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A Novel
by Yann Martel
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
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Yann Martel is the author of Life of Pi, the international bestseller that won the 2002 Booker Prize and was adapted to the screen in the Oscar–winning film by Ang Lee. He lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Name Pronunciation
Yann Martel: yarn mar-TELL (slight emphasis on second syllable)
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