Life of Pi
Anyone who knows me knows I have a very strong dislike of David Lynch. However, to be completely honest, it's not so much him that I dislike, as much as the people who have heralded work such as Mulholland Drive as the kind of film that, "...makes movies feel alive again." On a completely related note, fuck you Peter Travers and fuck Rolling Stone. The film is still the worst movie ever made, but would be less the worst movie ever made, if not for the fact that people love it. Similarly, people, who did not bother to do any research whatsoever on the source material, have slighted far better works such as V for Vendetta and, more recently, Silent Hill. If you don't get it, just say so, but if you don't get it and don't try to, you certainly have no business saying something is bad, or worse, saying something is unquestionably grand.
With that thought in mind, I come to Life of Pi, a novel by Yann Martel that is, at it's most basic, the story of a boy who is shipwrecked and must survive in the Pacific Ocean, his only companion a large Bengal tiger. At its core, however, it is most certainly a rather intricate love story, though not in the way you may think.
As you may have already gathered from the start of this entry, I do not pretend to fully understand the book, nor it's author's intentions. I certainly enjoyed it though, and I would like to offer a tentative review while the story is still fresh in my mind.
Anyone who knows me also knows I hate spoilers, so I beg pardon if the review is vague.
I believe it is most fair to start with this simple statement: the book is good. I believe that, with an open mind, there is surely something here to walk away with, even in the slightest, because while certainly not a literary masterpiece, Life of Pi does manage to offer points of insight where it can, and while those points may not always be presented in the most original format, they are usually quite entertaining to read.
One of the novel's more challenging elements is the religious overtone. That is not to say that there is one specific religion that rears its head and is made infallible, quite the contrary. Religious unity is one of the novel's key themes, but it can still be a bit hard to tackle with at times. The beauty of Martel's writing though, or more specifically, of Pi's character, is that he offers a view on religion that is open to one's own interpretation, and depends largely on the reader's own personal relationship with God, or lack thereof. God exists in Pi's world, to be sure, but the reader is not necessarily forced to affirm his or her belief in God, merely to see the beauty of God through Pi's eyes. If one can avoid taking it as merely preaching, there is a certain splendor in the way Pi's God works; a splendor in the workings of the natural world and life itself.
Friendship too, is one of the central themes of the novel, though it is often not simply presented as such. Pi's relationship with the Bengal tiger is a fascinating one to read, as it varies from fear, to companionship, to dominance, and fluxes constantly throughout the story. I dare not spoil this aspect of the novel, but I will say that the conclusion of their relationship is sublimely written, and, while not the actual story's conclusion, certainly could have passed as such.
Of course, Life of Pi has its share of faults as well. More so than any other book I've read in a while, in fact. A good amount of the book is wonderful poetry, but much of the later half of the book can feel a bit convoluted, and devoid of it's initial playfulness and spiritual whimsy, replaced instead with more literal and direct diction. This, of course, reflects Pi's situation, but it also takes away from the story's elegant prose. Additionally, I'm saddened to say that the ending does not quite live up to the story, but it's not absolutely terrible either. Its major fault is in the way it conflicts with the story, but depending on the reader, it can be a good or bad thing.
All in all, Life of Pi is a good book. As I said, the ending is a bit thin, though the Bengal tiger "conclusion" is, in itself, a good enough reason to make it to the end. There are some points where the story draws on a bit much, but when it comes back, there is a usually a nice payoff.
I think what I enjoy most about Life of Pi though, is that no matter what else, it is a fantastic story. It is the sort of story that, if your grandmother or grandfather were to sit you down on their knee at that young impressionable age we all were at one point in time, would leave you in awe of life's most wonderful glory, even if that wasn't how you yet understood that feeling in your chest. There is something truly wonderful in the stories that ignite the imagination and challenge us to place aside our pessimism, even for a moment, and, if not God, simply believe in the workings of life itself; to believe in purpose and significance, no matter how inexplicable.
Or at least, that's how I took it.
So, if you currently have a long list of books you need to read, Life of Pi isn't something you need to pick up right away. However, if you have some free time and are looking for something worth reading, I would definitely recommend it.
Now, Snow Crash or Slaughter House Five?
With that thought in mind, I come to Life of Pi, a novel by Yann Martel that is, at it's most basic, the story of a boy who is shipwrecked and must survive in the Pacific Ocean, his only companion a large Bengal tiger. At its core, however, it is most certainly a rather intricate love story, though not in the way you may think.
As you may have already gathered from the start of this entry, I do not pretend to fully understand the book, nor it's author's intentions. I certainly enjoyed it though, and I would like to offer a tentative review while the story is still fresh in my mind.
Anyone who knows me also knows I hate spoilers, so I beg pardon if the review is vague.
I believe it is most fair to start with this simple statement: the book is good. I believe that, with an open mind, there is surely something here to walk away with, even in the slightest, because while certainly not a literary masterpiece, Life of Pi does manage to offer points of insight where it can, and while those points may not always be presented in the most original format, they are usually quite entertaining to read.
One of the novel's more challenging elements is the religious overtone. That is not to say that there is one specific religion that rears its head and is made infallible, quite the contrary. Religious unity is one of the novel's key themes, but it can still be a bit hard to tackle with at times. The beauty of Martel's writing though, or more specifically, of Pi's character, is that he offers a view on religion that is open to one's own interpretation, and depends largely on the reader's own personal relationship with God, or lack thereof. God exists in Pi's world, to be sure, but the reader is not necessarily forced to affirm his or her belief in God, merely to see the beauty of God through Pi's eyes. If one can avoid taking it as merely preaching, there is a certain splendor in the way Pi's God works; a splendor in the workings of the natural world and life itself.
Friendship too, is one of the central themes of the novel, though it is often not simply presented as such. Pi's relationship with the Bengal tiger is a fascinating one to read, as it varies from fear, to companionship, to dominance, and fluxes constantly throughout the story. I dare not spoil this aspect of the novel, but I will say that the conclusion of their relationship is sublimely written, and, while not the actual story's conclusion, certainly could have passed as such.
Of course, Life of Pi has its share of faults as well. More so than any other book I've read in a while, in fact. A good amount of the book is wonderful poetry, but much of the later half of the book can feel a bit convoluted, and devoid of it's initial playfulness and spiritual whimsy, replaced instead with more literal and direct diction. This, of course, reflects Pi's situation, but it also takes away from the story's elegant prose. Additionally, I'm saddened to say that the ending does not quite live up to the story, but it's not absolutely terrible either. Its major fault is in the way it conflicts with the story, but depending on the reader, it can be a good or bad thing.
All in all, Life of Pi is a good book. As I said, the ending is a bit thin, though the Bengal tiger "conclusion" is, in itself, a good enough reason to make it to the end. There are some points where the story draws on a bit much, but when it comes back, there is a usually a nice payoff.
I think what I enjoy most about Life of Pi though, is that no matter what else, it is a fantastic story. It is the sort of story that, if your grandmother or grandfather were to sit you down on their knee at that young impressionable age we all were at one point in time, would leave you in awe of life's most wonderful glory, even if that wasn't how you yet understood that feeling in your chest. There is something truly wonderful in the stories that ignite the imagination and challenge us to place aside our pessimism, even for a moment, and, if not God, simply believe in the workings of life itself; to believe in purpose and significance, no matter how inexplicable.
Or at least, that's how I took it.
So, if you currently have a long list of books you need to read, Life of Pi isn't something you need to pick up right away. However, if you have some free time and are looking for something worth reading, I would definitely recommend it.
Now, Snow Crash or Slaughter House Five?
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