#9 "The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

 I read "The Life of Pi" last spring so much of this blog is written from that time perspective...

The start of another spring. Although it's still a week away I can feel it in the air. A slightly warmer moist breeze passing over me. I take a deep breath inhaling the rejuvenating gases. It's like the air entering into my body sends messages to all the cells that a new season is near. No longer do they have to work so hard keeping me warm. The cells cheer giving me that feeling of excitement. This is the season of new beginnings.

This is what I felt stepping out of my car towards another day of work. As I trek across the long expanse of the GM parking lot, a punishment for driving a foreign car, I see the residue of a season passing away. Can't wait for shorts and tee shirts. To shed the confining garb of the bitterly cold winter. I punch in and enter my cubicle-like work space where human interaction is frowned upon. 'If you have time to talk then we have more work for you to do.' "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball!"

Any escape from the monotony of my job is through the spoken word. Literally!! However the same stories, previously mentioned in my blog "The Black Dahlia", started to become monotonous as well. I needed something new, fresh. I tried listening to Nicholas Sparks' "Dear John" but I think I popped a blood vessel preventing the tears from gushing out. A man working on a truck on the assembly line a sobbing mess would just be embarrassing. No more of that thank you. My wife loved all the mushy love letters the book aroused though.

Yann Martel, Tom Hanks look-a-like!

My search for something different led me to "The List" as I will call it from now on. Scanning slowly
down the list with my right index finger at the title's I've never heard of by author's I've never heard of becoming a little discouraged I finally came upon a familiar title. "The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. Never heard of the author but I, being somewhat of a movie buff, did connect the book with the new movie which won an Oscar for best picture. All I knew was it was about a boy from India in a boat with a big tiger. The Academy Awards panel choose such obscure movies to make their list. Why don't they pick something normal? Is this book going to be over my head leaving me feeling stupid? Stick with the Harry Potter books even kids have no trouble following and leave the big boy books for the intellectuals.

As this thought swirled around in my head I place my headphones over my ears, the season of new beginnings looming, about to embark on a journey that "The Life of Pi" will eventually inspire.

"The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel is about an inquisitive boy named Piscine "Pi" Molitor. Growing up in India circumstances led him and his family to be taken from his home, during his late teens, on a ship towards Canada for his dad's new job. During this voyage the ship had an accident causing it to sink abandoning Pi on a small life boat containing a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger until "hopefully" a rescue party or land come to save him. Are you asking yourself "Where did the animals come from?" This isn't exactly a place where you usually find these sorts of animals. Well, they were on the ship with him and his family. I like this game ask me another one. "Why were they on the ship with his family?" Because Pi's dad was a zookeeper while in India. I believe I've had too much coffee. I am starting to sound like Robin Williams. That's not good.

Moving along. Why is this novel on "The List" and why did I enjoy reading it? There were a few elements involved in the story that were easy to follow.  The spiritual element: Pi's curiosity and naivety drew him to adopt Christianity, Muslim and Hinduism as his faith at the same time. Yann's humor in spite of the controversial topic of religion made this issue a light-hearted affair. One instance in particular was an altercation between a leader of each faith who battled in a debate over the valid and absurd points of each faith. It left me desiring to see this discussion in real life. It would be like Reverend Lovejoy, Rabbi Krustofsky, the various Hindu deities of Apu's faith, God, Jesus, the Devil, and Ned Flanders all in a round-table discussion.

The educational element: Pi is in the company of a variety of animals due to his father being a zookeeper so he knew a lot about them. While living in India and his adventures on the life boat he explains to himself as well as the reader specific characteristics each animal possessed. This information would be helpful for his survival. I came to appreciate the intrinsic quality these animals possessed that I really never gave much thought to. It was delightful to read something so beautifully told by a person who seems to really take appreciation in these creations.

The story element: Yann's story telling was at times funny and captivating but always entertaining. It is a work of art how he intertwines the spiritual which all of us have some familiarity with, the educational which many times we like to shy away from these learning experiences, and the overall originality of the story, with its humorous and yet serious elements makes the "The Life of Pi" a pleasure to read. The movie was good but it mostly captures the element of the story but leaves out the other 2 that leaves you feeling just entertained. If this is all you look for then the movie will suffice but if you desire something more then read the book.