tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post8072304341441445903..comments2024-03-16T22:32:46.026-06:00Comments on It's All About Books: Guest Book Review: Life of Pi by Yann MartelSueyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-73771561599226810842013-05-09T20:19:10.593-06:002013-05-09T20:19:10.593-06:00Good book, better than the film! Offers more insig...Good book, better than the film! Offers more insight into Pi and his survival techniques. Worth reading for these lazy days of spring.<br /><br />regards,<br />russel of <a href="http://www.beetlesmith.com" rel="nofollow">Auto Repair Renton</a>Cath Brookeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05890209675194138368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-74841909844331898502012-11-01T16:48:18.533-06:002012-11-01T16:48:18.533-06:00While i agree with devin in a lot of ways, I think...While i agree with devin in a lot of ways, I think that the book has more merit than is being stated here. I feel that the book is more of an exploration in philosophy than excitement and adventure. It is more about Pi's internal conflicts than the considerable challenges nature has given him. Great review though.<br />Since Mrs. Martinez asked me to share my project on this blog, I'll add it here.<br /><br /><br />Clayton Williams<br />Life of Pi Poem<br />Once, cast about on angry sea,<br />Pi Patel tried to breathe<br />The water sprayed, Thunder crashed<br />life, lightning pursuing tried to dash<br />sea anchors taught, did help to drown<br />both man and beast, both worn down<br />And the oceans waves chased hope away,<br />they thus alone could only pray<br />survivals judgement then was stretched,<br />as danger stalked them crest from crest<br /><br />In desperate bid, with life in balance,<br />Piscine changed his habitat<br />crawling aboard salvation’s raft,<br />his hope with devils he did cast<br />Once embarked, with escape uncertain,<br />he chose to enter death’s chosen den<br />Waters flooding, ever drowning,<br />lifes passing seconds counting<br />he dare not ask, ‘Is this the end?’<br />nor tempt fate’s beckoning<br /><br />Hours pass, the flood’s flowing stems,<br />Patel’s torment ends<br />A gentle hand passes over storms terrific,<br />and boisterous waves become pacific<br />as Pi overcomes his passing fear,<br />he sees his salvation is no longer near<br />Now trapped with death once again,<br />does he regret entering deaths chosen den?claytonmoe.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17201580236082936554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-51744736470882031492012-10-29T18:48:45.242-06:002012-10-29T18:48:45.242-06:00I agree with you. I felt like the book had some go...I agree with you. I felt like the book had some good quality and some interesting details, but I was a little disappointed. I didn't like the way it was written, I feel like it could have been more organized. Awesome review though! Courtney Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10583793151607223427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-37811572682189940082012-10-28T21:46:12.654-06:002012-10-28T21:46:12.654-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.claytonmoe.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17201580236082936554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-3761192977511762662012-10-24T21:43:12.614-06:002012-10-24T21:43:12.614-06:00The start meaning the first religious searching pa...The start meaning the first religious searching part? Or the start meaning the lifeboat part?Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-30228954046248693582012-10-24T09:31:24.077-06:002012-10-24T09:31:24.077-06:00 I thuoght that the start of the book was the best... I thuoght that the start of the book was the best partAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14842571287375506004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-76381120864748870622012-10-22T19:48:52.321-06:002012-10-22T19:48:52.321-06:00I'm impressed Devin with your insight and refl...I'm impressed Devin with your insight and reflection. You were able to discern, critique and articulate what was good and what was flawed. What an astute reader.<br />Thank-you Suey for the chance to dialogue with Devin. I've enjoyed it immensely. I just became follower number 341! I'm hoping Devin will do another guest blog. Our next major read is Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning."pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05587289732878835426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-73598675631831026922012-10-21T22:08:08.332-06:002012-10-21T22:08:08.332-06:00To Devin's teacher: Thanks for making him thin...To Devin's teacher: Thanks for making him think! And for having the class read this awesome book! Hopefully you've enjoyed this bit of online exchange. :)Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-66946863687273371132012-10-21T22:07:13.439-06:002012-10-21T22:07:13.439-06:00Jenny: Ah, bad writing.. what's that?Jenny: Ah, bad writing.. what's that?Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-44169290796755916232012-10-21T22:06:34.228-06:002012-10-21T22:06:34.228-06:00Jessica: As you know, I loved it too!Jessica: As you know, I loved it too!Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-89498310169597589942012-10-21T22:06:01.620-06:002012-10-21T22:06:01.620-06:00Gayle: Oh my that island WAS weird.
Devin: Did you...Gayle: Oh my that island WAS weird.<br />Devin: Did you talk in class about what the island means? Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-38403582899695028782012-10-21T22:05:23.221-06:002012-10-21T22:05:23.221-06:00Trish: I can't wait for this movie! I was worr...Trish: I can't wait for this movie! I was worried at first, but from the trailers, it looks wonderful.Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-65585258633709731732012-10-21T22:04:51.632-06:002012-10-21T22:04:51.632-06:00Melissa and Devin: I loved the metaphors. Not once...Melissa and Devin: I loved the metaphors. Not once did I find them too detailed. But I do remember that when the book club read it, they did for sure think... "what a weird book!"Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-13744396444013190162012-10-21T22:03:33.660-06:002012-10-21T22:03:33.660-06:00L: Wow, LOTS to ponder! I haven't re-read this...L: Wow, LOTS to ponder! I haven't re-read this book...yet.. but I think I will someday.Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-5849999433886217012012-10-21T22:02:50.328-06:002012-10-21T22:02:50.328-06:00I don't really remember the zoo talk, but I re...I don't really remember the zoo talk, but I remember being fascinated by the animals he had to deal with once they were on the life boat.Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-50809472927718886992012-10-21T16:49:13.225-06:002012-10-21T16:49:13.225-06:00Sorry, that last sentence came out really weird. &...Sorry, that last sentence came out really weird. " I just think there were some parts where it was just poor writing by Martel" was what I meant to say.Devin Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14257300098272705862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-45344416648544939002012-10-21T16:46:24.225-06:002012-10-21T16:46:24.225-06:00Well, I thought that the point of the book was to ...Well, I thought that the point of the book was to justify a belief in god. The way I see it is that Pi spends the entire book telling two different stories to the interviewers. One is about him stuck on a lifeboat with animals and one where he is stuck on a boat with his mother, a sailor, and cook. At the end he asks the interviewers which one they would rather believe and they obviously say that they would rather believe the animal story. To this Pi responds " And so it goes with God." By this I think that Pi means that when all is said and done, and you have nothing left to lose, why not believe in the more comforting story? Why not believe in God? whether it is true or not, whats the point in believing a colder, more gruesome story, when it really does not make a difference in the long run. So i suppose that that is the moral of the story. I did not really like how Martel added the whole "and so it goes with god" part in there though. By telling the reader exactly what Martel wanted to portray by the book, it kind of made it so that it was not open to the readers imagination. He made it so that there is a right answer. It would be like Tolkien after the Lord of The Rings going into depth as to what the ring really was meant to represent instead of letting the readers imagination decide what it means for themselves.<br />I guess I don't fully understand your defense of Martel's writing. I agree that Pi told the story about the animals because he did not want to think about the true story, He wanted to replace it with something more pleasant. I don't think that justifies the execution at all. I still think that there were some questionable parts and descriptions. There was also one part where he was describing lightning, and it was okay for a while, and then he said something like "I was thunderstruck, almost in the literal sense of the word." That just made me think that he was not taking it seriously. I feel like that is something I would have written when I was like 8. I'm not saying all the writing was horrible and I hated everything up until the end. I just think there were I think it was just poor writing by Martel.<br />Devin Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14257300098272705862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-89307051523510762692012-10-19T17:12:12.375-06:002012-10-19T17:12:12.375-06:00And I thought I was the only one who noticed bad w...And I thought I was the only one who noticed bad writing. ;) I did like the survival story, though. Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05738740015526095835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-75126427341644409392012-10-19T17:04:47.643-06:002012-10-19T17:04:47.643-06:00Oops, as the English teacher, I should have edited...Oops, as the English teacher, I should have edited more carefully--the piece needs a few commas and and an "or" in place of the "nor" in the second to last paragraph. I hope you picked those up Devin.pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05587289732878835426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-48674178806115977652012-10-19T17:00:59.421-06:002012-10-19T17:00:59.421-06:00So--this is Devin's teacher who assigned the b...So--this is Devin's teacher who assigned the book. Foremost, I love what Devin did as a final project. A few questions for Devin:<br /> What is that moral? <br />The universal truth?<br />You've also made some discerning observations about Martel's writing. Yet, I have to defend him in the context of his character. Pi retold this story to his interviewer. It was a massive recollection from a harrowing boyhood event. In the retelling, he was re-living and re-evaluating and possibly trying to convince the man that the events were true--and possibly still trying to live the lie himself. When we retell a story, we tend to evaluate it at the end. Was this Martel's intention-to stay in character? Or is he really guilty of poor writing in places. <br />Once a reader understands the depth of this novel, particularly its allusions to Edgar Allen Poe's only completed novel, to the case of Queen vs. Dudley and Stephens, to the question of the savageness of mankind, the novel becomes a literary coup.<br />Fascinating that one of the commenters did not remember the ending the first time she read. The same thing happened to me. It is a possible testament to our humaness-we don't want to believe nor remember the horrible truth of what really happened.<br />Do I love the story? No, I don't. I love the descriptions, the insights the portrayal of the creativity of the human mind in order to cope with the injustices but veracity of life. Most of all it connects me to my own imagination and the possibility that what I create and believe about my life, may in fact, not be real.pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05587289732878835426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-71726797853398804882012-10-19T06:09:24.776-06:002012-10-19T06:09:24.776-06:00LOLOLOL!!! Suey--I have a 16 yo brother and this s...LOLOLOL!!! Suey--I have a 16 yo brother and this sounds just like something he'd say. ;) We love them still. Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17225576485797030511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-25899610875688170422012-10-18T22:44:14.027-06:002012-10-18T22:44:14.027-06:00Yes, the interaction between Pi and the tiger, Ric...Yes, the interaction between Pi and the tiger, Richard Parker, also made the story a bit more interesting.Devin Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14257300098272705862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-7829379761105212882012-10-18T22:37:49.598-06:002012-10-18T22:37:49.598-06:00I don't see myself reading the whole book over...I don't see myself reading the whole book over again, however I have read the ending part several times. I think that the survival part of the story could have been a bit shorter. Sometimes I felt like he was doing the same thing everyday and it got old. I can see how some people would enjoy the parts on the boat though and I suppose it does make the ending hit a little harder after you have thought for so long that this was the only true story.Devin Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14257300098272705862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-38707617534337272462012-10-18T22:27:08.503-06:002012-10-18T22:27:08.503-06:00I'm not sure how the island fits into the meta...I'm not sure how the island fits into the metaphor yet either. I don't think an island was mentioned at all in the alternate version in the end. I dunno though, maybe i just zoned out for that part.Devin Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14257300098272705862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5566869117228903343.post-74357278114241190712012-10-18T22:22:52.333-06:002012-10-18T22:22:52.333-06:00Yeah, it will be interesting to see the movie. And...Yeah, it will be interesting to see the movie. And yes I will probably see it. My mom will drag me to it whether I want to or not anyways. Devin Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14257300098272705862noreply@blogger.com