Dear Archie

[Virgil Showlion]

Dec 2, 2013 12:32:57 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Dec 2, 2013 12:29:55 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Don't tell Archie, but I had trouble finishing it too. Not exactly riveting.

I didn't love it until I finished it.   The first third of the book was very hard to get through.

You're probably one of those few souls I've heard about that liked "Requiem for a Dream" too, huh?

[Deleted]

Dec 2, 2013 12:36:49 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Dec 2, 2013 12:32:57 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

I didn't love it until I finished it.   The first third of the book was very hard to get through.

You're probably one of those few souls I've heard about that liked "Requiem for a Dream" too, huh?

never read or watched it.


For reference my other favorite book is "the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy".

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Try not to be so literal about Life of Pi.  

Just go back in time to your high school Language Arts class and apply symbolism, allegory, metaphor, etc. to the book/movie and it will all make sense.

Well, at least that is how I resolved the questions in my own mind and came to terms with the hours I spent (lost?) on it.  

[HoneyBBQ]

I read the book first, then saw the movie.

I cannot fathom doing it the other way around. Somehow in a book the idea of a sharing a boat with a tiger is so easy... in a movie... not so much. The imagination is so much better and realistic in these sorts of circumstances.

[Deleted]

I thought the movie effects were good. The island maybe harder, but that's the point of the island, no? 

Knowing the the end, I devoured the book marking lots of pages and passages I might not have attended to if I hadn't realized what I was reading... Idk ... 

Ie. There is lots of great stuff in the first third... Page 16 where he discusses animals in the wild, social convention... actually all that discussion of animals and interaction takes on new meaning... As well as the religious awakening... Etc.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I tried to like Life of Pi but I didn't succeed.  By the end I felt like the only thing I got out of it was now I could get people to stop pestering me about reading it.

[Virgil Showlion]

Dec 2, 2013 12:38:39 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Try not to be so literal about Life of Pi.  

Just go back in time to your high school Language Arts class and apply symbolism, allegory, metaphor, etc. to the book/movie and it will all make sense.

Well, at least that is how I resolved the questions in my own mind and came to terms with the hours I spent (lost?) on it.  

The trouble I have with the "symbolism, allegory, metaphor" interpretation is that at least half of the things he does don't make sense outside of a literal interpretation. The detailed backstory becomes of no significance. Plus the fact that there's no purpose to him portraying mundane events as an allegory. He clearly acknowledges that people won't believe it.

It's an interesting "twist", but not enough of one to redeem the book IMO.

[chiver78]

Dec 2, 2013 12:46:05 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I tried to like Life of Pi but I didn't succeed.  By the end I felt like the only thing I got out of it was now I could get people to stop pestering me about reading it.

pretty much.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Dec 2, 2013 12:47:48 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Dec 2, 2013 12:38:39 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Try not to be so literal about Life of Pi.  

Just go back in time to your high school Language Arts class and apply symbolism, allegory, metaphor, etc. to the book/movie and it will all make sense.

Well, at least that is how I resolved the questions in my own mind and came to terms with the hours I spent (lost?) on it.  

The trouble I have with the "symbolism, allegory, metaphor" interpretation is that at least half of the things he does don't make sense outside of a literal interpretation. The detailed backstory becomes of no significance. Plus the fact that there's no purpose to him portraying mundane events as an allegory. He clearly acknowledges that people won't believe it.

It's an interesting "twist", but not enough of one to redeem the book IMO.

I haven't thought this all of the way through, but, just as a simple example, IF the allegory is one of religious tolerance in an increasingly extremist world, then the detailed backstory has great significance.  

If the boy is Hindu and the the tiger represents Tamil separatists and people of both faiths lived reasonably tolerantly side by side for generations until one side escalated the differences, then the backstory of the zoo, etc. gives readers/movie goers a prior status quo from which the story line proceeds.  

(Again, not a deep analysis, just food for thought.)

[Virgil Showlion]

Dec 2, 2013 13:07:14 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Dec 2, 2013 12:47:48 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

The trouble I have with the "symbolism, allegory, metaphor" interpretation is that at least half of the things he does don't make sense outside of a literal interpretation. The detailed backstory becomes of no significance. Plus the fact that there's no purpose to him portraying mundane events as an allegory. He clearly acknowledges that people won't believe it.

It's an interesting "twist", but not enough of one to redeem the book IMO.

I haven't thought this all of the way through, but, just as a simple example, IF the allegory is one of religious tolerance in an increasingly extremist world, then the detailed backstory has great significance.  

If the boy is Hindu and the the tiger represents Tamil separatists and people of both faiths lived reasonably tolerantly side by side for generations until one side escalated the differences, then the backstory of the zoo, etc. gives readers/movie goers a prior status quo from which the story line proceeds.  

(Again, not a deep analysis, just food for thought.)

I... guess so.

It just speaks to Archie's point that the major redeeming quality of the book is that the major elements can be treated literally, or symbolically in various ways. Mr. Martel obviously wanted to leave some leeway for the imagination at the end, like the spinning top in "Inception".

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

It also could simply be a recounting of the tricks one's mind plays when dangerously de-hydrated and slowly dying of starvation.  

Or a trip on some bad shroomz.  

[Deleted]

It's not a twist. It's a key. 

Why do we insist on allegory within the mundane? 

Why do we believe, when there is so much that begs not to be believed? 

[Virgil Showlion]

Dec 2, 2013 13:17:05 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Or a trip on some bad shroomz.  

...which for some reason makes me curious again about what Archie did for Dark and Loop.

I guess I'll have to hang my hat on the "bought some toys from them" theory already proposed.

Maybe we can turn that into an allegory.

"A great dragon descended upon the mystical land of Zeebee, being greeted by the peasant toymakers..."

[Virgil Showlion]

Dec 2, 2013 13:20:17 GMT -5 oped said:

It's not a twist. It's a key. 

Why do we insist on allegory within the mundane? 

Why do we believe, when there is so much that begs not to be believed? 

That's the paradox posed by the book.

Why do we insist on allegory rather than truth?

Why do we insist that allegory cannot be truth?

Too far one way, and you believe in a mythical tiger rather than the dark side of a boy's personality.

Too far the other way, and even if Richard Parker is real, you can't accept it.

Food for thought.

[tloonya]

Dec 2, 2013 8:44:06 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

tloonya, The truth pales in comparison to the wild stories you have devised in your own mind.

As I learned from Life of Pi sometimes a good story is better than the truth.

1. HUH?
2. sometimes a good story is better than the truth (it's sound impotent to me)...but more times (if you can make it) - truth is better! Right?
3. And WTH is :
The truth pales in comparison to the wild stories you have devised in your own mind?
Can you speak more human?... 

[tloonya]

OMG! What is it...morning book club?
STOP! Please ...go work or something...and why are you all up so early?

[wvugurl26]

I made myself finish that book only because it was for the failed YM book club. I knew people who were raving about the movie and it was life changing. Yeah I fell asleep and had to watch it again.

[Deleted]

I wish we could make book club work...

[wvugurl26]

Dec 3, 2013 8:32:03 GMT -5 oped said:

I wish we could make book club work...

Maybe we could try again? I feel like we did pretty good with Hunger Games but not Life of Pi. I think DQ posted stuff and I never saw it. Maybe if we could get a thread stickied in one spot or something?

[Deleted]

I posted questions on life of Pi a couple times, but maybe no one really liked that book? 

Sticky key might work.

What book would be good? ... Something with large appeal until things get started....? 

[NancysSummerSip]

Dec 3, 2013 7:27:08 GMT -5 tloonya said:

Dec 2, 2013 8:44:06 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

tloonya, The truth pales in comparison to the wild stories you have devised in your own mind.

As I learned from Life of Pi sometimes a good story is better than the truth.

1. HUH?
2. sometimes a good story is better than the truth (it's sound impotent to me)...but more times (if you can make it) - truth is better! Right?
3. And WTH is :
The truth pales in comparison to the wild stories you have devised in your own mind?
Can you speak more human?... 

And here I thought Archie was more of a man than that...

[justme]

If Hunger Games was a success the Divergent Series is in the same genre - and there's a movie coming out for the first book next year. I just finished the last book, didn't see how it would wrap up but I kind of like it.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I like Legend by Marie Lu if you plan on going for dystopian society YA fiction.  The sequel just came out and the last book is due sometime next year.

[wvugurl26]

I don't know if it was the content of Hunger Games or the setup. I know after I finished Life of Pi I kept thinking I needed to dig up the thread. Maybe a sticky would help. Hunger Games may have been stickied. I know Firebird also did a series of questions and that helped move it along.

If not a sticky maybe we could have a book club section?

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Most book clubs are in person at a set meeting time.  I think a good portion of us are on here at work.  I usually don't have my home reading material here with me or the time to discuss books in depth.  I'm rarely on at home.

If I knew a book was going to be discussed at a certain time I'd log on.

[Deleted]

Dec 3, 2013 12:25:32 GMT -5 @missmargarita said:

You guys totally geeked out this thread without finding out the real meaning behind Loopy's cryptic OP!!!! 

I'm pretty sure Archie joined them for a threesome and taught Dark a few new tricks. Kinda like when the judges on Dancing with the Stars show up to give the contestants pointers, those that can't do, teach, and all that.

[NancysSummerSip]

Dec 3, 2013 13:50:37 GMT -5 @missmargarita said:

Dec 3, 2013 13:42:50 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

I'm pretty sure Archie joined them for a threesome and taught Dark a few new tricks. Kinda like when the judges on Dancing with the Stars show up to give the contestants pointers, those that can't do, teach, and all that.

LMAO!!!!  And ACK!!!   now I need brain bleach!!!!

Did Dark loan him the teddy? That's all I want to know.

[Chocolate Lover]

Or the straight jacket?  

[NancysSummerSip]

Dec 3, 2013 16:21:13 GMT -5 Chocolate Lover said:

Or the straight jacket?  

And was the mannequin involved as well - oh wait - that's a foursome, right?

[Deleted]

I haven't read legends or wool.  I liked divergent... All three of that one are out now.