Life of Pi

Visually stunning and tasty, Martel has a strong handle on how to craft delectable prose. Vivid details regarding some of the more violent sections were so easily pictured I found my stomach churning as if I was with Pi on the sea. The book was a beautiful blend of the mesmerizing fantasy of being lost at sea and the depressing elements of what that reality would look like. (Possible poilers ahead) My biggest frustration regards the ending. As a writer, I can appreciate it. As a reader, it took the wind out of my sails a bit, and a book that had made me hopeful and thirsty for adventure instead left me with a bittersweet after-taste in my mouth. However, I'm still thinking about the book, which to me is a sign that was, indeed, a quality literary work.