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[smirkrevenge]

...so I just finished reading this book. It is good. I'm actually still thinking about it right now. But just a few questions for those that have read it:

The "second" story he tells at the end...True or False?
The island incident...with the tree? What?

Anyway, feel free to discuss other aspects of this book in this thread. Richard Parker...you will be missed.

 

[GG-Duo]

Mark those spoilers!

Spoiler

The second story is true. The "main" story is merely a fabrication based on the real events.

The island thing... could be a metaphor of the death of his humanity. I'm unclear on that point.

 

[smirkrevenge]

GG: from your first response...WHAT?!?!? HOW?!?!?

 

[GG-Duo]

GG: from your first response...WHAT?!?!? HOW?!?!?

Hrm? What do you mean?

Spoiler

IIRC, he even says so to the Japanese investigators, and asked them 'which one is more interesting'.
Like, I mean, if you think about it - the logistics of living with a Tiger for this many days in a lifeboat is absurd. Going blind and then hitting another lifeboat that has another blind survivor is impossible. There is no way that the magical island existed either.

So what does this all mean, when we're given the 2nd story from Pi?
The only conclusion we (and the Japanese investigators) can make is that THE SECOND STORY is true. THE FIRST STORY is Pi's reshaped/beautified reflections in the face of that tragedy. Richard Parker is another part of himself that emerged when he was on the lifeboat; and that animal disappeared when the lifeboat finally reached land.

 

[Agent Dormer]

Life of Pi is a great book. I've had three copies never returned of the book, actually.

 

[Mama Smurf]

Spoiler

It's been a while since I read it, but I'm pretty certain the author leaves it up to the reader to decide what was real and what wasn't.

It's so well written though, that despite some of the preposterous scenarios he gives us, you still every so often question whether it's a real story or not as you're reading through.

 

[iapetus]

Indeed. Another take on the two stories is that

Spoiler

the first is the truth, and the second is a lie that is what the investigators want to hear, and can accept

.

 

[Jeffahn]

Phonetically-related graphic:

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