The thing that struck me most was the fact that Martel's writing showed, it didn't tell. Immediately I knew that that was going to allow me to enjoy the book. As of right now, the book is fairly enjoyable. I've found myself laughing at parts, like when Pi and his parents were confronted by "the three wise men", and I've also seen some different views on religion in general. I've always thought that religion was basically set in stone, that there was one belief, and then there was another, but the way that Pi discovers religion, 3 at once actually, and that he discovers them all in the same way through different manners is very intriguing. The simplicity with which he approached it was astounding.
I was bothered slightly, however, by the large lists that he dove into in the beginning chapters. It seemed like he was rambling on and on about random animals that, to me at least, seemed to have little or no relevance to the story at all. A few anecdotes seem slightly dragged out, as though they were intended to draw curiosity but really only served to bore. Overall, though, I'd have to say I'm really enjoying Life of Pi, and I look forward to getting into the (hopefully) good part.
I felt the same way about the first few chapters when I first read the book. Those descriptions kind of bored me, too. They are somewhat relevant, though.
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