All I had to do was read the first verse of the author’s note to know how exciting this adventure was going to be. It’s about his second book and I quote ’’ In the spring of 1996, my second book, a novel, came out in Canada. It didn’t fare well. Reviewers were puzzled, or damned it with faint praise. Then readers ignored it. Despite my best efforts at playing the clown or the trapeze artist, the media circus made no difference. The book did not move. Books lined the shelves of bookstores like kids standing in a row to play baseball or soccer, and mine was the gangly, unathletic kid that no one wanted on their team. It vanished quickly and quitely ’’
After I read this, I kind of connected with the author in a way that can only be described as uncanny. The book is rich in it’s content and the first half of it seems to be the college book of a zoology major student. However, once the book finally takes you to the sea and past the tragedy that takes our hero Pi, and Richard Parker, the Royal Bengal Tiger you begin to realize that the vial of knowledge that broke on you head, was for a good reason.
The book is a truly wonderful story of the survival of a boy and a tiger at the sea. It describes their truly amazing symbiotic relationship. Pi, has allegedly broken all records of survival at sea.
I must say that the book requires a certain amount of patience. It is quite similar to Castaway. But there is land and there is no Wilson. Just the vast expanse of the ocean and scary cover of the skies. Just like Tom Hanks, Pi did not know why he had to survive, he just knew that he had to. He had lost his family, all his loved ones. The only true friend he had was this 800 lbs man-eating Royal Bengal Tiger, Richard Parker.
It’s a story about hope. About daring to hope, when there could possibly be none. It’s about making the best of what you have, even in the most life-threating situations. And most importantly, it’s about surviving.
So go ahead and grab your copy of this Man Booker Prize winning masterpiece by Yann Martel. I guess this books means so much to me because it was given to me by my sweetheart. She actually took up a part-time job to put together the money to get it for me. How cool is that?? Read on People !!