Have you started reading "Life of Pi"?

I have. And so far Life of Pi by Yann Martel is rather slow-going. But that's okay, because I've talked to others who have read it and they say that it picks up.

So hang in there with me.

You may want to keep this interesting tidbit in mind:
Apparently, the story is not as true as it would lead you to believe. Even the "author's note" at the beginning is all part of the overlaying narrative. However, this should not be a deterrent from appreciating the adventure.

(I could go into an abysmal exploration of how the different layers of narrative affect the story experience - I wrote an interesting paper about narrative voice in college. Interestingly enough, that paper was about Ian McEwan's Atonement. I will forbear torturing you with geeky analysis, for now.)

I am still very near the beginning, but I have already found a few passages that I just love.

As a writer, I like to pick apart how other authors build their story and their characters. For instance, chapter 3's primary focus seems to characterize the man called Mamaji by the narrator. Yet, we also get a few quirky little nuggets that teach us about Pi's family and himself.

For instance, I am inclined to think Pi's father is a comical character. Pi says, "It was the talk that Father loved. The more vigorously he resisted actually swimming, the more he fancied it" (chapter 3, page 10). Does this sound like someone you know?

And in chapter 4, when Pi describes his father's zoo.... what a wonderful description! He not only gave me an original perspective on zoo animals, he made me appreciate the sensory experience.

And I am not just referring to what is probably a pungent smell.

Pi pummels us over the head with detail after detail. We get colors, sounds, and exotic animals listed with almost a feverish excitement. You can almost picture Pi waving his arms as he is describing the zoo to you and becoming more and more excited - trying to convey all the wonderful and intriguing details.

The abundance of imagery in words represents the abundance of sensory experience in person. Doesn't it make you feel like you are there, looking around you in wonder as fast as you can, trying to take in as much of the zoo as you can? It's almost overwhelming. It reminds me of how a child might feel upon entering Disneyland for the first time.

I told you I haven't gotten very far. How is it going for you?