Life of Pi

Trio of International Stars Join Ang Lee’s ‘Life of Pi’

Andrea — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 10:13:19 +0000

Gerard Depardieu (La Vie En Rose, Cyrano de Bergerac) Irffan Khan (Slumdog Millionaire, upcoming Spider-Man reboot) and Adil Hussain (Ishqiya, Butterfly) have all joined the cast, fronted by newcomer Suraj Sharma. Famous Bollywood star Tabu, known here for The Namesake, will play Pi’s mother, while Hussain will be his father. Khan will play older Pi. Depardieu will play the Chef.

Life of Pi: YA edition

Andrea — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:35:26 +0000

This summer sees the launch of Walker Canongate, a new list publishing the very best books for young adult readers. This is a co-publishing venture between leading independent publishers Walker Books and Canongate, creating new editions of Canongate titles for a younger audience. Walker Canongate aims to deliver a range of bestselling, award-winning books into the hands of the next generation of adult readers.

Life of Pi will be published on 5 July.

Life of Pi in 3D

Andrea — Mon, 03 May 2010 08:33:20 +0000

Rumour has it that the film adaptation of Life of Pi will be shot in 3D. The screenplay is done and director Ang Lee is likely to direct, with a release in 2012.

Life of Pi Readalong: a summary

Andrea — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:13:12 +0000

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.

Readalong Tip 12: A story to make you believe in God

Andrea — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:00:23 +0000

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:

Life is a story.

You can choose your story.

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.

Readalong Tip 11: Bringing a book to life

Andrea — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:00:37 +0000

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.

Readalong Tip 10: Which is the better story?

Andrea — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:00:13 +0000

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’?

Readalong Tip 9: The Frenchman and the island

Andrea — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:00:31 +0000

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?

Readalong Tip 8: The lifeboat’s inhabitants

Andrea — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:00:13 +0000

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?

Readalong Tip 7: The narrative framework

Andrea — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:05:21 +0000

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?