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Grace Tjan's Reviews > Life of Pi

Life of Pi by Yann Martel
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it was ok
bookshelves: swapable, bbc-big-reads

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Reading Progress

Started Reading
January 1, 2008 – Finished Reading
March 18, 2009 – Shelved
August 28, 2009 – Shelved as: swapable
November 30, 2009 – Shelved as: bbc-big-reads

Comments Showing 1-11 of 11 (11 new)

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Rauf I didn't like this one either. I felt like I was tricked by the promos. A boy, a tiger, a hyena, an orangutan, and a zebra are stuck in a lifeboat and drifted aimlessly on the Pacific...I thought it's going to be a great, quirky, coming-of-age adventure but turned out it's about religion.


Grace Tjan This has got to be one of the most overrated books of all time. I got it that the book is supposed to be an allegory for the nature of religious faith, but I wish that I didn't have to suffer through hundreds of pages of mind-numbingly dull boy-in-the-boat story with animals that might be imaginary or not.

Actually, the early part when the boy is in Pondicherry, and the ending, are not badly written at all. Hmm, perhaps I should have given it 2 stars instead of 1.

There was a bit of controversy regarding plagiarism about this book :




message 3: by Bettie (last edited Sep 17, 2009 04:41AM) (new) - rated it 3 stars

Bettie Horses for courses and all that - I found the writing beguiling, for the world to stop long enough to pirouette in it's hypnotic swirl.

Thanks for posting the link, Sandy, that was exactly the article I was mentally picturing from 'back then'. Snort! those last two sentences in that same Guardian report sums up the irony for me:

The following correction was printed in the Guardian's Corrections and Clarifications column, Tuesday November 12 2002

Our report should have acknowledged the New York Times as the source of some of the quotes.


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Rauf Yeah I heard about that. People on lifeboat that started to get cannibalous, that was similar to Survivors of the Chancellor by Jules Verne.


The Book Whisperer (aka Boof) Sandy, you're breaking my heart! This is one of my all-time favourite books. I am still in love with Richard Parker. But like Bettie says, horses for courses.


Grace Tjan You say tomahto and I say tomato....: )


The Book Whisperer (aka Boof) Let's call the whole thing off!


Rauf @ Boof
Haha. Good one :D

@Sandybanks
here are 2 reasons why I don't fancy Life of Pi:

1. Yann Martel was not precious with his words.
He used too much words and descriptions and what have you when just a few would do the trick.

SEE ALSO: Dan Brown

2. Why did Martel tell us that Pi Patel survived being a castaway very early in the book? That ruined it for me. One might argue, Well, he's got that other twist prepared for you. Nope. Still ruined!


Carly Svamvour I too was disappointed when I read this book; it was supposed to be so good . . . it was like some kids put it together in a grade eight class.


Grace Tjan Carly wrote: "I too was disappointed when I read this book; it was supposed to be so good . . . it was like some kids put it together in a grade eight class."

It is supposed to be an allegory, which imho is told in an unnecessarily verbose manner. Those looong chapters about Pi and the animals on the boat (which may or may not happen) were so boring. But I suppose I should have given it 2 stars instead of 1, since some parts are quite well written.




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