Life of Pi begins with a look into Pi's not-so-idyllic childhood in Pondicherry, India. The french-influenced town of Pondicherry doesn't quite fit in with the rest of British influenced India, the same way that Pi, once Pristine doesn't quite fit into his own world. We learn that Pi is interested in zoology and religious studies, at home at his family's zoo and a follower of not only Hinduism, but Christianity and Islam as well to the shock of his parents and each respective religious leader in the town. This is just a glimpse into Pi's fascinating personality. He is unique, as unique as his nickname and his experiences are, in how he views the world around him.
This novel claims to make the reader believe in God. Though, I have this feeling of having read something profound, I can't quite pinpoint the soure of power. Is it because it is a book born of hunger; because of Pi's astonishing 227 day experience of being lost at sea with Richard Parker, the Bengal tiger as company; because of the maneating island; because of the sinking of the Tsutimatsu; because of the dual story told to the Japanese; because of Pi's self-inflicted, never-ending nickname; because of the importance of zoos; because of Pi's belief in three distinct religions; because of the happy ending? Which of these is the most powerful? It's hard to choose and they may very well be this novel's power.
Other aspects worth mentioning:
uMantel's writing style is overall engaging. He has great skill in wielding words to create the most vivid images in your mind as you read. Also, shifts within the novel from past to present, from narrative to author's voice were interesting, though sometimes sudden, forcing readers to pause and contemplate about their significance, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
uStrangely enough, the novel is actually pretty funny. It's full of sudden bursts of humor, mostly stemming from Pi's reactions to different situation. His reactions are oftentimes strange and not in tune with how we would expect ourselves to react and that makes him not only likeable, but fascinating.
In Life of Pi, readers spend 319 pages torn between feelings of awe, surprise, intrigue, disbelief, worry, humor, disgust, grief, belief, pride, happiness, success, fear. It's a rollercoaster ride of experiencing the seemingly impossible. What makes Life of Pi a true gold mine of a wok of literature is that it plants a seed of belief in your mind and heart--belief in the unbelievable, belief in animals, belief in the strength of humans, belief in the majesty and beauty of the ocean, belief in secrets hidden in undiscovered lands, and maybe,just maybe...a belief in God.
Until next time,
Tuma
LooneyExpress Crazy Reviews
P.S. This is DEFINITELY a novel in need of a close second reading. Give yourself some time to absorb its subtle awesomeness. Then a few weeks later, plant yourself in your comfy reading nook (don't have one? What is wrong with you? Go get/make one!) with some popcorn, gummy worms or other perfectly unhealthy reading snack and let yourself drift with Pi and Richard along the Pacific.
When you’re in love, rain can be sweet like flowing emotions, or it can be bittersweet if it reminds you of the love that got away. While in college in the 1970s, Seo In Ha falls in love with the sweet Kim Yoon Hee. But destiny stepped in and separated them, and both moved on with their lives. Forty years later, In Ha’s son meets and falls in love with Yoon Hee’s daughter. Can the young couple finish what their parents started or will fate step in again to separate two generations of lovers?
I really liked the concept of the plot of this drama. The whole parents were in love 20 years and then the kids fall in love bit was intriguing, emotional and highly interesting. The four first episodes showing the fast was an excellent touch.The lead characters of course were excellent. I love Jang Geum Suek in everything he does and Yoon A was adorable as Ha Na. The supporting actors added dimension to the series. The soundtrack was good. The ending was the perfect adorable bow to wrap around the drama. My only issue was the pacing of the drama. I felt the indecision of whether or not to remain together because of their parents in episodes 15-18 or so, was overdone. I simply fast forwarded past the angst to the end. I felt like they tried to stuff in too many other conflicts in addition to the main one, which I felt was unnecessary. I mean in addition to the star-crossed lovers bit, we had the evil mom, the love rectangle and even a disease! lol Despite my complaints on the pacing, I really enjoyed Love Rain and would recommend it to any K-drama enthusiast.
Another anime series finished. This one is a sports anime. I started watching Kuroko’s Basketball, which I love love love, but since it’s ongoing, I had to distract myself with another series. After a bunch of recs of Giant Killing, I decided to give it a try….
Experiencing a long streak of poor performances for several years in the Japanese professional football league, the East Tokyo United (ETU) hires Takeshi Tatsumi as manager to try to break the curse that seems to have fallen over the team. Having spent three years in England, Tatsumi managed to take an amateur team to the top 32 teams of the FA Cup. Many consider him a bad choice and protest against this decision. They hold a grudge against Takeshi because they consider him a traitor for leaving ETU at the height of his career when he was still a football player. Unfazed by the negative mood that looms over the field, Tatsumi seems confident that he might be able to bring glory back to his team once again.
In Giant Killing a ragtag bunch from East Tokyo are struggling in Japan's top football league. The team is going through an abysmal spell right now where they are nearing the bottom of the table and have lost 5 matches in a row. The losses haven't done much to team morale, because it was already low. Fan support, on the other hand, is looking bleak. In the world of football, once the fans turn on a team the end is near. Teams don't recover. Coaches are fired, players are sold, and teams drop to smaller divisions where profits often prevent them from ever being successful against even mediocre top division programs. East Tokyo United, ETU, can only blame their coach right now. And Coach is ready to give up this next game to prove to his team and fans, that against the biggest club in the nation he can make this team win.
This was a bit of a disappointment. After all of the reviews praising this series, I was looking forward to an amazing football series. Yet, I felt it lacking. I fast forwarded through so much of this series. For one, the characters were kind of interesting and likeable. Each member of the East Tokyo team was sort of unique and added their individual charm to the team. My favorite characters were Kuroda and Gino! Yet, I felt that the characters needed more development. Part of the problem I think was the lack of screen time outside of game play. I wish we would have gotten the chance to see the players during practice or in other instances other than only during the games. Also, I didn’t like the choices in which games were shown and the speed in which games were played, lost (or tied or won) and then quickly on to the next. So, in short…Giant Killing wasn’t all that good, plot and pacing wise, but the characters and actual gameplay kept me watching until the end.
*Watched Giant Killing? Tell me what you thought of it in the comments below!*
