From Publishers WeeklyA
fabulous romp through an imagination by turns ecstatic, cunning,
despairing and resilient, this novel is an impressive achievement "a
story that will make you believe in God," as one character says. The
peripatetic Pi (ne the much-taunted Piscine) Patel spends a beguiling
boyhood in Pondicherry, India, as the son of a zookeeper. Growing up
beside the wild beasts, Pi gathers an encyclopedic knowledge of the
animal world. His curious mind also makes the leap from his native
Hinduism to Christianity and Islam, all three of which he practices with
joyous abandon. In his 16th year, Pi sets sail with his family and some
of their menagerie to start a new life in Canada. Halfway to Midway
Island, the ship sinks into the Pacific, leaving Pi stranded on a life
raft with a hyena, an orangutan, an injured zebra and a 450-pound Bengal
tiger named Richard Parker. After the beast dispatches the others, Pi
is left to survive for 227 days with his large feline companion on the
26-foot-long raft, using all his knowledge, wits and faith to keep
himself alive. The scenes flow together effortlessly, and the sharp
observations of the young narrator keep the tale brisk and engaging.
Martel's potentially unbelievable plot line soon demolishes the reader's
defenses, cleverly set up by events of young Pi's life that almost
naturally lead to his biggest ordeal. This richly patterned work,
Martel's second novel, won Canada's 2001 Hugh MacLennan Prize for
Fiction. In it, Martel displays the clever voice and tremendous
storytelling skills of an emerging master.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.