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Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

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Original poster

Life of Pi - disappointed

16 replies

Stockingsofdinosaurs · 23/12/2006 19:45

I've got to read this by the end of the month for a Bookcrossing Bookray but I'm finding it really hard. It's just not gripping me so I've skimmed the important bits. The book I just finished before had me rushing to read a little paragraph whenever I could and I'd heard such good things about this I thought it would have the same affect.
Should I give up and move on to the next book on my To Be Read pile which keeps winking at me seductively as I walk past?
Or should I stick with it? What did you make of it?

OP posts:

sophiewd · 23/12/2006 19:58

I read the first page and gave up which doesn't usually happen as I do give books a good go but sadly not in this case

sillysausages · 23/12/2006 20:09

i loved this book and even persuaded dh to read it - it loses itself at some points but still v good

Original poster

Stockingsofdinosaurs · 24/12/2006 16:27

Have skipped to the boat sinking so at least the action is keeping me reading now.

OP posts:

MrsSpoon · 25/12/2006 22:39

The first 100 pages are hard going but IMO essential to the enjoyment of the story. There are details about his views of religion and also bits about Zoo keeping, lion taming etc that tie into the rest of the book.

The best bit is obviously once they are on the boat but it is worth knowing the boring bit first.

FWIW my Mum and I love this book but my DH and Dad hated it.

pantomimEdam · 25/12/2006 23:14

I found it a bit irritating tbh but then magical realism never's really been my thing. Enjoyed the parts where I could get into it.

fridascruffs · 26/12/2006 06:39

I loved Life of Pi, but I did think it got a bit strange when he got to the island and couldn't really understand why he'd included that whole sequence. But the rest of the book was worth it for me.

roseylea · 26/12/2006 08:12

I loved this book! I thought it was funny, quirky, deep, beautifully innocent...a bit like 'The Idiot' by ....erm...can't remember... Dosteovosky? (only in a completely different setting of course). I really enjoyed the bits about religion and zoo-keeping.

The island bit kind of lost me too, tho.

Bucketsofdynomite · 29/12/2006 18:05

Well, finished it but I just didn't like the character! He was such an unbearable knowitall.

mousiemousie · 29/12/2006 18:08

It's hard to get into - took me 2 attempts - but SO worth it. Stick with it, you won't regret it!

poinsettydog · 29/12/2006 18:49

I found the first bit very very dull too. ONly got interesting for me when he was at sea on teh boat, then I liked it.

Carry on reading it from the boat bit onwards. You'll have enough info to waffle knowledgeably about at book group. Is that what a bookcrossing bookray is??

funnypeculiar · 29/12/2006 19:07

ahhh, loved it. loved it (although agree on odd ending) and dh (who has only read about 6 books in his life) loved it too. Persevere!

Bucketsofdynomite · 29/12/2006 19:44

Nah! Just didn't find it charming and didn't like the 'it was all a dream' ending (which I'll admit had me fooled until the island and the lion jumping through hoops.)
A bookray is a list of people who want to read a book which one kind person has offered up. The last on the list gets to do what they like with it (as opposed to a Bookring where it goes back to the original owner). It's great fun but you tend to hear nothing for months and then get 3 in one week.

poinsettydog · 29/12/2006 23:51

Oh I see. How does the list get put together in the first place? Friends of friends etc?

sameshitdifferentyear · 01/01/2007 18:19

I bought a few books a while ago from The Book People, and this was one of them. Haven't read it yet, but I'm intrigued now, and will read it - and persevere!

Chandra · 01/01/2007 18:26

I loved it! But then I have a heavy inclination for magical realism...

clerkKent · 02/01/2007 13:01

I don't agree that it is magical realism, or that the first 100 pages were boring. The island represents a huge store of food, and he eats everything but the teeth. The island at night is his repressed horror of what he is doing. Beautifully innocent... no (with hindsight).

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