Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Beatrice and Virgil

Yann Martel has written another book about animals just as ground breaking as Life of Pi. Martel's new story, Beatrice and Virgil, centers around an author and a play-write/taxidermist working on a play about animals. The story has many layers. One of the underlying themes is the Holocaust. The animals demonstrate the drama of human pain and sorrow. Martel's ability to bring animals to life and shed light on the human experience through those animals is the magic that ties these two works together. However, Beatrice and Virgil is a very different story from Life of Pi.

I struggled with how to write this review because this book touched me in a profound way and I wanted to do it justice. I found myself moved by this book and its portrayal of the Holocaust. I have read a number of books on the Holocaust and have felt deep emotions about it in the past, but this book's unique approach helped me to come to the topic in a whole new way. I highly recommend this book. This is a great book for group discussion as well as solitary contemplation. I needed a box of tissues available when I got to the end. Don't miss this amazing, thought-provoking read!

No comments:

Post a Comment