Life of Pi

Today was the first meeting of the new book club. Our first selection was a good one - Life of Pi by Yann Martel. The book starts by describing the childhood of the main character, Pi, who lived in India. He is a very spiritual person, even as a child. He learns about and follows the teachings of Islam, Christianity and Hinduism. When he accidentally runs into the local leaders of all three religions it is quite comical how they fight over Pi.

Once his family decides to emigrate to Canada, the book becomes a real page turner. I really enjoyed interpreting the stories, especially the many layers of symbolism. The psycological aspects, namely the symbolism of the tiger, reminded me of the concept of the "shadow side" as described by Carl Jung. It was interesting to discuss the book in the group, to hear different reactions and interpretations.