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Life of Pi by Yann Martel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

How do you rate a book when you really hated it, but it has nothing to do with the writing or the story? (Which are really good).

I battled with myself throughout this book to keep reading. It truly shook me, and that is why I gave it 5 stars. It was a very intense experience, that I still remember now, several years later.

This book tells you about the survival of a young indian boy, named Pi, onboard a life-boat filled with zoo animals (yes, there is a tiger, as you can see on the cover).

Now, why did I hate it? (spoilers ahead)

The reviews on the cover promised "an uplifting experience", and "regaining belief in the human spirit".

I was a little down at that time and thought, "hey, this sounds like just the book for me!"
Boy, was I stupid..

[spoiler]

I was shocked and horrified to read about the slaughter of the animals onboard the life-boat (probably has to do with me being a vegetarian. Note to self: what did you think would happen with a tiger onboard?!). And it just kept going on-and-on-and-on. The fact that (major spoiler ahead) it was actually people who got slaughtered, and not animals, made it even worse.

The lesson I took from this book is: I'm not a survivor at all cost. In some situations I'd rather die, than live through the horrors. (Which makes me appreciate my grandparents even more)

So if you are not squeamish, aren't horrified easily, or are all of the aforementioned, but looking for an unusual experience, go read this book!





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