M is for Martel

Here we are just entering the sixth month of 2010 and I am half-way through my journey. I am really enjoying reading through the alphabet. For a spur of the moment decision, it has sure been a fun journey so far. I've left my comfort zone and though I do look to return to the thrills and chills of the cold war espionage novel, I'm loving the glimpse into more literary novels.

As you would expect, there were dozens and dozens and dozens of "M" books from which to choose. I again went in blindly, allowing the book titles to speak to me. I looked at several, pulled a few just far enough out that I could find them again and put many more back where I found them. One of the few I pulled out for a return visit was the novel I ended up checking out of the library. Usually when I pick a book, it's based on the title and the inside dust cover. That is where you find the summary and possibly a review. This is all I found when I opened this book,
"A boy
A tiger
And the vast Pacific Ocean

This is a novel of such rare and
wondrous storytelling
that it may, as one character claims,
make you believe in God.

Can a reader reasonably ask for
anything more?"

How could I pass it up?

Yann Martel wrote a wonderful novel that won the Man Booker Prize. This novel is our "M" book, "Life of Pi".

As the dustcover promised, it's the story of a boy, a tiger and the Pacific Ocean. Piscine Molitor Patel is a young Indian boy living at the zoo his family owns. You've probably already stumbled over his first name. You are not alone. Friends, enemies and even teachers did the same thing to young Piscine. He finally had enough and began introducing himself as Pi. With a much more suitable name, Pi continued his journey in life.

Young Pi fell in love, but not with a girl, but rather with religion. Pi was raised in a Hindu home, but not an overly religious one. Still, he felt the desire to know a Higher Power. He learned more about his Hindu religion, but still longed for more. On holiday with his family, Pi gathered the courage to enter a Catholic church. In this church, he met a wonderful priest who introduced him to the stories of Jesus. Pi was enthralled and filled with questions. He never had heard of a God who became a man. Pi still longed for more. He searched further and met a Muslim mystic, a Sufi. This humble baker of bread introduced Pi to Islam. Having three religions would be tough on anyone, but especially a teenage boy. Pi suffered under this weight of religion and question. Still, he believed. Though told by his father to choose one, Pi could not. It was this openness which likely saved Pi on his harrowing time on the Pacific.

Pi's father decided to sell the zoo and move the family to Canada. Pi and his brother were not happy about leaving India, but they were obedient children and got ready for the journey. It was the journey to Canada aboard a cargo ship where everything changed. The Patels were on the cargo ship with dozens of the zoo animals they were selling to other zoos. A loud explosion was followed by water flowing into the ship. Pi abandoned ship. He landed in a large lifeboat and waited for his family or the ship's crew. Instead of those companions, he found himself with a male hyena, a female orangutan, an injured zebra and Richard Parker. Though the name sounds like just another man, Richard Parker was actually a Bengal Tiger. These animals were not meant to be together, especially with a teenage boy on a lifeboat in the Pacific.

There were times reading "Life of Pi," where I almost quit and returned it to the library. This was not a cute story of bunnies and kittens. There were gruesome scenes of predatory animals making sure they did not go hungry. I often had to remind myself that this was indeed a novel, not a true story. For a true animal lover, this was not an easy read. It was though, a great read. Yann Martel is a wonderful story teller. His writing draws you in and hangs on to you chapter after chapter. You root for your hero or heroes. You worry, you get thirsty and hungry and wonder how anyone will ever survive. You know you are reading a good story when you actually care what happens.

I recommend "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel for anyone who has ever doubted the existence of God. I recommend it to those who wonder how much one person can take. I recommend it for those who think Job had it easy. If you can get past some of the graphic images of the animal kingdom, it is a wonderful and fascinating read. Enjoy "Life of Pi" and see if you can finish it not believing.