Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel

When you pick up a book of an author you have previously read and enjoyed, your expectation from his new book automatically increases. I had high hopes from this book - Beatrice & Virgil by Yann Martel. The previous book by the author, Life of Pi is one of my favorite reads of all times. But, all my hopes with his new book came thrashing down as I turned pages after pages of the book without having a clue what the story is all about and then it came to me with a bang. Let me quote the blurb from the back of the book to get started:

"This story is the story of a donkey named Beatrice and a monkey named Virgil. It is also the story of an extraordinary journey undertaken by a man named Henry. It begins with a mysterious parcel, and it ends in a place that will make you think again about one of the most significant events of the twentieth century. Once you have finished reading it, it is impossible to forget."

I was HIGHLY intrigued by this blurb, so much so that I put aside the other books I had been reading and started with this one. Also, since the book was barely 200 pages, I didn't think it would take too long. The story started with a writer named Henry whose previous book was a huge success and he is working hard on a book about 'Holocaust'. He tries to present the stories from Holocaust in a different and 'never told before' style but his style and endeavors are rejected by the publishers. He decides to take a break and shifts to a different city and puts all the thoughts about his book at the back of his mind.

One day he receives a mysterious box containing excerpts from a play by Flaubert and another play which perhaps the sender himself had penned down. Henry traced the letter to a taxidermist and coincidentally his name was also Henry. The taxidermist reads out his play (whose main characters are stuffed animals present in his workshop- Beatrice, the donkey and Virgil, the howler monkey) to Henry.The first scene of the play was interesting where Virgil is trying to explain to Beatrice how a pear looks and tastes like. But from then onwards, the play is a jumble and I found it rather boring, crude and abstract.

And then  a few lines from the book sums up everything:


"Here was irrefutable proof that he was using the Holocaust to speak of the extermination of animal life. Doomed creatures that could not speak for themselves were being given the voice of a most articulate people who had been similarly doomed. He was seeing the tragic fate of animals through the tragic fate of Jews. The Holocaust as allegory."

 That is so bizarrely convenient! Here was an author whose book about Holocaust has been rejected and he comes across a Nazi who had somehow escaped detection and was living a solitary life. I felt aghast as a reader, here I was reading page after page trying to fathom what the author is trying to say and then in just a few lines you sum up the novel. Then in fact, a second thought dawned on me - was the writer Henry in this book Yann Martel himself? I do not know that for sure.

Even though I disliked the book to the core here are a few quotes from the book, I loved and think are thoughts to ponder on:

"To my mind, faith is like being in the sun. When you are in the sun, can you avoid creating a shadow? Can you shake that area of darkness that clings to you, always shaped like you, as if constantly to remind you of yourself? You can't. This shadow is doubt. And it goes wherever you go as long as you stay in the sun. And who wouldn't want to be in the sun?"

" If you are pitched into misery,remember that your days on this earth are counted and you might as well make the best of those you have left."


Linking it to A2ZChallenge for Letter B.


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Lucky Library Picks#5

Ever since I started this meme, I go to the library with renewed interest, enthusiasm and hope and have been picking up interesting titles. This week for 'Lucky Library Picks' I have 2 books to share.

Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel:

I read Life of Pi by the author last year and after a difficult start, that book has been one of those enlightening reads that I cherish.  To pick Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel seems to be a natural progression to me.

The blurb says, "This is the story of a donkey named Beatrice and a monkey named Virgil. It is the story of an extraordinary journey undertaken by a man named Henry".

Isn't that intriguing? Well after the tiger in Life of Pi, I am in for a donkey and monkey in this novel!;-P!

Animal's People by Indra Sinha

I had not heard about this author or the book before. The cover of the book says - shortlisted for the 2007 Man Booker Prize. Well, my knowledge about these things had never been very good. What caught my attention is the excerpt from the back of the book:

"I used to be human once. So I'm told. I don't remember it myself, but people who knew me when I was small say I walked on two feet just like a human being".

That sounds crude but it was enough to stir up my interest.

If the same thought is crossing your mind as mine then let me reassure you, I will pick some books without any animals in them next time.:-)! Do you have anything to share about Lucky Library Picks, so share your link! You can check my other Lucky Library Picks post here.

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Life of Pi by Yann Martel

'Life of Pi' by Yann Martel is a unbelievably fascinating story of Piscine Motilor Patel nicknamed as Pi and his arduous 227 days journey on a life boat in the dangerous pacific waters.

Pi lives in Pondicherry with his parents and brother Ravi. He is an intelligent child and is always eager to learn new things in life. His father is the owner of Pondicherry Zoo and thus Pi also has a sound knowledge of raising animals and zoo keeping. He is very spiritual and despite being born Hindu, he is attracted towards the preaching of Christianity and Islam and follows all the three religions avidly.

When Pi is 14 years old, his father decides to leave India for foreign shores. He sells off the zoo and most of the animals to various American and Indian zoo to set sail for Canada. They leave India with the animals as cargo on the ship. On the way to Canada, the unthinkable happens. Tsimtsum sinks and from there starts the incredible story of survival of Pi.

As the only surviving human from the shipwreck, Pi finds himself in the company of a dying Zebra, a hyena, an Orag-Utan and a 450 lbs Royal Bengal Tiger in a life boat. It is his wit, unerring faith in the Almighty and his desire to live that kept him going and in the end against all odds his determination wins.

The book has oodles of wisdom on various perspective of life which will make you ponder over things which we normally take for granted. It is a book not to be rushed upon. It should be read slowly savouring each and every details of it. I must admit I found the first 50 pages a bit drag and painstakingly slow and boring. Yet, there was something that kept me stuck to reading it, the words from the author's note kept ringing in my ears ~ 'it is a story that will make you believe in God' and there was no looking back. It is written mostly in first person in the voice of Pi with the exception of the a few short chapters from the author and the author's note where he tells how he came across this incredible human being and his incredulous story of survival.

I am really short of words to explain what to expect from the book. Yann Martel is a master story teller who has woven a tale so incredulous and surreal that any logic would deny it and still in your heart, you would want to believe it. I would just say, read it to find it yourself.

There are some excerpts from the book, I would like to share:

"I was alone and orphaned, in the middle of the pacific, hanging on to an oar, an adult tiger in front of me, sharks beneath me, a storm raging about me. Had I considered my prospects in the light of reason, I  would have given up and let go of the oar, hoping I might drown before being eaten. But, I don't recall that I had a single thought during those first minutes of relative safety. I didn't even notice daybreak. I held on to the oar, I just held on, God only know why."

" I must say a word about fear. It is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever , treacherous adversary, how well I know."

"So, I drifted. Winds and currents decided where I went. Time became distance for me in the way it is for all mortals- I traveled down the road of life- and I did other things with my fingers than to try to measure latitude."

Life of Pi by Yann Martel won the Man Booker Prize in 2002.