The Book-It List update.
Several weeks ago Caroline, Paul and I posted a ‘Book-It’ list for each of us (see the lists on the Facebook page for The Book Garden in Frenchtown New Jersey). I do, of course, love to read but, I am quite slow and usually have three books in play at any one time. With that said I finished my January selection and now would like to share a few thoughts. Before I do I will ask: what book(s) are on your list for January?
Mine was Life of Pi by Yann Martel.
I had put Life of Pi on my reading list a good long time ago (way before I even knew they were going to make a movie out of it or a ‘Book-It’ list). I have not yet seen the movie. I had hoped to finish the book first and then race out and see Ang Lee’s adaptation on film. But, one thing led to another and, well, as I said, I’m a very slow reader. When I finally finished (this past week) the movie was no longer playing nearby. So, this short review is totally based upon what I found on the printed page.
Now, as I prepared to write these lines I did look up a number of other takes (reviews) on the movie. In this regard I have to say, most got it wrong (of course this is my opinion).
I do have to be careful and not give away the ending since many have not yet read the book (or seen the movie). However, it is hard to phrase my interpretations of the book’s meaning in vague generalities when the answers are screaming out in the last ten pages of the text. But … I will try.
First, if you don’t speak French, Piscine means pool, usually referring to a swimming pool. Piscine (Pi) Patel spends his young life in Pondicherry, India. He is the son of a zookeeper. Growing up beside the plethora of non humans exposes Pi to a greater span and depth of nature’s bounty (it is a very large pool from which to draw) than is usual and in response Pi develops an encyclopedic knowledge of the animal world. His curious mind also leaps from the teachings in his native Hinduism to Christianity and then on to Islamic studies, all three ideologies he embraces with joyous abandon. This act alone tells us Pi views spirituality as a sum of all its parts, each important, each necessary, like the interactions of the animal kingdom on a differing plane of existence.
For reasons hiding in the depths of political preferences, the Patel’s set sail, with some of their menagerie, to start a new life in Canada. Halfway across the Pacific ocean, the ship sinks. Pi becomes stranded on a 26-foot-long life raft with a hyena, an orangutan, an injured zebra and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. In short order all of the animals are gone except for Pi and Richard Parker. For 227 days Pi survives with his large feline companion on the life raft. To do this he needs all of the knowledge of animals he has stored up in his memory, the information he reads in the boat’s how-to manual, his wits and … his beliefs. The scenes flow together effortlessly, and the sharp observations of the young narrator keep the story engaging as the author’s potentially unbelievable plot bring the reader into the realm of belief. This richly patterned work is like reading Melville’s Moby Dick. The incredibly detailed chapters of life at the zoo or on the life raft are joined at the hip by the exploration of the internal self as Pi formulates his beliefs and drifts across the ocean.
Then the shoe drops. When Richard Parker and Pi finally reach the coast of Mexico, the tiger flees to the jungle, never to be seen again. The Japanese authorities who interrogate Pi refuse to believe his story and press him to tell them "the truth." The truth becomes what one is prepared to believe. Thus, truth can be interpreted in many different ways.
Since President Obama wrote directly to Yann Martell, we know how he interprets the ending:
"My daughter and I just finished reading Life of Pi together. Both of us agreed we prefer the story with animals. It is a lovely book -- an elegant proof of God, and the power of storytelling. Thank you."
-- Barak Obama
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