Lu
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Post by Lu on Mar 30, 2007 5:10:30 GMT -5
First of all, I'm very thankful to author for writing about lifeboat's dimensions (I think it was in chapter 50), that helped me to imagine it.
Ok, I'm going to start 4 part.
I'm really caught by Pi's struggle for survive, I think the author manages to represent every aspect of living on the lifeboat and every Pi's feeling in a very good way. I was surprised when Pi found the locker with food and other needful things..I was convinced there wasn't anything aboard, my surprise increased reading the complete list he made!
I found very interesting Pi's hesitation, when he was on lifeboat he was scared by Richard Parker and, when he was on the raft, he was afraid by sharks..it's a very hard choice.
I was happy when Pi discovered his will to live and I loved his thoughts about fighting for life and never give up, I liked what he said: "it's something constitutional, an inability to let go." it's somehing I'd like to hear when I'm in a very bad mood! (that part also made me thing about one of the books I've recently read: The Bell Jar)
My favourite part was when Pi compared tigers to cats. I really like cats, they're absolutely my favourite pet animals, and thinking about a 450 pound Bengal Tiger, that can purr and so on, like a cat, was very weird. That finally made me consider Richard Parker as a poor, little feline, also suffering for seasickness...I started to feel a sort of cruelty in Pi's plans to get rid of him. That's so weird!
I'm enjoying Life of Pi so much! I'm very interesting in what will happen, I hope Pi will manage to tame Richard Parker.
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Isa
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Post by Isa on Mar 30, 2007 7:23:20 GMT -5
I agree Lu, reading about how Richard Parker got sick made me think of him less as a terrible beast and more as a poor animal I'd like to take care of... from a distance of course!
Actually, what I thought was the most interesting in this part of the book was to see how the relationship (because it is a relationship) between Pi and Richard Parker is evolving. After coming up with all these crazy plans as to how the tiger might die, Pi slowly comes to realize that he actually needs his presence. If it hadn't been for the fact that his mind was occupied thinking about how not to get killed and eaten by Richard Parker, he would have had very little to think about other than the death of his family, his own possible death, and the fact that he is stranded alone in the middle of the ocean. But having Richard Parker nearby stirs up Pi's survival instincts, and better yet - it makes him feel like he's not completely alone after all, which is bound to bring him some comfort. This feeling is obviously echoed in Richard Parker when he makes that sound Pi calls "purden" - I doubt very much that the tiger would think about killing Pi, I think he needs his presence just as much as Pi needs him. There is obviously a strange but very real bond between the man and the animal.
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Lu
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Post by Lu on Mar 31, 2007 4:50:45 GMT -5
From a distance, of course!
I agree Jefie, I think they both feel that they're on the same ship (in all senses) and they need the presence of each other to feel not completely alone. Richard Parker seems to understand the situation they're in. I forgot to mention Pi's descovering of life in the sea below him, during the 2nd night he spent on the raft; I loved his description of that and the comparison he made with time-exposure photographs of cities at night.
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rosemint
Collection of short stories published by an independent editor
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Post by rosemint on Mar 31, 2007 9:58:44 GMT -5
Is it too late for me to join you?
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Post by Dominique on Apr 1, 2007 4:38:20 GMT -5
no of course not jump in at anytime! I absolutely loved the time exposure thing too, I thought it was really great. In fact as the book went on I think the descriptions of the sea life was one of the things I enjoyed most. I felt sorry for Richard Parker when he was sick too, it really highlighted that he was "a fish out of water" is the saying, but he was more like a cat in water. I liked how this point where Richard Parker is under the weather is the part where Pi realises how much he needs the Tiger and that they have some sort of a connection. I think this is the section where Richard Parker takes on a shark. I thought that was so funny, just the idea of shark versus tiger. If I've said this too early forgive me.
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Michelle
First novel published
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Post by Michelle on Apr 2, 2007 11:59:01 GMT -5
Yes, you read ahead - lol One of these days, I'm actually going to finish the section on time. But I finished last night, so here I am now. I enjoyed the book more in the beginning. I feel like him just being the boat in a little boring, but I'm still enjoying it overall. I was also surprised by the locker of food. I was trying to fiugre out how he was going to survive - I was hoping that he was not going to have to eat the animals, too. I also agree that keeping busy is a smart thing for Pi to be doing. If he weren't busy, he might lose hope by thinking about everything he has lost. I think it is interesting that you all (and me) are starting to feel sorry for Richard Parker's situation as well. Isn't this what Pi's father warned us about - projecting humal personality onto dangerous animals.
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Bina
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Post by Bina on Apr 5, 2007 9:01:48 GMT -5
I can´t help but like animals in books and films, I think it´s the whole junglebook thing from when I was a kid. I even liked the hyenas in lion king. Although the hyena in life of pi is not written that way.
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Lu
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Post by Lu on Apr 5, 2007 9:26:15 GMT -5
I can´t help but like animals in books and films, I think it´s the whole junglebook thing from when I was a kid. I even liked the hyenas in lion king. Although the hyena in life of pi is not written that way. The hyenas in Lion King are so funny! I liked them too. Pi's description of the hyena surprised me...I have never consider it as a CLEVER carnivore (although I knew they're carnivore).
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Isa
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Post by Isa on Apr 5, 2007 9:41:12 GMT -5
I can´t help but like animals in books and films, I think it´s the whole junglebook thing from when I was a kid. I even liked the hyenas in lion king. Although the hyena in life of pi is not written that way. Same for me! A man dies in a movie and it's supposed to be a tear-jerking scene and I'm like, meh! An animal breaks its leg in the same movie and I start crying my eyes out!
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Post by Dominique on Apr 5, 2007 21:36:45 GMT -5
I'm the same, I think I read somewhere that some director said the things audiences get most upset about is injury or cruelty to animals or any kind of injury involving the eye. I can't remember who said it. I think it's because animals are so much more helpless than humans.
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Lu
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Post by Lu on Apr 6, 2007 3:09:41 GMT -5
Is that for the same reason that at end of Harry Potter and the goblet of fire there's written "No dragons were harmed in the making of this movie"?
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Bina
First novel published
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Post by Bina on Apr 6, 2007 4:40:29 GMT -5
It said that?? LOL I didn´t even notice, but it´s good to know. Especially since I believed dragons were real when I was a kid. All the books and films just made it seem like they were normal animals like horses and dogs.
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Lu
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Post by Lu on Apr 7, 2007 11:01:27 GMT -5
It said that nearly at the end of the end titles. I believed dragons were real too!
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Isa
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Post by Isa on Apr 8, 2007 9:25:00 GMT -5
OK, on to the next part!
I thought the monotony of Pi's life on the water was very well conveyed in these chapters - not that it was boring, because it is so well written, but you can feel how the long days go by very slowly for always being the same.
I also thought it was fascinating to see the transformation in Pi. I didn't get the feeling that his soul or the core of his being was affected, but he did go from being a highly spiritual, strict vegetarian to killing and eating everything that comes within his reach and trying to eat Richard Parker's feces. The bond between him and the tiger takes on a whole new meaning as Pi starts acting more and more like an animal. I couldn't help but wonder "what would I do if I were stranded alone in the middle of the ocean for so long?", and somehow the answer prevented me from passing judgement on him, even when he considers drinking his own urine or when he starts killing sea turtles.
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Michelle
First novel published
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Post by Michelle on Apr 8, 2007 12:26:48 GMT -5
I actually finished this part on time! I was thinking about what I would do in Pi's situation as well. I can't say that I wouldn't have done everything that Pi did like killing fish.turtles and eating anything he can even though it seems like I could never do that. It must be so boring for Pi. I couldn't imagine going that long without human interaction. It is probably good that Richard Parker is there, becuase training him and taking care of him give him something to do. I was surpised when he said that he was at sea for 227 days. That is such a long time - I don't think that many people would survive that. I'm glad to see that Pi isn't losing his faith. I think a lot of people would have given up on God and religion, but it probably helps Pi keep going.
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