 5th July so hopefully it will arrive tomorrow. Also means I should have finished Out of Sight, Out of Time as so close now :D

Update #2: Ahhh it didn't arrive today (Wednesday 5th July) due to a missed delivery (even though no attempt was made...insert angry face followed by a few harsh words when I read the email :( ) will be redelieved tomorrow.....hopefully. So should hopefully be reading it by the end of tomorrow or Friday at the latest. Was looking forward to starting today as I had also finished Out of Sight, Out of Time. Rant over :D

Aww, Hannah, that sucks! Especially when you're really expecting it to be delivered on the estimated date.

I've experienced it a few times with UPS deliveries, for instance, where I'll be home all day and nothing arrives. Then when I go check the mailbox at the end of the day, there'll be a nice little note stating something along the lines of: "We've attempted to deliver this on this date, between the hours of so and so" and then I'll be like "You frigging liars! I've been home all day, and you've attempted no such thing!"

Hopefully, you'll get it tomorrow :)

Yep felt exactly the same about them being frigging liars, I was thinking nope you didn't try because one thing I know is I didn't hear the buzzer go once. Luckily today it was delivered along with 3 others (oops looks like I have caught the reading bug). So will be able to start reading tonight :)

Yaaay, that's nice :)
I'll plan on starting tomorrow or Saturday, depending on whether I finish the group read today.

Joan, how is your progress coming with this one?

Lisa wrote: "Yaaay, that's nice :)
I'll plan on starting tomorrow or Saturday, depending on whether I finish the group read today.

Joan, how is your progress coming with this one?"

I did start it but I think I better complete Slaughterhouse Five first. I think I read the first 3 chapters but will have to review them. I'll probably get more into it on Saturday also.

The writing did flow nicer than I thought it was going to. My copy of the book the print is kind of condensed on the page which makes me a little more intimidated with this book.

I'll definitely need help with it!!!!!!!!

Just came to me as I read the first few chapters, but have either of you seem the film version of 'Life of Pi'?

I saw it years ago when it first came out :) Have you watched it, Hannah?

Lisa wrote: "I saw it years ago when it first came out :) Have you watched it, Hannah?"

Nope not yet, think it needs to be added to list of movies to watch. Was it any good? :)

I really enjoyed it! All the visual effects and CGI are amazing.
If you like fantastical type settings like The Never Ending Story or Avatar, I definitely recommend it :)
I think I need to re-watch it soon aswell :)

Ah okay sounds like I something would like. Will probably watch it after the reading just so I don't give anything away to myself :)

I haven't seen the movie but will also probably watch after I finish the book. I've read the first 4 chapters. I like the writing so far. I'm trying to figure out where the story goes. I'm a big animal fan so I find what he is writing is interesting.

I'm through chapter 10 and really enjoying it so far. I have the movie in the back of my memory, but luckily not in a spoilery sort of way. Like everytime something specific occurs I'll be like "oh yeah..."

How are both coming along so far?

It's coming on well upto to Chapter 8 so 2 chapters away from you Lisa. Liking it well so far especially all the detail that the author goes into.

With my work week I'll probably be reading this on the weekend. Once Saturday starts I'll be on vacation for a week!! Can't wait!

How's it going for everyone? Haven't had a chance to read much in the last few days as been helping my dad move house (for sure do not want to see anymore packing boxes) read upto chapter 17 today so getting there should hopefully read more tomorrow as taking a break from unpacking 😊

I just finished chapter 14. I like his writing. I liked the part how he explains why he thinks animals are ok in a zoo. It makes sense.

Yeah I liked that too and also how he explained the different religions.

I'm through chapter 52. I can't say it is my favorite book so far but it is nice to read something different.

(view spoiler)[ The parts where the hyena ate the zebra was quite gross not to mention poor Orange Juice. This is why I don't read horror anymore. (hide spoiler)]

I am on vacation this week so hoping to get through the rest in the next couple of days.

Think I have some catching up to do to be at the same sort of chapter as you two. How's everyone finding it so far?

It's different from what I normally read and I picked it to push my comfort zone. I do like it. There are some profound moments in the book. I like the last paragraph at the end of chapter 50. There are probably a lot of quotes you could pull out of the book to use to motivate you in life. I bet Lisa would be good at that.

I did like his comparisons about religions.

At different intervals of the book he gives clues about what may happen and those clues is what is propelling me more than anything. The clues were in part 1.

Ah I though there had been clues in part 1 about part 2 especially near the end.

Yeah same here about the comparisons of the three religions, it made me think while reading. Always find this a good sign as I usually like a book more if it causes me to think outside the book.

After just reading Unbroken the raft part is probably not as interesting to me. Although a lot of different things are happening on this raft!

Somehow the part where (view spoiler)[ the hyena started to slide into the zebra made me laugh a tiny bit. Not because of what was happening to the zebra that was sad but more I imagined the hyena sliding around on the blood and the expressions it must have made. (hide spoiler)]

Finding part 2 a lot easier to read than part 1. Maybe because there is more action...

I laughed in that area too but it also grossed me out!

I'm glad I'm reading this book but I kind of wish I brought Big Little Lies or something else on vacation.

When I get home though I do want to watch the movie. I spied it at my library online. Going to put a hold on it so it is ready for when I get back. I read in another group that the movie might actually be better than the book in this case.

I really do like the zoo information in this book.

Haha yeah that part didn't gross me out but then again I think it will be hard to gross me out ever again after studying forensics for three years :D

How are you finding the book Lisa?

Sorry I've been MIA, been busy preparing and packing for vacation :) I think most my comments will serve better for discussion once we're all done with it.
That being said, I'm still enjoying it quite a lot :) I appreciate the zoology, theology, philosophy and psychology aspects that appear throughout the novel. I think it's beautifully written - the writing it is vivid and detailed and it's thought-provoking. And the themes are seamlessly interwoven.

I have so many things to pick out from this book I might sound like a babbling, incoherent idiot so I apologize in advance :D But, I will try to focus this comment on some of the things that struck me from the first part of the book.

(view spoiler)[ I too, enjoyed the argument claiming that captivity is not necessarily a bad thing, that a zoo can in fact be more beneficial for some wild animals.
I won't go into my own opinions, because having been an intern in a zoo I have too much to say on the matter, BUT I do believe some people (myself included, when I was younger) tend to have a romanticized notion of the life of animals roaming in the wild. In reality as he describes : animals in the wild are in constant survival mode - either by searching for food or in avoidance of being eaten.

Animals and psychology are probably the biggest interests I have so I thought the descriptions of animal psychology and behaviorism were interesting and very well-written.

I found the comparison between hotel-keeping and zoo-keeping, hilarious! And the mirror to illustrate what the most dangerous animal is a zoo is, was ingenious.
"The obsession with putting ourselves at the center of everything is the bane not only of theologians but also of zoologists."
"...our species' excessive predatoriness has made the entire planet our prey." (chapter 8)

My favorite part regarding the zoology aspect was at the end of chapter 4:

"I don't mean to defend zoos. Close them all down if you want (and let us hope that what wildlife remains can survive in what is left of the natural world) [...] Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both."

The fact that the lifeboat is described as a zoolike situation with its own artificial ecology was simply so symbolic!

The other aspect is that I enjoyed in the first part is the theology. The way Yann Martel manages to capture Pi's encounters with all three religions was not overbearing.
There was something about the comparison of religions in chapters 16 through 20 that was very interesting.
The reference to Mahatma Gandhi with Pi's "Bapu Gandhi said, 'All religions are true.' I just want to love God" and well as his "Jesus, Mary, Muhammad and Vishnu" comments of rejoice at several occasions are just so precious! :D
I thought there was an overall lightheartedness to the topic that I really liked.

My favorite quote on the religion theme was in chapter 7:

" To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation."

Lastly, there were a few quotes that stood out to me from part 1 that are so symbolic for part 2:
- "You must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it." (chapter 35)
- "Life will defend itself no matter how small it is" (chapter 2) (hide spoiler)]

I think that was all I had for part 1 of the book. I'm trying to finish part 2 today so I'll comment again with those :)

The hotel keeping and the zoo keeping comparison was hilarious.

I like the quotes that you pulled out. Do you mark your books as you go along? I read them and think they are great and then can't find them again in the book.

I'm in the middle of chapter 90. Getting close to the end of part 2.

(view spoiler)[ I think it is interesting how he is surviving with the tiger. He makes it believable. (hide spoiler)]

Most times I do, yeah :)
Since I only read e-books, it's doesn't take away from my attention while I'm reading. Other times I'll go back whenever I stop reading if there's something lingering in my mind and find it again.
In the case of this book, there has been so much foreshadowing in part 1 for part 2 that I keep going back and forth on some things :D

Honestly, I liked the first part of the book much better than the time spend on the boat.
Today's weather is grey and rainy and uninspiring which is making me feel sleepy and lazy... I'm currently on chapter 71 and in desperate need of coffee so I don't fall asleep.

I agree I kind of liked part 1 better too. After Unbroken and this one I'm sick of life boats/rafts. I can see the light of finishing it though at chapter 90 - there is actually some dialogue. Which when you get to it I'm interested to see what you think.

I am still greatly enjoying his writing style though :) And I love the fact that the chapters are short (even though the ones in part 2 are significantly longer that before)

I think I just came up on the longest chapter - 92. It's like 27 pages. We are driving from Arkansas to Kansas City today so I'll probably read it in the car.

Oh, wow... as long as it's not as tedious as the enumerating of the items in a lifeboat. That was kind of boring :D
I've never been able to read in a car - motion sickness and all that. Sounds like you'll be done with it today then :)

Did anyone else just skim read the pages about the items of the lifeboat?
Going back to the beginning of part 2, did anyone think Richard Parker was a person for a few pages, I know I did. Also kinda wish the tigers name was explained earlier on.

Same here I can't read in the car either, if I try to I get a really bad headache.

Also hopefully be finishing part 2 today - just hope chapter 92 is easy to read especially if it's that long. Guess it is a long chapter because it is the last one before part 3... :)

Strangely I seem to be liking part 2 more than part 1 :D Think that may be due to reading part 1 in small parts due to helping Dad move house and getting confused on which religion was which. But none the less still enjoyed part 1. Definitely like this author's writing style.

I'm always afraid it will be important later so like if he whips something out I might think "where did he get that from?" I probably skimmed it for the items so that it didn't come back to haunt me later.

Yes, Hannah! I understand why the need to mention it is there but I just didn't care. I skimmed straight to the part where it says how many days the food and water would last him.

We have a mini van and I find I can read all the way in the back. My husband and son throw me back there when they drive because I seem to be an annoying passenger..........

Same here I didn't care it was there. Guess it shows the author did his research but didn't really find it added anything.

I'll probably finish this during the weekend. But since we're leaving today I'm not sure I'll be able to comment until I get back on the 4th. I'll try though :)

Wow much to discuss at the end of this book! Let me know when you all are finished!!!

Now finished too :D

I left my book in Kansas city for my Uncle. I hope he will read it.

Here is what I thought about the ending:

(view spoiler)[ I thought it was neat what he did with the island and a little gross when he opened up the leaves and the teeth were in there. I liked how the animals figured it out but Pi took awhile to figure it out. The end was interesting when he told the story we'd been reading and then paralleled it with a story about humans being on the raft. Did it make anyone else wonder what story was true? The way he paralleled that to the story of God was interesting too. If we can't see it ourselves then it makes it harder for us to believe. I thought the ending was great and it left me scratching my head a little bit and thinking for awhile. The end made the book so much better. (hide spoiler)]

Yeah same about the ending (view spoiler)[ somehow deep down I feel like the last version he told is more likely to be true and maybe the other was a delusion to made them feel better for what they did, but guess we will never know which is true. Definitely made an interesting twist to the story. (hide spoiler)]

It's still making me think even though I finished this over 4 days ago. How did you both find, noticed we all rated it 4/5 stars. :)

I noticed that we all rated it 4 stars. I rented the movie to watch tonight.