“Life of Pi”, Yann Martel
First published on September 11, 2001
The protagonist, Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel, a Tamil boy from Pondicherry, explores issues of spirituality and practicality from an early age. He survives 227 days after a shipwreck while stranded on a boat in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.
“I still cannot understand how he could abandon me so unceremoniously, without any sort of goodbye, without looking back even once. The pain is like an axe that chops my heart.”
I first experienced Life of Pi in the form of the 2012 movie by Ang Lee. It is visually breathtaking, with scenes that feel like paintings come to life. If you haven’t seen it yet, I strongly urge you to. It is currently available on Hulu. This is a tale that is tragically beautiful and deeply philosophical, requiring your full attention—so put away your knitting needles and your coloring books for your first viewing.
Pi Patel is a teenage boy stranded at sea with only a lifeboat, meager supplies,…and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker for company. The rest is equal parts adventure and spiritual journey. Pi’s bleak plight under Martel’s prose seem luminous at times, which the movie also captures well.
At the end, you are left wondering what’s real vs metaphor, and whether the difference even matters if the truth is too painful to think about.
Content Warnings
Note: This is not an exhaustive list of content and trigger warnings.
animal death • cannibalism • death of parent
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