Dakota County Library, audioCD, 11.5 hours
read by Jeff Woodman
This was both fascinating and infuriating. What an odd mix of zoology and theology in the guise of a survival adventure. Piscine (Pi) Patel is traveling from India to Canada with his family when their ship sinks. The only human survivor, Pi is on a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutang, and a Bengal tiger.
Least liked: the hyena eating the zebra live, the muddied theology of being a devout Hindu and Christian and Muslim successfully. The ending. Grr! The way Richard Parker was mentioned for many chapters without me having a clue who he was.
Most liked: the beautiful way he uses language! Some of the passages were so striking, I wanted to stop and write them down. I liked the relationship between Pi and Richard Parker. The survival aspects of the story.
I liked the book much more the second time around. I almost wish I owned a print copy . . . and may yet buy one.
- "Fellow students . . . who were in the thrall of reason, that fool's gold for the bright." I had to be parked and hit the back button to listen to this and get the wording right. I love the way he expresses things!
- I made a comment about science vs religion . . . the character is a double-major in those fields and makes some very interesting observations. It apparently bothered me the first time, but I appreciated the insights this time.
- I made a note about the rich detail and beautiful language.
- Pondicherry, India and Toronto, Canada
- Richard Parker . . . fascinating
- Mr. Kumar (atheist teacher) and Mr. Kumar (Muslim baker) - both had a profound impact on young Pi.
- Piscine / pissing / Pi - school kids can be so mean. I love his solution to the name issue!
- seven months at sea! 1977-78
- killing sea turtles - makes me sad.
- Zebra becomes young Chinese sailor with broken leg / hyena and man in other lifeboat becomes cruel French cook who killed a man and a woman and was killed by Richard Parker / the orangutang Orange Juice became Pi's mother / the tiger Richard Parker . . . becomes Pi!
- the ending . . . what's the true story?
- 100 chapters with #99 being the alternate story
