Yann Martel's Life of Pi

My zoology thesis was a functional analysis of the thyroid gland of the three-toed sloth.

Unmotivated, it covers four to five metres in an hour.

My majors were religious studies and zoology.

On the ground, it crawls to its next tree at the rate of 250 metres an hour, when motivated, which is 440 times slower than a motivated cheetah.

On a scale of 2 to 10, where 2 represents unusual dullness and 10 extreme acuity, Beebe (1926) gave the sloth's senses of taste, touch, and its sense of smell a rating of 3.

On the ground, it crawls to its next tree at the rate of 250 metres an hour, when motivated, which is 440 times slower than a motivated cheetah.

And the sloth's slightly better sense of smell should not be overestimated.

Blood tests revealed that I was anemic, and that my level of sodium was very high and my potassium low.

A sloth's hairs shelter an algae that is brown during the dry season and green during the wet season, so the animal blends in with the surrounding moss and foliage and looks like a nest of white ants or of squirrels, or like nothing at all but part of a tree.

Scientists are a friendly, atheistic, hard-working, beer-drinking lot whose minds are preoccupied with sex, chess and baseball when they are not preoccupied with science.

I chose the sloth because its demeanour-calm, quiet and introspective-did something to soothe my shattered self.

The skull snickers and moves ever closer, but that doesn't surprise me.

My fourth-year thesis for religious studies concerned certain aspects of the cosmogony theory of Isaac Luria, the great sixteenth-century Kabbalist from Safed.

A number of my fellow religious-studies students-muddled agnostics who didn't know which way was up, who were in the thrall of reason, that fool's gold for the bright -- reminded me of the three-toed sloth; and the three-toed sloth, such a beautiful example of the miracle of life, reminded me of God. I never had problems with my fellow scientists.

A number of my fellow religious-studies students-muddled agnostics who didn't know which way was up, who were in the thrall of reason, that fool's gold for the bright -- reminded me of the three-toed sloth; and the three-toed sloth, such a beautiful example of the miracle of life, reminded me of God. I never had problems with my fellow scientists.

Within a couple of days I could stand, even make two, three steps, despite nausea, dizziness and general weakness.

My life is like a memento mori painting from European art: there is always a grinning skull at my side to remind me of the folly of human ambition.

A number of my fellow religious-studies students-muddled agnostics who didn't know which way was up, who were in the thrall of reason, that fool's gold for the bright -- reminded me of the three-toed sloth; and the three-toed sloth, such a beautiful example of the miracle of life, reminded me of God. I never had problems with my fellow scientists.

My zoology thesis was a functional analysis of the thyroid gland of the three-toed sloth.

Academic study and the steady, mindful practice of religion slowly brought me back to life.

I got every possible student award from the Department of Zoology.

They are said to be able to sniff and avoid decayed branches, but Bullock (1968) reported that sloths fall to the ground clinging to decayed branches "often".

The first time I turned a tap on, its noisy, wasteful, superabundant gush was such a shock that I became incoherent and my legs collapsed beneath me and I fainted in the arms of a nurse.

I blanched.

They are said to be able to sniff and avoid decayed branches, but Bullock (1968) reported that sloths fall to the ground clinging to decayed branches "often".

I have nothing to say of my working life, only that a tie is a noose, and inverted though it is, it will hang a man nonetheless if he's not careful.

Beebe reported that firing guns next to sleeping or feeding sloths elicited little reaction.

The reason death sticks so closely to life isn't biological necessity -- it's envy.

I would have received the Governor General's Academic Medal, the University of Toronto's highest undergraduate award, of which no small number of illustrious Canadians have been recipients, were it not for a beef-eating pink boy with a neck like a tree trunk and a temperament of unbearable good cheer.

I miss the heat of India, the food, the house lizards on the walls, the musicals on the silver screen, the cows wandering the streets, the crows cawing, even the talk of cricket matches, but I love Canada.

A number of my fellow religious-studies students-muddled agnostics who didn't know which way was up, who were in the thrall of reason, that fool's gold for the bright -- reminded me of the three-toed sloth; and the three-toed sloth, such a beautiful example of the miracle of life, reminded me of God. I never had problems with my fellow scientists.

My zoology thesis was a functional analysis of the thyroid gland of the three-toed sloth.

I looked as if I had been grafted with a pair of elephant legs.

But life leaps over oblivion lightly, losing only a thing or two of no importance, and gloom is but the passing shadow of a cloud.

I chose the sloth because its demeanour-calm, quiet and introspective-did something to soothe my shattered self.

I would have received the Governor General's Academic Medal, the University of Toronto's highest undergraduate award, of which no small number of illustrious Canadians have been recipients, were it not for a beef-eating pink boy with a neck like a tree trunk and a temperament of unbearable good cheer.

A number of my fellow religious-studies students-muddled agnostics who didn't know which way was up, who were in the thrall of reason, that fool's gold for the bright -- reminded me of the three-toed sloth; and the three-toed sloth, such a beautiful example of the miracle of life, reminded me of God. I never had problems with my fellow scientists.

After one year of high school, I attended the University of Toronto and took a double-major Bachelor's degree.

I am not one given to projecting human traits and emotions onto animals, but many a time during that month in Brazil, up at sloths in repose, I felt I was in the presence of upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing.

I have nothing to say of my working life, only that a tie is a noose, and inverted though it is, it will hang a man nonetheless if he's not careful.

The sloth is at its busiest at sunset, using the word busy here in the most relaxed sense.

The first time I turned a tap on, its noisy, wasteful, superabundant gush was such a shock that I became incoherent and my legs collapsed beneath me and I fainted in the arms of a nurse.

A sloth's hairs shelter an algae that is brown during the dry season and green during the wet season, so the animal blends in with the surrounding moss and foliage and looks like a nest of white ants or of squirrels, or like nothing at all but part of a tree.

My body retained fluids and my legs swelled up tremendously.

There are two-toed sloths and there are three-toed sloths, the case being determined by the forepaws of the animals, since all sloths have three claws on their hind paws.

I am not one given to projecting human traits and emotions onto animals, but many a time during that month in Brazil, up at sloths in repose, I felt I was in the presence of upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing.

When you've suffered a great deal in life, each additional pain is both unbearable and trifling.

My skin healed, though I still have scars on my shoulders and back.

It is a highly intriguing creature.

It moves along the bough of a tree in its characteristic upside-down position at the speed of roughly 400 metres an hour.

A sloth's hairs shelter an algae that is brown during the dry season and green during the wet season, so the animal blends in with the surrounding moss and foliage and looks like a nest of white ants or of squirrels, or like nothing at all but part of a tree.

I would have received the Governor General's Academic Medal, the University of Toronto's highest undergraduate award, of which no small number of illustrious Canadians have been recipients, were it not for a beef-eating pink boy with a neck like a tree trunk and a temperament of unbearable good cheer.

I would have received the Governor General's Academic Medal, the University of Toronto's highest undergraduate award, of which no small number of illustrious Canadians have been recipients, were it not for a beef-eating pink boy with a neck like a tree trunk and a temperament of unbearable good cheer.

How does it survive you might ask.

I had the great luck one summer of studying the three-toed sloth in situ in the equatorial jungles of Brazil.

My zoology thesis was a functional analysis of the thyroid gland of the three-toed sloth.

We found them still in place late the next morning, the water of the dishes swarming with insects.

I am not one given to projecting human traits and emotions onto animals, but many a time during that month in Brazil, up at sloths in repose, I felt I was in the presence of upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing.

The sloth is at its busiest at sunset, using the word busy here in the most relaxed sense.

We found them still in place late the next morning, the water of the dishes swarming with insects.

If Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, one day favours me bountifully, Oxford is fifth on the list of cities I would like to visit before I pass on, after Mecca, Varanasi, Jerusalem and Paris.

The three-toed sloth lives a peaceful, vegetarian life in perfect harmony with its environment.

It is a great country much too cold for good sense, inhabited by compassionate, intelligent people with bad hairdos.

Academic study and the steady, mindful practice of religion slowly brought me back to life.

They are said to be able to sniff and avoid decayed branches, but Bullock (1968) reported that sloths fall to the ground clinging to decayed branches "often".

I mock this skull.

My fingers, which a second before had been taste buds savouring the food a little ahead of my mouth, became dirty under his gm.

Its only real habit is indolence.

The three-toed sloth lives a peaceful, vegetarian life in perfect harmony with its environment.

Beebe reported that firing guns next to sleeping or feeding sloths elicited little reaction.

I am not one given to projecting human traits and emotions onto animals, but many a time during that month in Brazil, up at sloths in repose, I felt I was in the presence of upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing.

After one year of high school, I attended the University of Toronto and took a double-major Bachelor's degree.

When you've suffered a great deal in life, each additional pain is both unbearable and trifling.

It is a great country much too cold for good sense, inhabited by compassionate, intelligent people with bad hairdos.

I would have received the Governor General's Academic Medal, the University of Toronto's highest undergraduate award, of which no small number of illustrious Canadians have been recipients, were it not for a beef-eating pink boy with a neck like a tree trunk and a temperament of unbearable good cheer.

I am not one given to projecting human traits and emotions onto animals, but many a time during that month in Brazil, up at sloths in repose, I felt I was in the presence of upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing.

If I got none from the Department of Religious Studies, it is simply because there are no student awards in this department (the rewards of religious study are not in mortal hands, we all know that).

On the ground, it crawls to its next tree at the rate of 250 metres an hour, when motivated, which is 440 times slower than a motivated cheetah.

Academic study and the steady, mindful practice of religion slowly brought me back to life.

They froze like criminals caught in the act.

My fourth-year thesis for religious studies concerned certain aspects of the cosmogony theory of Isaac Luria, the great sixteenth-century Kabbalist from Safed.

My life is like a memento mori painting from European art: there is always a grinning skull at my side to remind me of the folly of human ambition.

My body retained fluids and my legs swelled up tremendously.

On a scale of 2 to 10, where 2 represents unusual dullness and 10 extreme acuity, Beebe (1926) gave the sloth's senses of taste, touch, and its sense of smell a rating of 3.

On a scale of 2 to 10, where 2 represents unusual dullness and 10 extreme acuity, Beebe (1926) gave the sloth's senses of taste, touch, and its sense of smell a rating of 3.

A sloth's hairs shelter an algae that is brown during the dry season and green during the wet season, so the animal blends in with the surrounding moss and foliage and looks like a nest of white ants or of squirrels, or like nothing at all but part of a tree.

Victims of cancer or car accidents, once they heard my story, they hobbled and wheeled over to see me, they and their families, though none of them spoke English and I spoke no Spanish.

I had hardly ever used such instruments.

I miss the heat of India, the food, the house lizards on the walls, the musicals on the silver screen, the cows wandering the streets, the crows cawing, even the talk of cricket matches, but I love Canada.

But life leaps over oblivion lightly, losing only a thing or two of no importance, and gloom is but the passing shadow of a cloud.

It sleeps or rests on average twenty hours a day.

Victims of cancer or car accidents, once they heard my story, they hobbled and wheeled over to see me, they and their families, though none of them spoke English and I spoke no Spanish.

I still cannot understand how he could abandon me so unceremoniously, without any sort of goodbye, without looking back even once.

Blood tests revealed that I was anemic, and that my level of sodium was very high and my potassium low.

Within a couple of days I could stand, even make two, three steps, despite nausea, dizziness and general weakness.

I am not one given to projecting human traits and emotions onto animals, but many a time during that month in Brazil, up at sloths in repose, I felt I was in the presence of upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing.

My fourth-year thesis for religious studies concerned certain aspects of the cosmogony theory of Isaac Luria, the great sixteenth-century Kabbalist from Safed.

The reason death sticks so closely to life isn't biological necessity -- it's envy.

And the patients, too.

A sloth's hairs shelter an algae that is brown during the dry season and green during the wet season, so the animal blends in with the surrounding moss and foliage and looks like a nest of white ants or of squirrels, or like nothing at all but part of a tree.

I still smart a little at the slight.

The skull snickers and moves ever closer, but that doesn't surprise me.

Blood tests revealed that I was anemic, and that my level of sodium was very high and my potassium low.