Book Review: The Life of Pi
“Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it can. But life leaps over oblivion lightly, losing only a thing or two of no importance, and gloom is but the passing shadow of a cloud...”
It is not often that I read a book that is stunning in its form, style and substance; so masterfully original that it is beyond compare. Therefore, reviewing this book is a mammoth task. How can you begin to write about a book that is so confounding and magical but doesn’t use the liminal as a trope. Rather it is based on pure unadulterated imagination; an outlook on life that touches on the beauty of nature, the grace of God and humanity’s unforgiving resilience at survival. The title itself is telling ‘The Life of Pi’ is a beautiful double entendre. As it is about a boy nicknamed ‘Pi’ and his life before, during and after his ordeal by sea. But not only that Pi or rather ‘π’, is a mathematical term which, (and I’m not mathematician here) is infinite. although our characters life is finite, life must simply, go on.
Pi is the sole survivor of a devastating ship wreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, he is left all alone on a lifeboat with an female Orangutang, Hyena, a Zebra (with a broken leg) and an Adult Royal Bengal Tiger. What follows is a tale in the fight for survival that lasts 227 days, he initially washes up on a small slightly submerged island habitat, populated with pools of fresh water and Meerkats. However, Pi leaves the Island and then washes up on a beach in Mexico, he is telling the story, however, years later- looking back on a time of deep hardship and suffering.
In Part one of this tale we hear of the beauty of animals and the place of Pondicherry, India. Pi and his whole family run a Zoo- he loves the animals and has a great respect for them, but doesn’t believe that animals brought up in captivity should be released into the wild because animals in captivity don’t know how to survive in the wild, not after having their every need seen to. Then there is the question of religion, Pi sees the beauty and the grace in the three main religions of India: Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, he learns a lot from each and finds God at the end of it, Pi is far more tolerant than the three leaders of their respective religions deem. It is something, quite charmingly- I must say, that Pi doesn’t understand, if God is everywhere and for everyone, why must they argue? Why must these religious leaders all disagree? Why can he not be Christian, Muslim and Hindu all at the same time? His religion will come in handy later, I wouldn’t say it was God that helped him survive all those weeks at sea, but I would say that the wisdom found in religion is what drove him.
Part two, is the most harrowing of all, it is also the bit that is hard to believe, should you wish to believe it. The cargo ship carrying Pi’s whole family, animals and crew has sunk. Pi was thrown into a lifeboat and a zebra, not long after, joined him and then, much to his dismay a Bengal Tiger, by the name of Richard Parker, joined him too. The struggle between the animals was horrible to read, the Hyena, Zebra and the Orangutang all died within weeks of each other until only the Tiger and Pi remained. The relationship between the two was fraught with fear and distrust, but a relationship grew when Pi learnt how to fish, collect rainwater and turn sea water into drinking water - ultimately leading to the survival of the Tiger. It is not easy, however, as tigers are ferociously territorial so it is up to Pi to show the Tiger that he is the Alpha, he is in charge, he is the one who feeds them and allows for their survival. The tiger is dependant on him.
The biggest character has to be Mother Nature herself, she is unforgiving, relentless and does not play to human laws and rules. The rule of ‘Survival of the Fittest’ is what led to the deaths of all the other animals onboard the lifeboat; it is though sheer will and wit does Pi and the Tiger survive their ordeal, but not before throwing a curve ball in the shape of The Island. The Island, somewhere in the middle of the Pacific, shouldn’t be possible. Vegetation grows everywhere and has somehow adapted to the harsh surroundings. The Island is lush with life, Algae turns salt water into fresh water and as such the island is full of fresh water pools, deep pools where unwitting fish, sharks and turtles all die because they cannot survive in fresh water. The island is populated by Meerkats. Which is unusual as they seem only to inhabit southern Africa, so how the heck they arrived remains to be seen. Pi would’ve stayed on the island if it weren’t for the devastating revelation that the island is carnivorous. In the absence of light, the algae dissolved all living things which feeds the vegetation around it. So Pi decides to leave for good.
Pi is ultimately rescued, or at least he washes up on a shore in Mexico. He knows that his ordeal is behind him. He is safe, but he cannot help but mourn the loss of a friend, Richard Parker who jumps, into the forest without a backwards glance. Pi doesn’t weep because of what he’s been through, he weeps because their ordeal gave them a bond and he didn’t get to say goodbye.
At the end of this tale we, as readers, are given a choice: to accept this version of events as the truth or to accept the other version, which I shall not reveal. But I don’t doubt that, like many before you, you will accept that a boy survived in the Pacific Ocean for 227 days in the company of an adult Bengal Tiger. This book is serenely beautiful and possibly the best book that I have read thus far this year. I cannot fault it. I dare you to try.