Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Apr 2010
224 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
Fate takes many forms. . . .
When Henry receives a letter from an elderly taxidermist, it poses a puzzle that he cannot resist. As he is pulled further into the world of this strange and calculating man, Henry becomes increasingly involved with the lives of a donkey and a howler monkey—named Beatrice and Virgil—and the epic journey they undertake together.
With all the spirit and originality that made Life of Pi so beloved, this brilliant new novel takes the reader on a haunting odyssey. On the way Martel asks profound questions about life and art, truth and deception, responsibility and complicity.
"Starred Review. Martel’s mesmerizing ... Life of Pi (2002) has become a cult classic, its richness of depth and meaning belying the startling basic story line ... so it is with Martel’s latest novel, also a fable-type story with iceberg-deep dimensions..." - Booklist
"Martel's aims are ambitious, but the prose is amateur and the characters thin, the coy self-referentiality grates..." - Publishers Weekly
"Whimsy takes a deadly serious turn in a novel that will enchant some readers and exasperate others." - Kirkus Reviews
This information about Beatrice and Virgil was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Yann Martel was born in Salamanca, Spain, in 1963, of Canadian parents who
were doing graduate studies. Later they both joined the Canadian foreign
service and he grew up in Costa Rica, France, Spain and Mexico, in addition to
Canada. He continued to travel widely as an adult, spending time in Iran, Turkey
and India, but is now based mainly in Montreal. He obtained a degree in
Philosophy from Trent University in Ontario, then worked variously as a tree
planter, dishwasher and security guard before taking up writing full-time
from the age of 27.
His first book, a collection of short stories titled The Facts Behind the
Helsinki Roccamatios, was first published in 1993. The stories deal
with themes such as illness, storytelling and the ...
... Full Biography
Author Interview
Name Pronunciation
Yann Martel: yarn mar-TELL (slight emphasis on second syllable)
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