Life of Pi

by Yann Martel | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0156027321 Global Overview for this book
Registered by k00kaburra of San Jose, California USA on 4/14/2006
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8 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by k00kaburra from San Jose, California USA on Friday, April 14, 2006
Rec'd through Paperbackswap.com.

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Amazon.com: Yann Martel's imaginative and unforgettable Life of Pi is a magical reading experience, an endless blue expanse of storytelling about adventure, survival, and ultimately, faith. The precocious son of a zookeeper, 16-year-old Pi Patel is raised in Pondicherry, India, where he tries on various faiths for size, attracting "religions the way a dog attracts fleas." Planning a move to Canada, his father packs up the family and their menagerie and they hitch a ride on an enormous freighter. After a harrowing shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean, trapped on a 26-foot lifeboat with a wounded zebra, a spotted hyena, a seasick orangutan, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker ("His head was the size and color of the lifebuoy, with teeth"). It sounds like a colorful setup, but these wild beasts don't burst into song as if co-starring in an anthropomorphized Disney feature. After much gore and infighting, Pi and Richard Parker remain the boat's sole passengers, drifting for 227 days through shark-infested waters while fighting hunger, the elements, and an overactive imagination. In rich, hallucinatory passages, Pi recounts the harrowing journey as the days blur together, elegantly cataloging the endless passage of time and his struggles to survive: "It is pointless to say that this or that night was the worst of my life. I have so many bad nights to choose from that I've made none the champion."

An award winner in Canada (and winner of the 2002 Man Booker Prize), Life of Pi, Yann Martel's second novel, should prove to be a breakout book in the U.S. At one point in his journey, Pi recounts, "My greatest wish--other than salvation--was to have a book. A long book with a never-ending story. One that I could read again and again, with new eyes and fresh understanding each time." It's safe to say that the fabulous, fablelike Life of Pi is such a book. --Brad Thomas Parsons

Journal Entry 2 by k00kaburra from San Jose, California USA on Tuesday, April 25, 2006
I've decided to turn this book into a book ring, because it is one of the most requested books on peoples' wishlists today!

The book is to be sent down the list, with the last person sending the book back to me. The order is:
- shorty04 - KY
- ixoyefisher - CA
- legbamel - ND
- Aramena - OK
- chubsiewhubsie - OH
- scifitechguy - TX
- sibelle - AZ
- eeyore75 - AZ
- violetaparra - MA

The bookring is US only - if you'd like to join, PM me! Sorry internationals!

Journal Entry 3 by k00kaburra at mail in By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Friday, May 26, 2006

Released 17 yrs ago (5/26/2006 UTC) at mail in By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

And the bookring begins! Enjoy!

Journal Entry 4 by shorty04 from Brownsville, Kentucky USA on Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Got it today.

I just finished the book that I was reading so I can start this today too!

Journal Entry 5 by shorty04 from Brownsville, Kentucky USA on Thursday, June 1, 2006
I really didn’t like this book too much. It was too scattered for me.
There are parts that are a story, and parts that just seem like the author’s philosophical musings.

I know that this book has gotten lots of good reviews, but it just wasn’t my taste.

Journal Entry 6 by shorty04 at BookRing in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Friday, June 2, 2006

Released 17 yrs ago (6/3/2006 UTC) at BookRing in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

sending to ixoyefisher to keep the ring going!

Journal Entry 7 by ixoyefisher from Sunnyvale, California USA on Friday, June 16, 2006
book received! Will start reading as soon as i can... a little swamped with work right now...maybe next week.

Journal Entry 8 by ixoyefisher from Sunnyvale, California USA on Thursday, August 10, 2006
my apologies for keeping the book longer than necessary. was a little too ambitious in trying to read this book on top of everything else I'm doing. Just couldn't get it done... so book shall be traveling again to Legbamel!


Journal Entry 9 by ixoyefisher from Sunnyvale, California USA on Thursday, August 17, 2006
no response from legbamel... moving on to Aramena

Journal Entry 10 by wingAramenawing from Noble, Oklahoma USA on Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Arrived yesterday! Have two rings ahead of it, so it may be this weekend before I start this one.

Journal Entry 11 by wingAramenawing from Noble, Oklahoma USA on Monday, September 25, 2006
Really enjoyed the book. At first I wasn't sure I was going to. Well, actually, at first I found it very interesting when Pi was talking about the zoo and the animals and such. But then he went into all that stuff about religion and discovering each one, and I started to think, let's get to the boat and being on the water with the tiger already! But once that happened I was caught up and really enjoyed it.

On page 189, Pi mentions others who survived being at sea, and he says Steven Callahan was at sea for 76 days. Coincidentally, I just read Callahan's book detailing his adventures. And there were times while reading Pi's adventures that I experienced a little deja vu!

Chubsiewhubsie had received a copy of this book as a RABCK the same day I PMd for an address. She graciously offered to stay in the ring since she had signed up, but I told her not to worry about it and I would just go on to the next person. I didn't think k00kaburra would mind, so I have PMd scifitechguy and will mail out as soon as he responds!

Journal Entry 12 by scifitechguy from Longview, Texas USA on Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Got this book a little while ago, sorry I haven't had a chance to start reading it yet... hopefully soon, over this coming weekend perhaps. Can't wait, I read the back cover and it looks like it'll be a very interesting story. :-)

Journal Entry 13 by scifitechguy from Longview, Texas USA on Saturday, November 18, 2006
Wow. Excellent read. Very engaging, it kept me till the bitter end. I just finished it and I'll send it out first chance I get after I get sibelle's mailing address. Amazing story! :-)

Journal Entry 14 by scifitechguy from Longview, Texas USA on Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Sent the book off to Sibelle (Media mail) an hour ago. Hope it arrives in good time!

Journal Entry 15 by sibelle from Mount Kisco, New York USA on Friday, May 25, 2007
Pi is on his way to eeyore75.

Journal Entry 16 by eeyore75 from Washington, District of Columbia USA on Saturday, June 16, 2007
Arrived a week or so ago, but didn't have time to journal it until now. I'm currently reading another book, and I'm a slow reader, so it might take me a little while to get to this one. Thanks for sharing!

Journal Entry 17 by eeyore75 from Washington, District of Columbia USA on Sunday, August 26, 2007
Finally got through this one. Hmmm, not sure if I liked it either. Guess I've been reading too many mysteries which move a little faster. Also, being a vegetarian, I really could have done without all the descriptive details of what he ate at sea... But overall, an interesting story, I could see it being made into a movie.

Mailing off to violetaparra this week

Journal Entry 18 by violetaparra from Boston, Massachusetts USA on Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wow, I had no idea until reading this book that there were so many others out there who.... didn't find it so amazing, either.

I apologize for not announcing this book's arrival here with me in fabulous New England. It had time to enjoy the oh-so-brief summer, and now in the midst of snow and, uh, snain, I shall send it back to k00kaburra.

I just don't understand why everyone I talked to before reading this was sooooooooo in luv with it. Ok, ok, nice writing, yeah, but-- and the point is?? I guess I didn't appreciate it as I thought I would. Anyone who can *explain* it to me, feel free. :D

Journal Entry 19 by violetaparra from Boston, Massachusetts USA on Thursday, January 24, 2008
Well, after a month of unintentionally procrastinating, I am finally returning Life of Pi back to its first reader in the ring! Happy travels, little book.

Journal Entry 20 by k00kaburra from San Jose, California USA on Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Thank you one and all for allowing my little book to travel throughout the country! Considering it's been all over the place, it's in really good condition. It's going back into my permanent collection, but something tells me it won't stay there for long.

I know that several of you didn't love the book, but I hope that everyone was at least a little entertained. See you around BookCrossing!

Journal Entry 21 by k00kaburra from San Jose, California USA on Friday, March 28, 2008

This is book no. 49 on the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" list.

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