Yann Martel "Life of Pi" PDF

It is necessary to talk about the writer who brought this story to life, Yann Martel.

He explained his purpose in this way: "Who reads what and whether one reads at all, is a matter that rests entirely with the individual. I don't concern myself with ordinary people. But when it comes to people who have a claim to speak, things change. I want them to read it, because their limited, simple dreams can turn into my nightmares."

Martel answered, "Starting to write was not a conscious decision. I used to write terrible stories and plays just to pass the time. But I enjoyed playing with sentences and words. That's why I continued. As I wrote more, I became better at writing." Regarding "Life of Pi," he said, "I wrote it because I was tired of logical thinking."

In the preface of the book, Martel talks about how the story was born: His second book had not been successful, and he had to immediately start a new story to earn money. Feeling that what he had written was not what he wanted, he took a trip to the city of Bombay. (This was both due to his interest in the Eastern world and philosophy, and the fact that he could live in the much cheaper city with a minimal budget.) From all the streets he traveled and every person he met, he heard a story, a joke, an anecdote. Most of them were meaningless or useless for the book. But among them was a real-life incident that gave Martel great material, inspiring him to return to Canada, find the protagonist Patel, and conduct an interview.

The story begins with Pi (Patel) and his family migrating from India to Canada with several animals. Their ship falls victim to the harshness of the ocean, and only Pi and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker survive the disaster on a lifeboat. This small lifeboat must now float in the vast ocean for months. To be more precise, for 227 days. It is a struggle with the grief of losses on one hand and the fight for survival and often fighting against overwhelming hopelessness on the other. It carries the burden of all the wars, problems, and losses Pi has witnessed and experienced. Pi's journey is difficult, quite challenging. But it is equally fascinating, enlightening, and thought-provoking.

In 2012, a film adaptation of the novel was directed by Ang Lee. The adventure/drama film, running for 2 hours, was highly acclaimed, receiving 11 Oscar nominations and winning over 80 prestigious awards.

P.S.: We strongly recommend reading the book first and then watching the film.✨