Kirstine's Reviews > Life of Pi
Life of Pi
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I was extremely surprised by this book. Let me tell you why (it's a funny story):
On the Danish cover it says "Pi's Liv" (Pi's Life), but I hadn't noticed the apostrophe, so I thought it said "Pis Liv" (Piss Life) and I thought that was an interesting title at least, so perhaps I should give it a go. So I did. And... what I read was not at all what I had expected (I thought it was a book about a boy growing up amidst poverty and homelessness). It wasn't until I looked up the book in English I realized the title wasn't "Piss Life". I was deceived for longer than I like to admit and, well, not only about this.
When I first read it I also thought it was based on a true story. I'm not sure why I thought this, I must have misread something (I vaguely recall thinking the prologue was instead an introduction). It was a sad (and ehm, slightly humiliating) day when I discovered the truth lay elsewhere. I guess your romantic beliefs must die someday, and that was the day for me.
See, it's easier to believe in the world and be optimistic about it, when you also believe that world capable of containing a boy and a tiger co-existing on a lifeboat for 7 months and surviving.
The truth is this book probably changed my life, not in any grand, extraordinary way. But with the small things, the small observations. Like how Pi was afraid to run out of paper, to document his days in the lifeboat, and instead he ran out of ink. Like how he chose to embrace three religions, not just one.
This book, and Pi especially, represent and embody a way of life that I admire. It's not about believing in God, but about what it takes to believe in something, anything really. Yourself, the world, goodness, life, God.
If it seemed real enough for me to believe it had happened, perhaps the real world is indeed a place where it could happen. And that's what I want to believe, even if real life might tell me otherwise.
On the Danish cover it says "Pi's Liv" (Pi's Life), but I hadn't noticed the apostrophe, so I thought it said "Pis Liv" (Piss Life) and I thought that was an interesting title at least, so perhaps I should give it a go. So I did. And... what I read was not at all what I had expected (I thought it was a book about a boy growing up amidst poverty and homelessness). It wasn't until I looked up the book in English I realized the title wasn't "Piss Life". I was deceived for longer than I like to admit and, well, not only about this.
When I first read it I also thought it was based on a true story. I'm not sure why I thought this, I must have misread something (I vaguely recall thinking the prologue was instead an introduction). It was a sad (and ehm, slightly humiliating) day when I discovered the truth lay elsewhere. I guess your romantic beliefs must die someday, and that was the day for me.
See, it's easier to believe in the world and be optimistic about it, when you also believe that world capable of containing a boy and a tiger co-existing on a lifeboat for 7 months and surviving.
The truth is this book probably changed my life, not in any grand, extraordinary way. But with the small things, the small observations. Like how Pi was afraid to run out of paper, to document his days in the lifeboat, and instead he ran out of ink. Like how he chose to embrace three religions, not just one.
This book, and Pi especially, represent and embody a way of life that I admire. It's not about believing in God, but about what it takes to believe in something, anything really. Yourself, the world, goodness, life, God.
If it seemed real enough for me to believe it had happened, perhaps the real world is indeed a place where it could happen. And that's what I want to believe, even if real life might tell me otherwise.
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Quotes Kirstine Liked
![Yann Martel](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/authors/1454012903i/811._UX200_CR0,50,200,200_.jpg)
“The worst pair of opposites is boredom and terror. Sometimes your life is a pendulum swing from one to the other. The sea is without a wrinkle. There is not a whisper of wind. The hours last forever. You are so bored you sink into a state of apathy close to a coma. Then the sea becomes rough and your emotions are whipped into a frenzy. Yet even these two opposites do not remain distinct. In your boredom there are elements of terror: you break down into tears; you are filled with dread; you scream; you deliberately hurt yourself And in the grip of terror—the worst storm—you yet feel boredom, a deep weariness with it all.”
― Life of Pi
― Life of Pi
Reading Progress
Started Reading
January 4, 2011
–
Finished Reading
May 17, 2011
– Shelved
July 16, 2013
– Shelved as:
fantasy
September 22, 2013
– Shelved as:
magical-realism
June 26, 2014
– Shelved as:
reviewed
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Colin
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Jun 19, 2012 04:38PM
![Colin Bruce Anthes](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1587858898p1/2929303.jpg)
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![s.penkevich](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1713573726p1/6431467.jpg)
![Peter](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1343737737p1/11438170.jpg)
Thank you.
![Kirstine](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1505503603p1/5172557.jpg)
Peter: Oh, this comment made my day. This is one of my favourite things about Goodreads. Even if I didn't like a book, I love to read and understand what other people loved or hated about it, and what they got out of it. I'm glad you liked my review despite your own experience :) Thank you! (let's thank each other, so polite).
![Cydnee](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1354818958p1/15204786.jpg)
![Kirstine](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1505503603p1/5172557.jpg)
I sure as hell didn't feel cute when I found out how much this book had "lied" to me, mostly just kind of ridiculous, haha, but thanks for finding it awesome :D
And you should check out the book! And then maybe the movie. Both were surprisingly excellent.
![Anna](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1334300856p1/8754037.jpg)
![Thomas](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
![Leah](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1369411204p1/20628623.jpg)
![Deeb O'doyle](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
I too am very happy to have read your review, well said.
![Morgan](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1366695702p1/18747931.jpg)
![Nivedita](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1377687873p1/20507137.jpg)
![Danah Selmi](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1378122441p1/23595332.jpg)
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![Michelle Only Wants to Read](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1448748767p1/8743445.jpg)
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![Joe](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
When I read this, a thought came into my head. What if she's lying about her first experience of the book in order to make a more comical review. Then I thought, which would be the better story? And of course, the idea that you picked this book up and believed it to be 'Piss life'- a true story about an Indian boy who survived 7 months on a life boat with a tiger is far more appealing. Here is one of Pi's many gems. It doesn't really matter whether or not a story is true. What matters is that we WANT it to be true, and in doing so, a fiction can perhaps become it's own kind of truth for the believer. As Pi himself said, 'the world isn't just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it, no?
Doesn't that make life a story?'
So whether or not what you say is true to reality, whether or not it is just a light exaggeration of an otherwise dull truth, you have managed to (knowingly or unknowingly) put into practice (for me at least) a fundamental concept from this book.
I must thank you for that.
![Sheherazahde](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1342799919p1/6072951.jpg)
![falconeagle](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
![Josie Varela](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1642015475p1/84008982.jpg)
The Life of Pi is a very good read, especially considering the animal/human characters that overlapped one another: the gentle ape, Pi's mother, the hyena, the chef, the tiger, etc. At the very end, I could not help but weep for Pi and his family.
![Sreya Mathew](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)