I just finished reading 'The Life of Pi' by Yann Martel. It was a good book and hard to put down but the ending is still bugging me. If anybody else out there in bloggerland read the book please could you tell me what you think happened at the end. Was the entire story with the tiger made up? This will bug me every time I think about that book. On the other hand it was a very entertaining read and I recommend it.
Currently I am reading a book called 'Great Streets'. It discusses what makes a good street and which streets of the world are the greatest. My favourite street in the book so far is Paseo de Gracia in Barcelona. It’s probably because it has so many of Antonio Gaudi’s buildings on it. He even did some lamp stands and mosaics on the sidewalks. Why can’t North America have any streets like that? I will definitely have to check it out when I go there.
The other interesting thing the book mentioned is that the Champs Elysees in Paris (probably the most famous street in the world) is lacking and although it once was a great street, it is taking a turn for the worse. Either way, I want to see it anyway.
The last great book I just finished is by one of my favourite authors, Philip K. Dick and is called ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep’. It is more commonly known, to those who have seen the movie, Blade Runner. A fantastic book and one of the few movies I actually own. So I watched it right away.
3 comments:
woohoo! barcelona, May 2007 here we come....DV. oh and the point of the Life of Pi is that you'll never know what the real story was ... it will always keep you guess ing ... isn't it great?!:)
Pi claims to be an adherent of Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity; all are equally true.
Pi is also an adherent of History and Allegory; both are equally true.
I'm sure there's a connection.
I tend to think that the Richard Parker story was the one that really happened (in the world of the novel of course). However, through the animals, Martel is also presenting the true barbaric, animalistic (sinful!) side of human nature. And so, while the traditional shipwreck story told by Pi at the end did not historically happen, Martel claims that it is true insofar as it points to human nature. Interestingly, it is true in much the same way that Pi would say that Jesus Christ's ressurection was true.
People tend to explain away what they cannot believe, and so they classify it as myth. Myth only conveys truth in an allegorical way, but it is still said to be true. Martel now twists it so the incredible that would normally be considered "myth" is now the historical account, and the believable story is the allegory, the myth.
This, I think, is how Yann Martel and Pi Patel see it. I don't quite agree with it myself though.
uhhh...
I like Blade Runner.
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