A boy. A tiger. And the vast Pacific Ocean. This is the beginning of the brief tease on the front inside flap of the dust jacket of Life of Pi, a novel by Yann Martel. I read this novel in 2001 or the following year. It is a good story, well told.

The title character begins life with the name Piscine Molitor Patel. A sensitive child, he tires of people mispronouncing his name. The other kids often call him Pissing Patel. So, he shortens his name to Pi.

He was born in India and fills us in beautifully on his life with his family and their business. His family owned and operated a zoo. His father sells the animals and uproots the family to start a new life elsewhere. They travel on a freighter along with some of the animals. Catastrophe strikes at sea. Pi ends up on a life boat with a tiger.

The author gives us much to ponder as he weaves layers of allegory into his novel. Mr. Martel tells a great story. I couldn’t imagine how it was going to end. It holds hours of enjoyment for the avid reader.

Oh, and one more thing; Yann martel won the prestigious Man Booker prize for Life of Pi.

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