Life of Pi, by Yann Martel

Another book just lying around the house, as if it had volition of its own, waiting to be read. Someone had placed a copy on the end table in our guest bedroom which doubles as an office for me. I had just finished that le Carré novel and picked up Pi. Channeling those ancient Greek philosophers I’ll try to define the book by what it is not. It is not superlatively written and it is not full of revolutionary ideas. But that hardly goes anywhere. It is, however, an accessible, easy read with lots of humor. It has a spiritual and philosophic edge as any story might that narrates a teenage boy surviving at sea in a 20 foot lifeboat with a 500 pound untamed bengal tiger. As improbable as that situation sounds, it makes for great suspense. By far the most entertaining and interesting part of the story is the unfolding of how Pi manages to survive the initial onslaught of storm and instability of the tiger/hyena/zebra/orangutan dynamic aboard the lifeboat and the subsequent détente between tiger and boy. As a guide for life, the tale may fall short for many. But for others, it may serve as a compass for a deeper, more enriching way to live. I suppose that is up to you to decide. That being said, it’s a fun read and not terribly professorial; a little bit for everybody. As an aside, I tried to see the Ang Lee film adaptation in Florida while visiting my father and the theater lost power halfway through -  about 10 minutes after the ship sank; I haven’t seen the rest. Probably not a film for little kids (I have a six year old boy and won’t take him). The first 40 minutes or so are quite slow and a little kid would probably fidget too much (unless you gave them Benadryl, which I don’t advise as a physician, unless they are having an allergic reaction to something).