Life of Pi by Yann Martel (2003, Paperback, Reprint)

I am sure you have heard about this book before. I was told by friends for close to a year that I should read it. I finally broke down and bought it this past September, and am not sorry I did.

I was really not too sure what to expect from this this book. The cover does not give a lot of details on what is contained inside.

The book is the telling of the events of a ship sinking in the middle of the ocean by Pi Patel, a young boy from India travelling to Canada with his family and the animals from their zoo. Pi's adventures at sea are numerous and his survival story will amaze even the most stubborn.

The telling of life on a small boat in the middle of the ocean with a bengal tiger, a hyena, a zebra, and a orangutan draws the reader into a world of fantasy and reality all at the same time. The ending shocked me and I was impressed with Yann Martel's ability to draw eveything together into such a complete story. Your heart goes out to little Pi Patel and everything he has to endure over the course of the story.

Don't be put off by the book if you pick it up and find the first few chapters slow moving. I promise the book is worth it to continue reading.