Extras...

It’s been great to see so many of you sign up to discover, or re-discover, Life of Pi and to share your enjoyment of it with everyone else through the site. We hope the tips have given you plenty of food for thought – it certainly seems that way from the comments on the site. For those of you who might not have seen all the feedback, we’ve collected a few of our favourites here for you:

‘Wow, I don’t think I have read a book before that has moved me so much.’ Jamila

‘Just when you think it’s a fable, the author rips the carpet from right under your feet.’ Michael

‘The lasting impression for me of this novel is that the mind is a great and wondrous thing.’ Elbina

‘Life of Pi makes us keep believing in the great capacities of the human being, and how these can be strengthened by God’s presence in our Life. This novel really inspires much faith and hope!’ Maria do Céu Costa

‘I think Martel is challenging or testing our faith (through the art of storytelling) at a different level. If we believe that Richard Parker, the tiger, exists, then we can move onto the next test (or leap of faith, as Martel says). How far is the reader willing to go? I enjoyed the journey (story) so much, I made the leap of faith!!’ Susan

‘Pi seeks order and harmony in whatever he sees around him and whenever he sees one he attributes it to God. To me though it is something beyond religion and its much bigger and beautiful than that and the search for it continues as I write.’ Andrew Mylwaganam

Finally we’ll leave you with one comment that really sums up everything we hoped for from the readalong.

‘Wow. I enjoy reading everyone’s comments because they are helping me see the ‘whole’ story and helping me expand my thoughts. So thank you all.’ DVG

Thanks everyone for taking part.

As we come to the end of the readalong with this, our final tip, think back to the author’s note in which Francis Adirubasamy says ‘I have a story that will make you believe in God.’ What do you make of this claim? Here’s what Yann Martel has said on this topic:

‘Life of Pi can be summarised in three lines:

1. Life is a story.
2. You can choose your story.
3. A story with God is the better story.’

Does Pi’s story make you believe in God? What is your lasting impression of the novel?

We hope you’ve enjoyed being part of the readalong. It’s been great to read all your comments on the site, and we’ll be sending one last email on Monday to share some of your feedback more widely.

In interviews, Yann Martel has commented that there is something ‘social’ to art and that: ‘a book really comes alive only once it has met a reader. A book in that sense otherwise is 50% – the other 50% is what the reader brings to it – their imagination’.

In our previous email we suggested thinking about what Pi is getting at with his questions about ‘the better story’. What do you think of the two alternative stories in the context of the above idea of a reader (or perhaps listener) bringing a story to life? And what about the way Life of Pi is told, as a story that has already been recounted to our narrator?

Twitter responses:

• followyournose Does anyone know if July 2nd has any significance? In #LifeofPi it’s the date of the shipwreck. Pi is found on Feb 14th, Valentine’s Day.

In the last few chapters of the book, Pi recounts his story to the officials from the Japanese Ministry of Transport. He is then asked to tell them another story of his time at sea, this time not involving animals. Both stories end in the same way, with Pi the sole survivor of the ordeal and Pi asks the investigators, ‘Which is the better story?’

What is Pi getting at with this question? Why does he say, ‘And so it goes with God,’ after being told the tale with animals is the better story?

You might like to think about these questions in relation to Chapters 21 and 22, which Yann Martel has said are at the very core of the novel. How should we interpret Pi’s offering of two alternate stories in light of the discussion in these chapters of ‘dry, yeastless factuality’?

A teenage boy adrift in a lifeboat for 227 days with a tiger. Of course it sounds implausible, but as we read Pi’s story it’s very hard not to be persuaded.

However two episodes towards the end of the novel test our willingness to suspend our disbelief. Firstly the conversation with the blind Frenchman — whom Pi encounters on another boat in the middle of the ocean — and secondly the island populated by meerkats.

Yann Martel has said of these episodes that ‘I wanted to push the reader till he was forced to make some leap of faith.’ What did you make of these two plot developments? Did you make the leap of faith?

Last week we thought about the relationship between Pi and Richard Parker, and also about what Richard Parker might signify.

What do you think the other animals in the lifeboat might represent? Do they embody specific character traits? Do you think that Martel could have told the same story if it different animals had been in the lifeboat?

If you’ve read on to the final few chapters of the book, then how do you interpret these animals and their characteristics in terms of the ‘other story’ that Pi tells. What do you think about the characters of Pi and Richard Parker in the other story?

Life of Pi is a very structured narrative, with the story told over exactly 100 chapters. Pi explains this ordered framework by saying:

‘I am a person who believes in form, in the harmony of order. Where we can, we must give things a meaningful shape.’

How do you read this comment in terms of Pi’s religious beliefs? And what about in terms of the novel’s overall story (or stories)?

Do you think Pi’s desire for order and structure is significant in light of the fact that his nickname is the irrational number Π?

It isn’t revealed until the ship has sunk that Richard Parker is actually a Bengal tiger. Pi’s initial reaction to being stuck in a lifeboat with this carnivorous beast is that he must try to kill him, but eventually he comes to realize that he must instead tame him. Is this realization representative of a greater transformation in Pi, do you think?

During the course of their journey at sea, Pi and Richard Parker develop an almost symbiotic relationship. Pi even says:

‘It’s the plain truth: without Richard Parker, I wouldn’t be alive today to tell you my story.’

Do you think Richard Parker symbolises more than just the challenge of living with a 350-pound Bengal tiger? Is he a metaphor for dealing with our own challenges?

In interviews Yann Martel has said that, for him, the idea of a religious boy adrift in a lifeboat with a wild animal is a perfect metaphor for the human condition – what do you think he means by this?

How might the events in the lifeboat represent Pi’s (and perhaps humanity’s) internal struggle? Against what?

As we continue reading our protagonist’s journey on the lifeboat, think about how Pi’s experience affects his understanding of his place within the universe.

You might also like to think about the parallels between Pi’s journey and the story of Noah in the Bible and what this might represent.

Hinduism, Islam, Christianity: Pi is unable to choose between the three religions and is only content when practising all three. When questioned about it his defence is simple: ‘I just want to love God’.

What do you think this says about Pi’s interpretation of faith versus belief? How do they differ? Could it be that Pi, by following all three religions, is simply using as many ways as possible to express his belief?

Think back to the question raised in our last tip about how both zoos and religion are plagued by ‘illusions of freedom’. How does this relate to Pi’s multi-faith stance?

As you read further in the story you might like to think about how each of these three religions’ tenets help Pi when he is adrift at sea, and whether his belief changes during his voyage to a more transcendental understanding of the universe.

Twitter responses:

• dhebblethwaite: Nice desciption of Mr Kumar in Chapter 7.

At university Pi studied both religion and zoology and in the novel he hints at a parallel between the two.

In answer to the commonly held view that animals in zoos are unhappy because they are confined, Pi argues that animals in the wild are not really ‘free’ either – freedom when you must fight in order to survive isn’t really freedom. Do you agree? Could it be that good zoos allow animals a safe territory within which they truly can be free.

What do you think Pi means us to understand when he says, ‘I know zoos are no longer in people’s good graces. Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.’

If you’ve read further along in the story to Pi’s adventure at sea, you might like to think about Pi’s how loss of freedom, living in a lifeboat, parallels the idea of animals in captivity.

Twitter responses:

• dhebblethwaite: Some interesting stuff on belief and zoos so far (to Ch. 7), but I’ll see how it pans out before commenting on it further.
• dhebblethwaite: Ch 8: I think the point about animals not being ‘cuddly’ is true and well-made.
• dhebblethwaite: Chs 8-15: Must admit the zoo stuff is genuinely intriguing. I’ll be interested to see how Martel uses it later on.

Pi tells us that he was named after a swimming pool (the Piscine Molitor in Paris) and he chose to abbreviate his name to Pi after being teased mercilessly throughout primary school as ‘Pissing’ Patel.

But it’s no coincidence that Pi is also the name of the irrational number Π, a number that goes on forever without discernable pattern, and is used in calculations of a circle’s circumference and area. In interviews Yann Martel has said:

‘I chose the name Pi because it’s an irrational number … Yet scientists use this irrational number to come to a “rational” understanding of the universe. To me, religion is a bit like that, “irrational” yet with it we come together we come to a sound understanding of the universe.’

How does this affect your understanding of Pi’s significance in this story? Is the story about Pi, or is Pi part of a bigger story? And do you think it’s significant that the book is called Life of Pi rather than The Life of Pi?

Twitter responses:

• dhebblethwaite: First thought: “Oh no, I hope Pi isn’t going to be one of those narrators who squeezes in every piece of trivia he can…”
• msbgoya: @Dananai chapter 3 one of his name is Piscine because of obsession with swimming *dead*

What better place to start for our first tip than at the beginning of the book, with the ‘Author’s note’. The writer of this note tells us that he has written two previous novels, and that he was inspired to write the story on a trip to India – just like Yann Martel.

The setting is real, the grant mentioned at the end of the note is real and the book’s two main characters are introduced, as real people. But in the note, the writer questions us:

‘That’s what fiction is about, isn’t it, the selective transforming of reality? The twisting of it to bring out its essence?’

Bearing this in mind, do you believe that the writer of this note, and of the authorial passages which appear in italics through the novel, is really Yann Martel, writing autobiographically?

You might find it helpful to keep this idea of truth versus fiction in mind as you read, and to think about the reliability of the novel’s narrators.

Twitter responses:

• dhebblethwaite Participating in #LifeofPi #readalong. First time reading it. Have read Author’s Note: some interesting blurring between fact and fiction.
• followyournose Started re-reading #LifeofPi yesterday. I’d forgotten all about the framing device involving the “author” and his trip to India #BookTuesday

Dear Readalong Readers,

I’m delighted you’ve taken on Life of Pi. Writing the novel was a joy. The research, which I did in India and then at the library of McGill University in Montreal, thrilled me. Then came the writing. For four years my office was a lifeboat and in it, lurking, was a tiger I had not only to feed and keep alive but to give meaning to. Odd as it might sound, this story with such seemingly disparate elements – a religious boy, a tiger, a lifeboat – came together quite easily. Only one scene – the one with the blind Frenchman – changed, and that was only a question of making it shorter. The novel’s success with readers has been an equal joy. I toured and was grateful to meet so many of my readers, many of whom shared insights and reactions with me. I was constantly amazed at the varied interpretations readers had of the novel. I shouldn’t have been. Art works because it is participatory: the writer throws some words onto the page and then it’s the reader who brings them to life. So thank you for bringing Life of Pi to life.

Yours truly,
Yann Martel

At Readalong HQ here in the UK, we’re delighted that our project has been featured in the Guardian and Independent, and it’s very exciting to hear that overseas readers will be joining in with gusto – special mention goes to the University of Western Ontario, where they’ll be having a Night of Pi with costumes and a special Pi storefront display!

As you know we’ll be emailing you with tips about Pi throughout August. The readalong starts tomorrow, and we’ll be loosely following the chronology of the story, but you can rest assured won’t be giving away any plot spoilers – so don’t worry if you’ll be reading slightly later in the month! Our aim has always been to bring readers around the world together with Life of Pi, creating a book group that spans the globe, so we’d love you to share your thoughts and responses to our suggestions with your fellow readers. All our tips will be posted in the ‘Readalong Material’ section of our Extras page so please do comment on them. And if you’ve got a more general comment to make then why not share it on the homepage wall?

The most important thing about the readalong is that you enjoy it, so if you’ve got suggestions on what else we can be doing to help, just let us know at lifeofpi[at]canongate.co.uk.

We hope you’re as excited about the readalong as we are!

Since its original publication in 2002, Life of Pi has become established as a reading group favourite. With its unique combination of religion, survival and a Royal Bengal tiger, the novel offers ample themes for discussion. You may find some of the following suggested questions helpful in stimulating debate within your reading group.

1. In the author’s note, Mr Adirubasamy claims that this story ‘will make you believe in God’. After researching and writing the story, the ‘author’ agrees. Did Pi’s story affect your religious beliefs?
2. The young Pi insists that he cannot accept an exclusively Hindu, Christian or Muslim faith; he can only be content with all three. What is Pi seeking that can only be attained by this apparent contradiction? Is there something common to all religions? How do faith and belief differ?
3. Chapters 21 and 22 are very short, yet the author has said that they are at the core of the novel. In what ways do these chapters affect your reading of Pi’s story?
4. Pi’s name, in its shortened form, refers to the irrational number Π, a number that goes on forever without discernable pattern, and is `used in calculations of a circle’s radius and diameter. What do you think the significance of Pi’s name is to the novel?
5. Discussing zoo animals, Pi tell us, ‘All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt. Without it, no species would survive.’ How could this idea relate to Pi’s actions in the immediate aftermath of the shipwreck?
6. Pi imagines that his brother would have teasingly called him Noah. How does Pi’s voyage compare to the biblical story of Noah, whom God spared from the flood he sent to destroy the rest of civilisation?
7. ‘If I still had the will to live, it was thanks to Richard Parker. He kept me from thinking too much about my family and my tragic circumstances. He pushed me to go on living. I hated him for it, yet at the same time I was grateful. I am grateful. It’s the plain truth: without Richard Parker, I wouldn’t be alive today to tell you my story.’ Can the relationship between Pi and Richard Parker be seen as an allegory of the challenges we face in our own lives?
8. The novel begins with an author’s note, and we frequently hear the authorial voice through the book. Do you think the ‘author’ of this note is indeed Yann Martel? How do the different layers of narration within Life of Pi influence your thoughts about the story?
9. ‘I am a person who believes in form, in the harmony of order. Where we can, we must give things a meaningful shape. For example – I wonder – could you tell my jumbled story in exactly one hundred chapters, not one more, not one less?’ What is the effect of giving such a precise structure, of exactly 100 chapters, to Life of Pi? How does this regularity contrast with Pi’s name, an irrational and infinite number?
10. ‘That’s what fiction is about, isn’t it? The selective transforming of reality?’ How does this question, from the author’s note, affect your interpretation of the events in the novel? And what about the question Pi asks of his Japanese inquisitors: ‘Which is the better story, the story with animals or the story without animals?’ What do you think is the truth of Pi’s story?