Life of Pi (Unknown No More)

Who would have thought that a book about an Indian teen named after a French swimming pool, a Bengal tiger named after a character created by an American author in the early 19th century, and a shipwreck would become a best selling novel and a critically acclaimed and commercially successful movie in the 21st century? Written by Yann Martel, Life of Pi was first published in Canada in 2001. However, just like many other commercially successful books, the author had a difficult time getting it published. Five London publishing houses rejected it before Knopf Canada decided to put it to print.

Life of Pi: The Recognitions

However, the little 400-page novel has proven itself to be a classic, selling some 9 million copies. President Obama even wrote the author saying the book was “an elegant proof of God.” In 2003, Life of Pi won the Boeke Prize, an award given in South Africa for novels.  The following year, it was also named Best Adult Fiction 2001 to 2003 and given the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. It has also won the Man Booker Prize for fiction.

Life of Pi: Crossing Cultures

The author, Yann Martel, is a French-Canadian born in Spain, but who opted to do his work in English.

Life of Pi is about the life of a young 15-year old Hindu boy, who learns to embrace Christianity as well as Islam in his quest to love God. While on a Japanese ship to Canada, Pi becomes stranded out at sea with a zebra, an orangutan, a spotted hyena and a Bengal tiger.

The name of the tiger is Richard Parker, a character from the novel of American author and poet, Edgar Allan Poe, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, which was first published in 1838.

The plot was inspired by the 1981 novel, Max and the Cats, written by Jewish-Brazilian writer, Moacyr Scliar. Instead of a Hindu boy, the protagonist in Max and the Cats is a Jewish-German man, who finds himself lost in the Atlantic Ocean with a jaguar.

It has resonated all over the world since everyone can relate to it. Although not everyone has been shipwrecked for more than 200 days at sea with zoo animals, the book does explore spirituality and the existence of God, survival and self-discovery.

Life of Pi: Screen adaptation

Hollywood, of course took notice of the best selling novel. In 2012, the film adaptation was released. Directed by Academy Award winning director, Ang Lee, the movie has so far earned close to half a billion dollars. Not bad for a film with an unknown lead and a computer generated tiger.

The movie itself had an international flavor. It was filmed in India, Taiwan and Canada. It has also made more money at the box office in China than it did in the US.

The movie was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including another Best Director nod for Lee, Best Picture, Best Visual Effects and Best Adapted Screenplay. It has so far won a Golden Globe for Best Original Score.