Venky Chinnathambi

Life of PI

I would rate this as one of the best book I have had come across. Even though it is classified as a novel, it is a real story. The author was exceptional in bringing the story in a comical manner while preserving the core essence of the story. The first 50-or-so pages is slow; especially for non Tamil folks. However the author does highlight some of the things that are very part of the Indian culture. For example, the way Pi reacts to his father’s summon to teach a life lesson on the dangerous nature of the animals. Pi not knowing the reason for the summon, starts blaming his brother right away. Trust me, this is the usual behavior of Indian kids as they are very much afraid of their parents (especially father). Now I look back in my life, I find this situation very humorous.

The real story and fun begins when Pi’s family starts their journey to Canada by sea over the pacific ocean. I don’t want to give too much info; but the bottom line is that the ship sinks and Pi finds himself in a lifeboat with few other animals, including a Bengal tiger. His journey takes about 7 months to reach Mexico… enough of the details.

One must read the entire story, all the way to the very last page to see the real twist. This book should be definitely on your summer reading list.