Life of Pi is a fantasy adventure novel by Yann Martel published in 2001. The protagonist, piscine molitor "Pi" Patel, a tamil boy from pondicherry, explores issues of spirituality and practicality from an early age. He ...Life of Pi is a fantasy adventure novel by Yann Martel published in 2001. The protagonist, piscine molitor "Pi" Patel, a tamil boy from pondicherry, explores issues of spirituality and practicality from an early age. He survives 227 days after a shipwreck while stranded on a boat in the pacific ocean with a bengal tiger named Richard Parker.