Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Truth is fluid, faith is constant, and belief is everything. Imaginative souls are the most resilient.

Pi is cast adrift on the ocean with only the untamed tiger Richard Parker for company. There is something deeper here that the author is exploring, something about the balance between instinct and reason, fear and trust, loneliness and companionship. The animals are mostly stripey, so perhaps his message has something to do with that?

RP eats a zebra, and wants Pi for his tea. Having a tiger want to eat him is a bit inconvenient at first, especially because there’s limited space onboard the lifeboat, but they manage to get along right enough. Pi’s dad had a zoo, so he’s used to this kind of behaviour.

Truth is fluid, faith is constant and belief is everything

Luna the dog

There is a lot of nature in this story. Dolphins, sharks, flying fish, whales, phosphorescent algae and meerkats. The author writes beautifully, but he spoils it by being figurative, all the time. Q: When is a tiger not a tiger? A: When it is a metaphorical representation of a hidden aspect of human nature.

And yes, it is human nature that Yann Martel explores. It’s not that he’s particularly philosophical about it, but I think he just really, really loves wisdom, and he’s interested in the nature of existence, human experience and the search for truth.

Yan can look no further because I think he found it hidden under a tarpaulin, at the bow of a small lifeboat, adrift on a vast ocean.