“But be excessively reasonable and you risk throwing out the universe with the bathwater.” – Life of Pi

We watched Life of Pi this past week.

I know we are behind the times, but we have rediscovered the Library. At one point we were good consumers – buying books and movies. And in those days we would have already seen the movie at the theater. But the cost of those days makes raising children more difficult. So we stumbled our way back into the Library. At first so our girls could enjoy stories. But soon enough we were checking out books and then movies. With a little patience everything is available. All for free. All built on the pre-school principle of sharing.

So, as I pat myself on the back for saving money and the environment and probably the world, this explains how we found ourselves watching Life of Pi long after the director won his Oscar. And the movie was good. The CGI boat scenes – with tiger and boy – were amazing. But having read the book I was waiting for the end. The last moments are far and away the best. And here the movie failed to propel the question.

The central theme of the book comes from a quote at the very beginning, “I have a story that will make you believe in God.” And the book – with an incomprehensible story of boy, boat, tiger – sets out to do just that. The final chapter brings the question to a head: Is God real? The reader is left to decide.

In the movie, limited by time, the question was stilted. Maybe even tossed out. So the show becomes more a question of Pi’s literal experience – rather than symbolism for a bigger question.

This made me want to reread the book and I wonder if anyone here would like to read it? We could have a July book club, bring a sack lunch and talk about the book. Maybe bake a pie, to up the symbolism ante.

If you are interested let me know.