Life of Pi - review

Author: Yann Martel
Title: Life of Pi
Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd
Released: 2002

I was borrowing a couple of books from the library and I had Life of Pi still in my hand, along with Ibn Kathir's biography of the Prophet Muhammad (sws) and a collection of essays dedicated to Bernard Lewis (the Middle East and Islamic historian who ruined his career after calling Muslims barbarians following 9/11- Rather odd considering most of his life's work was dedicated to the history and religion of these "barbarians" which up until 9/11 he defended and praised.) But I digress.

Librarian: Did you like that book? (pointing at Life of Pi).
Ayla: Yeah, I loved it.
Librarian: Really? My friend said it wasn't very good, very difficult to read he couldn't even finish it. He didn't like it all.
Ayla: He thought it was difficult? Its not at all…it's easy to read. I could barely put it down.
Librarian: Well… he said it was all about religion (she said with a hint of disgust). He didn't really understand it all. Did you find it very religious?

I kind of feel sorry for her and her friend. I know that's a very patronising thing to say but it made me sad to think of all the thoughts, ideas and feelings they would miss out on simply because they seem 'religious'. How can they close their minds to centuries old ideas and beliefs, cherished by billions for years and years, and for what? Another limited human-invented theory of godlessness? I know it's just a novel, but it put her and her friend off simply because the words Islam, Hinduism and Christianity were included. And even then, these religions/paths to God were so beautifully described and interacted within the story so well it wasn't the least bit intimidating.

"As if this small-mindedness did God any good.
To me, religion is about our dignity, not our depravity."

But religion isn't even the main focus of the novel, although when it's mentioned it provides a great lesson for everyone, including myself…I realised I was quite the hypocrite. I think the novel takes its direction from the moment the elderly man says, "I have a story that will make you believe in God."

Pi's adventure (although I really hesitate to use that word) begins with the young man stuck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a life boat with a hyena, a zebra, a female orang-utan and a Royal Bengal Tiger. Although the story opens with a tragedy (similar to the type that can happen to someone, somewhere, any moment in any day), you will still probably find yourself laughing out loud at what would seem to be the most inappropriate moments. Perhaps like me, you too will find that you admire Pi and as a result, come to admire yourself at the extremes a human being can endure, vicariously living through this experience of a world which on the surface seems so merciless. But this story is also about believing in the unbelievable, for example- how can someone (in this case, a 16 year old vegetarian) survive on a lifeboat in the middle of an ocean through storms and droughts and curious sharks with a Bengal Tiger for a companion? Maybe some of you sceptics are thinking, 'perhaps this is just another story that places all of its importance on morals and 'spiritual' perspectives, with impossible storylines and exaggerated characters'. Well in your frame of reference you may be right, but this is what Pi would say to you:

"If you stumble at mere believability, what are you living for? Isn't love hard to believe?... Reason is excellent… but be excessively reasonable and you risk throwing out the universe with the bathwater."

This story is true.

Outside of the religion, the spirituality, the little life lessons one can learn, aside from the moments of sadness, the feelings of resentment at the cruelty of this world (even as small as a man looking at you with disgust, humiliating you as you innocently eat your food with your hands), and the admiration of the beauty of our planet, I can think of one more marvellous thing I realised upon reading this book- that animals are thoroughly remarkable and zoology is one interesting subject! Truly God is 'Al-Musawwir' (Arabic, meaning 'The Artist; The Shaper of Beauty.')

The book is, amongst many other things, a taster course in animal psychology. Perhaps you may only understand what I'm about to say after you've read the book, but the whole time Pi was with the Bengal Tiger (which he wisely never dared touch once), I couldn't help but always picture myself in that boat cuddling the tiger expecting it to turn into a tiger-human-type friend. Apparently this is quite a common thing to do and its called, according to Pi's father, Animalus anthropomorphicus, the animal as seen through human eyes… 'cute', 'friendly', 'loving," 'devoted', 'merry', and 'understanding' when its really 'vicious,' 'bloodthirsty' and 'depraved.' I can say with confidence that I would have been tiger food, but this is why this is Pi Patel's story… he might well have been eaten up by trees (yes trees) or the sun… but he survived the tiger!

Enjoy this story. To me it is a treasure.

Ayla Karmali