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Janoseb, January 3, 2013 (view all comments by Janoseb)
I listened to the audio book and LOVED it! Pi Patel has a fascinating childhood and uses what he has learned as a zookeepers son to survive at sea with wild animals on a lifeboat. The book explores religion and with humor sprinkled about, keeps the reader engaged till the end.
Melissa Montecuollo, August 6, 2012 (view all comments by Melissa Montecuollo)
When I first got the book, I expected an epic tale of a boy's survival on a boat with a tiger. I expected action and adventure, perhaps a little suspense and I believe that expectation resulted in me having a difficult time getting through the book. This book is more of a boy's journey from boyhood to manhood as he processes through religion, life, existence, and being stranded on a boat with a tiger. It would better be seen (as a future reader) as Pi's own journal of his thoughts and struggles through his life in India, through trying to have three different religions, and one time, and through him wrestling with the comparison of life to a zoo.
This book is heavy read, with lots of descriptions than can often seem overwhelming or tiresome. If one enjoys philosophy, religion, or the discussion of zoo animals then I would recommend this book. If one wanted to see a battle between a boy and a tiger then I would seek to find an action book instead.
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