[TTLG Book Club] An introduction and August's selection: The Life of Pi (discuss!)

Stitch on 7/7/2006 at 19:34

Submissions for September candidates closed and (http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107552) voting has officially begun!

Suggestions for October's selection can be made in that thread.

Also: changed the title of this thread to reflect the fact that Life of Pi is actually August's selection, not July, as we will be discussing it on August 1st.

Tonamel on 7/7/2006 at 20:52

Just got my copy of Life of Pi, so I'm in.

Paz on 7/7/2006 at 23:52

I want to join this club and be with the cool kids!

However, I'll probably hop on next month as my HOT READING SCHEDULE for July is already in place.

Marecki on 24/7/2006 at 03:42

What, a whole month for one book? You've got to be kidding me... :ebil:

Scots Taffer on 24/7/2006 at 04:04

I've only read 5 or so pages still.

Jesus...

Aja on 24/7/2006 at 23:37

I found a copy at a used book store. I'm about 50 pages in, and I like it enough that I'll probably have it done by the deadline. I'll be out of town though, so you all better still be talking about it by August 13th :mad:

Stitch on 1/8/2006 at 15:53

HOLY SHIT DISCUSSION IS OPEN ON LIFE OF PI!!1

Spoilers will be rampant, obviously, so for god's sake don't read on unless you're done with the book.

Unfortunately, I probably won't have much time to join in the fray until Thursday, but the floor is officially open.

Para?noid on 1/8/2006 at 16:14

An easy read. The protagonist was a smug little bastard for his age, unless in fact the recollection is coming from a much, much older Pi (which makes sense considering the italicised part at the start of every "chapter".

Trouble is, the book left me completely unchanged. It's fascinating that a young boy managed to survive out at sea in a little boat with a huge tiger, but that's exactly all that happened. I can get that kind of "stranger than fiction" shit out of a fantasy novel if I really want; and what sympathy I had for the loss of his family and his ordeal dissapeared with his constant condescending tone. It's the kind of book for people who say "MMMHAVE YOU BEEN TO DUBAI? IT'S GLORRRIOUS"

henke on 1/8/2006 at 16:28

Quote Posted by Para?noid

It's fascinating that a young boy managed to survive out at sea in a little boat with a huge tiger, but that's exactly all that happened.

Was it now? Did you read the final chapter?

I think the book makes a very strong case for beliving(in God). It's like my friend(who's kind of a spiritual dude) says "None of us know what awaits on the other side so as long as you have a life philosophy that makes you happy, that's all that matters. It wont matter in the end who's right or wrong anyway." My mind has been on the subject lately anyway, but this book realy drove the point home, even for a cynical agnostic like me. I'm not saying I belive, but I think I'd like to. It's like, what if Santa Claus was real. You'd just have to be a good person and you'd be set for life. No more worries about what's to come. Not that I worry about it anyway(yet).

I finished this in 2 weeks btw, I've never finished a book this quickly before. Part of it was the push of the bookclub-deadline but even without that, this here is a real page-turner. I loved it. :)

Uncia on 1/8/2006 at 16:36

Quote Posted by henke

Was it now? Did you read the final chapter?

Seconded. I read the final chapter as a recap of the true story, with the rest of the book being what he told himself happened so as to not go insane.

Also baffled by all the hype this book got about god, but I suppose it's a matter of what mindset you read the book with; the discussion of religion at the start was interesting, but survival on the boat and later revelation kind of put it off the front burner.