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"Life Of Pi" by Yann Martel Length: 11 hours and 28 min. ISBN: Good Morning America Book Club Listen to an excerpt with:     Windows Media Player     Real Player

When listening to this story, I asked myself several times: is this real, can it be possible, and how long can a shipwreck survive on almost nothing… That’s the trick about this book, it plays with you and your notions of what’s possible, and blurs the line between fiction and fantasy on one hand, and facts and truth on the other. In the end you don’t know whether the author serves up another fact or if it’s just plausible. And that’s good, you don’t want to be too certain about “reality” - one person’s truth might be another’s fantasy, or his illusion might actually be true…

So, Pi Patel is raised in India at his father’s zoo and when he is 16 years old they decide to emmigrate to Canada. They are shipwrecked, and the story is about his experiences aboard the lifeboat for 227 days. Central to the novel is Pi’s strong religious beliefs. Yes, in plural. He spent his youth learning about all the major religions and practicing all of them, at the same time. His strong faith runs like a thread through the novel, and helps him through all the hardships. Pi, when telling his story, assures the reader/listener that this is a tale that will make you believe in God. Well, up to you to decide, I think that statement was taking his mouth a bit full. But then again, this story is a leap of faith and imagination!

Tags: life of pi, yann martel, pi patel, religion, faith, castaway, shipwreck