Richard Parker & PI

In July, while I was I Munich, John-Browns (JB, everybody calls him like that) and Myself, went to a Biergarten to watch the Germany-Italy, semifinals. While enjoying the game, JB asked me, casually if I had read a book by the name “Life of PI”. I had heard of this book earlier from Sajith & Biju. He told me it was a good book, and asked me to read it.

Back in India, once when I saw JB online, suddenly I remembered about the book, but forgot the name. Asked JB, and he forwarded me the entire link of Amazon, with the book.

That evening, I went with Mom to Bigbazzar. I went to the bookstall, and enquired about the book. Fortunately, there was a discount and I got it for 175 Rs. That night I started the book. Initially, I read about the author (Yann Martel) notes. All his books, written prior to this novel, were flops. He had traveled extensively inside India, and hence his novel “Life of PI” is based on India guy and his family.

The story starts in Pondichery, with a 16 year guy named Piscine Patel (aka "Pi"). His father was the owner of zoo, and PI had lived his life with animals, and knew much more about animal psychology, and hence he was not an ordinary boy. The story ends in Mexico, with lots of twists/Agony/Fear. Initially in the novel, it was specified, the novel ends with happiness, but for me it was bit sad. I am not going deep into the novel, you should read it. The book has three parts. Part 1 –PI’s life in India. Part II, PI’s life in the ship, and his life on the life boat for 227 days. Part III The final part, the life after the survival.

The story is the survival of PI in a lifeboat with a 400+ lbs weighing Bengal Tiger, named Richard parker. PI survived in the boat along with his pal, Richard Parker for 227 days, controlling the Tiger with a whistle. He ate raw fish, Turtles and other sea food. The tiger got this strange name, due to a mistake made by the Indian media, at the time when this tiger, when he was a cub was caught by a hunter, by the name Richard parker.

Until I finish the book, I never knew this was a fiction. However, after completing the book, I did do a research on this. Infact this book was inspired to Yann Martel, based on a true story of a German, who survived in a boat with a panther. The book also won the 2002 booker prize award. Night Shyamalan, had initially an idea of making this story a film. But due to the twists in the Story and the he himself thinks ,that making this story into a movie is not easy as narrating it, and hence dropped the idea. This a good book, worth reading. To me, I like Richard parker, more than PI, in this novel.