Man Booker Prize, made into a motion picture which went on to win many Oscars...There were enough reasons for this book to be in my "To Read " list. And when I picked this up finally to read, the expectation level was very high. Most probably that's what went wrong. When you pick up a book with high expectations, there is a high chance that you end up disappointed.
Having said that, I still don't know why I didn't like the book. The storyline is exceptionally good, narrative good enough, a shock factor present, what else was I looking for? May be I found the details of Pi's struggle for survival gross. Yeah, I sure did. And why shouldn't I? I am sitting in my cozy bed after a good dinner, reading a book. How would I understand the struggle of a boy, stranded in mid-ocean, with no food and no shelter and only a carnivorous tiger for company? How would I understand the loneliness that would force you to wait for the tiger to come back to the boat in the evening rather than leave him in a carnivorous island to die? I would rather believe such things don't exist.
The book sure has its "moments" but for me, it is like that sad movie that you don't want to watch again. Blame it on my high expectations.
3 out of 5.
