Have you read ... Life of Pi?

    Here's another of those books that 'everyone else has read'. Winner of the Booker Prize, seven million copies sold, it's Yann Martel's Life of Pi, and I have yet to read it though I now have a copy, thanks to winning one on the Man Booker website!

    There are so many reviews quoted both inside and out that I'm not going even to begin to repeat them here, but it's clearly a book which has been a popular and critical hit, and has not just impressed people but touched and affected them.

Have you read it, and if so, what did you think of it?

Comments

[claire]

I loved it. It's wonderful, no matter what anyone else says.

[adele geras]

This book comes into a special category for me of books that everyone has praised and that I am reluctant to read for reasons I can't explain. There are several of these...I have been walking past The Satanic Verses for years and years, and I'm a Rushdie fan and loved both Midnight's Children and Shame. I just....don't fancy it!
Everyone I know says Pi is marvellous and if you say so too, Cornflower, I might be forced to try it at least. But I can't say I'm keen! I do not know why. I think it's like not fancying someone. You either do or you don't and no amount of being told someone is desirable will do it. EG. the latest Heathcliff on ITV. Everyone is raving and I loved the programme but he is just....too much like Michael Portillo to have my heart beating faster!

[Claire (Paperback Reader)]

What the other Claire said! Great book and so easily accessible and enjoyable.

[Claire]

Had to join in - yet another Claire. I'll be surprised if you don't enjoy. I thought it was wonderful too.

[Elizabeth]

I read Life of Pi for a book club selection and am glad I did but I too would not have just picked it up without that incentive. I am more intrigued by Yann Martel's "project" in introducing books to the Canadian Prime Minister. You can follow what he is doing at www.whatisstephenharperreading.ca.

[Lindsay]

It's half a good book. The first third is wonderful - then it becomes a bit ordinary - and the final third is just poor, mainly in terms of plot and lack of coherence in the ideas. But others will say I just don't get it, of course!

[Jodie]

I read it, loved it and then got some symbolism clarification from a friend which made it even more interesting. I've given up my first copy for a beautiful illustrated copy (the Times ran a competition to find someone to illustrate it and it came out great).

[Dark Puss]

I haven't read it and I have no idea what it is concerned with. Is it about transcendental numbers?

[Anna]

I read it for school, and wouldn't have otherwise although I'm not someone who automatically dislikes books they're made to read, but I was rather underwhelmed. It had some good points, certainly, especially in the beginning, but a lot of it seemed like throwing in weird events just to make it a weird book. I love weird books with weird events, they're my favourite kind of fiction, but they have to be cohesive and have a good theme, and this didn't.

[GeraniumCat]

I really liked it (not quite loved, but close).

[Dark Puss]

Hi guys and gals - is anyone going to enlighten me (see my earlier comment)? I wasn't being facetious!

[Mrs. Holpine]

Read it, liked it. It was very thought-provoking. But I thought the ending was too much of a big sucker punch. Definitely worth the endeavor to read it, however.

[Sakura]

Hello! I really liked it because it was totally different to what I expected. I thought it was going to be a spiritual fable in the vein of The Alchemist but I was completely wrong. And I learnt a lot of interesting things about Pondicherry. An interesting and enjoyable read.