YANN MARTEL is the author of Life of Pi, the #1 international bestseller published in more than 50 territories that has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide, won the 2002 Booker (among many other prizes), spent more than a year on Canadian and international bestseller lists, and was adapted to the screen in an Oscar-winning film by Ang Lee. He is also the award-winning author of The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios (which won the Journey Prize), Self, Beatrice & Virgil, and a book of recommended reading: 101 Letters to a Prime Minister. Born in Spain in 1963, he studied philosophy at Trent University, worked at odd jobs and travelled widely before turning to writing. In 2021 he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada. He lives in Saskatoon with the writer Alice Kuipers and their four children.
“Yann Martel's Life of Pi (Canongate) is another reminder of the
largely unsung excellence of the Canongate list. The fiercely
independent Scottish outfit remains an outpost of rare quality and
distinction, and this exceptional understated novel is certainly a
worthy addition to its output. . . . It would not be out of place
on a Booker shortlist.” —From The Bookseller
“In the end, Life of Pi may not, as its teller promises, persuade
readers to believe in God, but it makes a fine argument for the
divinity of good art.” —Noel Rieder, The Gazette (Montreal)
“Martel’s latest literary offering, Life of Pi, is an exquisitely
crafted tale that could be described as a castaway adventure story
cum allegory.” —The Gazette (Montreal)
“Life of Pi is about many things—religion, zoology, fear—but most
of all, it’s about sheer tenacity. . . . Martel has created a
funny, wise and highliy original look at what it means to be
human.” —Chatelaine
“In many ways, Life of Pi is a good old-fashioned boy’s book full
of survival, cannibalism, horror, math and zoology. An impressive
marriage of The Jungle Book with Lord of the Flies, it’s the
harrowing coming of age tale of a boy who survives for over a year
in a lifeboat with a zebra, an organgutan, a hyena and a Bengal
tiger.” —The Montreal Mirror
“A good story can make you see, understand and believe, and Martel
is a very good storyteller. Martel displays an impresive knowledge
of language, history, religion and literature, and his writing is
filled with details and insights.” —The Canadian Press
“[Life of Pi] has a buoyant, exotic, insistence reminiscent of
Edgar Allen Poe’s most Gothic fiction . . . Oddities abound and the
storytelling is first-rate. Yann Martel has written a novel full of
grisly reality, outlandish plot, inventive setting and
thought-provoking questions about the value and purpose of fiction.
This novel should float.” —The Edmonton Journal
“I guarantee that you will not be able to put this book down. It is
a realistic, gripping story of survival at sea. . . . On one level,
the book is a suspenseful adventure story, a demonstration of how
extreme need alters a man’s character. . . . On another level, this
is a profound meditation on the role of religion in human life and
the nature of animals, wild and human. His language . . . is vivid
and striking. His imagination if powerful, his range enormous, his
capacity for persuasion almost limitless. I predict that Yann
Martel will develop into one of Canada’s great writers." —The
Hamilton Spectator
“[M]artel’s writing is so original you might think he wants you to
read as if, like a perfect snowflake, no other book had ever had
this form. . . . In Life of Pi one gleans that faith—one of the
most ephemeral emotions, yet crucial whenever life is one the
line—is rooted in the will to live. In any event, when Pi does come
to the end of his journey, he has it.” —National Post
“Beautiful and astounding . . . . The book is a pleasure not only
for the subtleties of its philosophy but also for its ingenious and
surprising story. Martel is a confident, heartfelt artist, and his
imagination is cared for in a writing style that is both
unmistakable and marvelously reserved. The ending of Life of Pi . .
. is a show of such sophisticated genius that I could scarcely
keep my eyes in my head as I read it.” —The Vancouver Sun
"A fabulous romp through an imagination by turns ecstatic, cunning,
despairing and resilient, this novel is an impressive achievement —
"a story that will make you believe in God," as one character says.
. . . This richly patterned work, Martel's second novel, won
Canada's 2001 Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction. In it, Martel
displays the clever voice and tremendous storytelling skills of an
emerging master. FYI: Booksellers would be wise to advise readers
to browse through Martel's introductory note. His captivating
honesty about the genesis of his story is almost worth the price of
the book itself." —Publisher's Weekly
A fabulous romp through an imagination by turns ecstatic, cunning, despairing and resilient, this novel is an impressive achievement "a story that will make you believe in God," as one character says. The peripatetic Pi (n the much-taunted Piscine) Patel spends a beguiling boyhood in Pondicherry, India, as the son of a zookeeper. Growing up beside the wild beasts, Pi gathers an encyclopedic knowledge of the animal world. His curious mind also makes the leap from his native Hinduism to Christianity and Islam, all three of which he practices with joyous abandon. In his 16th year, Pi sets sail with his family and some of their menagerie to start a new life in Canada. Halfway to Midway Island, the ship sinks into the Pacific, leaving Pi stranded on a life raft with a hyena, an orangutan, an injured zebra and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. After the beast dispatches the others, Pi is left to survive for 227 days with his large feline companion on the 26-foot-long raft, using all his knowledge, wits and faith to keep himself alive. The scenes flow together effortlessly, and the sharp observations of the young narrator keep the tale brisk and engaging. Martel's potentially unbelievable plot line soon demolishes the reader's defenses, cleverly set up by events of young Pi's life that almost naturally lead to his biggest ordeal. This richly patterned work, Martel's second novel, won Canada's 2001 Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction. In it, Martel displays the clever voice and tremendous storytelling skills of an emerging master. (June) FYI: Booksellers would be wise to advise readers to browse through Martel's introductory note. His captivating honesty about the genesis of his story is almost worth the price of the book itself. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
"Yann Martel's Life of Pi (Canongate) is another reminder of
the largely unsung excellence of the Canongate list. The fiercely
independent Scottish outfit remains an outpost of rare quality and
distinction, and this exceptional understated novel is certainly a
worthy addition to its output. . . . It would not be out of place
on a Booker shortlist." -From The Bookseller
"In the end, Life of Pi may not, as its teller
promises, persuade readers to believe in God, but it makes a fine
argument for the divinity of good art." -Noel Rieder, The
Gazette (Montreal)
"Martel's latest literary offering, Life of Pi, is an
exquisitely crafted tale that could be described as a castaway
adventure story cum allegory." -The Gazette (Montreal)
"Life of Pi is about many things-religion, zoology, fear-but
most of all, it's about sheer tenacity. . . . Martel has created a
funny, wise and highliy original look at what it means to be
human." -Chatelaine
"In many ways, Life of Pi is a good old-fashioned boy's book
full of survival, cannibalism, horror, math and zoology. An
impressive marriage of The Jungle Book with Lord of the
Flies, it's the harrowing coming of age tale of a boy who
survives for over a year in a lifeboat with a zebra, an organgutan,
a hyena and a Bengal tiger." -The Montreal Mirror
"A good story can make you see, understand and believe, and Martel
is a very good storyteller. Martel displays an impresive knowledge
of language, history, religion and literature, and his writing is
filled with details and insights." -The Canadian Press
"[Life of Pi] has a buoyant, exotic, insistence
reminiscent of Edgar Allen Poe's most Gothic fiction . . . Oddities
abound and the storytelling is first-rate. Yann Martel has written
a novel full of grisly reality, outlandish plot, inventive setting
and thought-provoking questions about the value and purpose of
fiction. This novel should float." -The Edmonton Journal
"I guarantee that you will not be able to put this book down. It is
a realistic, gripping story of survival at sea. . . . On one level,
the book is a suspenseful adventure story, a demonstration of how
extreme need alters a man's character. . . . On another level, this
is a profound meditation on the role of religion in human life and
the nature of animals, wild and human. His language . . . is vivid
and striking. His imagination if powerful, his range enormous, his
capacity for persuasion almost limitless. I predict that Yann
Martel will develop into one of Canada's great writers." -The
Hamilton Spectator
"[M]artel's writing is so original you might think he
wants you to read as if, like a perfect snowflake, no other book
had ever had this form. . . . In Life of Pi one gleans that
faith-one of the most ephemeral emotions, yet crucial whenever life
is one the line-is rooted in the will to live. In any event, when
Pi does come to the end of his journey, he has it." -National
Post
"Beautiful and astounding . . . . The book is a pleasure not only
for the subtleties of its philosophy but also for its ingenious and
surprising story. Martel is a confident, heartfelt artist, and his
imagination is cared for in a writing style that is both
unmistakable and marvelously reserved. The ending of Life of
Pi . . . is a show of such sophisticated genius that I could
scarcely keep my eyes in my head as I read it." -The Vancouver
Sun
"A fabulous romp through an imagination by turns ecstatic,
cunning, despairing and resilient, this novel is an impressive
achievement - "a story that will make you believe in God," as one
character says. . . . This richly patterned work, Martel's second
novel, won Canada's 2001 Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction. In it,
Martel displays the clever voice and tremendous storytelling skills
of an emerging master. FYI: Booksellers would be wise to advise
readers to browse through Martel's introductory note. His
captivating honesty about the genesis of his story is almost worth
the price of the book itself." -Publisher's Weekly
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