Life of Pi (film) family, but a crewman throws him into a lifeboat. A freed zebra jumps onto the boat with him, breaking its leg. The ship sinks into the Mariana Trench drowning his family. Pi briefly sees what appears to be a survivor, but it turns out to be Richard Parker. After the storm, Pi awakens in the lifeboat with the zebra, and is joined by a resourceful orangutan. A spotted hyena emerges from under a tarpaulin covering half of the lifeboat and snaps at Pi, forcing him to retreat to the end of the boat. The hyena kills the zebra and later
Life of Pi zoological lore and enthralling adventure tale, written with warmth and grace". "Master Plots" suggested that the "central themes of "Life of Pi" concern religion and human faith in God". Reutter said, "So believable is Pi's story telling that readers will be amazed." Gregory Stephens added that it "achieves something more quietly spectacular." Smith stated that there was "no bamboozlement here." Gary Krist of "The New York Times" praised the book, but added that at times Martel "pushes the didactic agenda of his story too hard." In 2010, U.S. President Barack Obama wrote a letter directly to Martel, describing "Life of