Life of PI
BY: Guest on 2006-03-03 8:33 AM
This book was recommended to me by a friend, so I dove in. The reviews go on and on about the book being life changing and giving a new perspective on God.
I found the book to be neither. It was an interesting read with a bit of a psychological twist at the end. If any of you read it, I would like to hear your take on it.
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short people have to swim farther
RE: Life of PI
BY: Guest on 2006-03-03 8:56 AM
I think it offers a generic comparison of the major religions and how they are all related. I like the life struggle that reveals the "truth" of life. What amazes me is that it was a Abraham Lincoln book award winner (this is chosen by high school aged students). I just can't see many high school students seeing the book for what it is? -----
Time ticks away, make the most of it!
RE: Life of PI
BY: Guest on 2006-03-03 9:08 AM
I read it for the same reasons you did
(critics recommended it...so enlightening...blah blah blah
) I HATED it and ended up skimming through parts of it
(some of the sections were a bit tedious
) I DID like how it all tied together at the end. And I will admit that I think about that part occasionally. It's a good book to read for a book discussion group. With all the religion and psychological sub-plots, there's plenty to talk about. But overall, I think it's over-rated.
RE: Life of PI
BY: Guest on 2006-03-03 9:13 AM
maybe i am not smart enough, but i was expecting all of the religions to play out in the end and have some internal conflict. I didnt really see where the religions and the ending were even related.
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short people have to swim farther
RE: Life of PI
BY: Guest on 2006-03-03 9:25 AM
I don't think the religions and the ending were related. The ending was just a psychological twist.... About how he took horrible horrible events and twisted them around in his mind so that he could deal with it. However, I thought the religion stuff was kind of goofy. I don't see how a person can sincerely PRACTICE all the different religions at the same time. I KNOW about the various beliefs of different religions, but the only one I practice is Christianity. Otherwise, there's too much conflict.
(I hope that I'm making sense
).
RE: Life of PI
BY: Guest on 2006-03-03 9:50 AM
you are making perfect sense. the book was way overrated. i give it a thumbs down, but i cant help thinking about the ending. IF he was smart enough to comprehend and practice three different religions, then he could be smart enough to make up the version with the people simply to satisfy the japanese investigators. any thoughts on the man eating island?
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short people have to swim farther
RE: Life of PI
BY: Guest on 2006-03-03 11:13 AM
The thing about some books is that there are many that I don't like, but I will I find myself thinking about them later on. For example, "The Lovely Bones". I did not like that story, but I have found myself thinking about it at times. So---if a book is memorable does that make it 'good'?
And other books that I have found entertaining,
(The Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich
) I forgot the story lines shortly after. So, I don't know....I guess it's good to just read a variety.
I found that in book clubs, it is good to read more "controversial" books like "The Life of Pi" or "The Lovely Bones" because then there is more to talk about. Discussion about something like a John Grisham book would die out quickly.
RE: Life of PI
BY: Guest on 2006-03-03 1:59 PM
I liked the book. A friend who saw Yan Martel speak about this book pointed out to me how Martel made the story more unbelievable as the book when on to mimic faith, and to see what happens when reason and faith collide. At what point did you stop believing? or did you have faith in the story tellers accuracy the entire time. I thought it was a good read
RE: Life of PI
BY: Guest on 2006-03-03 2:47 PM
I thought it was some new kind of transition....I thought it said Life of P1
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My advice is just to be happy that you can see at all, you selfish bastard.
-Jim/BSM...not really sure