Life of Pi is a fantasy adventure novel by Yann Martel published in 2001 by Canongate. The protagonist, Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel, is a Tamil boy from Pondicherry.
Synopsis
After hearing schoolmates tease him by transforming his first name into "Pissing", he establishes the short form of his name as "Pi" when he starts secondary school. "Pi" explores issues of spirituality and practicality from an early age. Due to changing government regulations threatening the livelihood of his father which is based upon their zoo, his family decides to immigrate to Canada. After their ship encounters a storm and sinks, he survives 227 days while stranded on a boat in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. The book recounts various incidents from his childhood in India and his days stranded in the Pacific Ocean.
About the Author
Yann Martel was born in Spain in 1963. Martel studied Philosophy at Trent University, worked at odd jobs like tree planter, dishwasher, security guard, and travelled widely before turning to writing. His fourth book, Life of Pi, was an international bestseller and winner of the Man Booker Prize in 2002. His other works include The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios, Self, Beatrice & Virgil and 101 Letters to a Prime Minister. He now lives in Saskatoon, Canada, with his writer wife Alice Kuipers and their four children.
