57 'Life Of Pi' Quotes From Yann Martel

Oluwatosin Michael
Dec 12, 2023 By Oluwatosin Michael
Originally Published on Mar 24, 2021
Edited by Luca Demetriou
boat in an ocean

Published in 2001, 'Life Of Pi' is a Canadian philosophical novel by Yann Martel.

Yann Martel, in his Man-Booker winning book, explores issues relating to spirituality and metaphysics. The book follows the story of  Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel, a boy from Pondicherry, India and his near-death experience.

The book underscores the nature of reality, raises questions regarding religion and points out how fear and doubt control the heart of man and above all, the belief that hope is the essence of survival. Born into a Tamil family, Pi is the son of a zoo-manager.

Owing to his background he has an understanding of animals and their natures.

Pi goes on to become a follower of Hinduism, Christianity and Islam at the same time in his quest to understand God.

Following his father's decision to emigrate and a series of incidents, Pi faces death multiple times after the ship they are travelling in is wrecked by a storm killing almost all aboard. What follows is a two hundred twenty-seven day battle of survival aboard a lifeboat with an assortment of animals including Richard Parker, the tiger.

Pi battles fear only to end up believing in the almighty and learning to let go of the past. We have compiled the best 'Life Of Pi' coming of age quotes for you.

Take a look at 'Life of Pi' zoo quotes, along with others, and enjoy.

If you like what you read, check out boat quotes and metaphysical quotes.

'Life Of Pi' Movie Quotes

The heart never fails to hope. And that's what this 2012 cinematic adaptation of the book makes us believe. Check out this list which includes 'Life Of Pi' quotes about hope, too.

1. "Doubt is useful, it keeps faith a living thing. After all, you cannot know the strength of your faith until it is tested."

-Adult Pi Patel.

2. "All of life is an act of letting go but what hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye."

-Adult Pi Patel.

3. "Faith is a house with many rooms."

-Adult Pi Patel.

4. "...believing in everything at once is the same thing as believing in nothing."

-Santosh Patel.

5. "Words are all I have left to hang on to."

-Pi Patel.

6. "When you look into an animal's eyes, you are seeing your own emotions reflected back at you..."

-Santosh Patel.

7. "A mouthful of water will not harm you, but panic will."

-Mamaji.

8. "Hunger can change everything you thought you knew yourself!"

-Adult Pi Patel.

9. "Science can teach us more about what is out there, but not what is in here."

-Gita Patel.

10. "It was a time filled with wonder that I'll always remember."

-Adult Pi Patel.

11. "Don't let the stories and pretty lights fool you, boys."

-Santosh Patel.

12. "But worse still, he brought the evil out in me. I have to live with that."

-Adult Pi Patel.

'Life Of Pi' Book Quotes

Life is not all about worthless dreams. Say goodbye to despair and welcome hope with these quotes.

13. "they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them—and then they leap."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter Seven.

14. "It was enough to scare the living vegetarian daylights out of me."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter Eight.

15. "Mother, my tender guardian angel of wisdom, where are you?"

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 37.

16. "Sometime that afternoon I saw the first specimen of what would become a dear, reliable friend of mine."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 45.

17. "The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 25.

18. "For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 25.

19. "Nature is preoccupied with balance"

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 59.

20. "What was the point of plotting a course if I could not act on it?"

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 65.

21. " 'Love', repeated Father Martin."

-'Life Of Pi', Chapter 17.

22. "Be sure not to break eye contact!"

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 71.

23. "The tree looked empty. And I felt empty, a little."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 92.

'Life Of Pi' Religion Quotes

Yann Martel's book is an incisive study of human nature. Here are a few quotes which are bound to create an impression.

24. "But religion is more than rite and ritual. There is what the rite and ritual stand for."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 16.

25. "Truly I am in a sacred cosmic womb, a place where everything is born, and it is my sweet luck to behold its living core."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi, Chapter 16.

26. "To one born in a religion where the battle for a single soul can be a relay race run over many centuries, with innumerable generations passing along the baton, the quick resolution of Christianity has a dizzying effect"

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 17.

27. "Ihave a story that will make you believe in God."

-Author's Note, 'Life Of Pi'.

28. "Something about a human sacrifice. An angry god who had to be appeased with blood."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 17.

29. "I knew very little about the religion. It had a reputation for few gods and great violence."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 17.

30. "Surely this religion had more than one story in its bag-religions abound with stories."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 17.

31. "But he can't be a Hindu, a Christian and a Muslim. It's impossible."

-Pandit, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 23.

'Life Of Pi' Quotes About God

The book and movie talk about survival and the presence of the divine.

32. "I'd never heard of a Hindu god dying."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi'.

33. "The presence of God is the finest of rewards."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi'.

34. "That is God as God should be. With shine and power and might."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi'.

35. "God is universal"

-Priest, 'Life Of Pi'.

36. "There is only one God."

-Imam, 'Life Of Pi'.

'Life Of Pi' Quotes About Faith

Here's a list of quotes about faith.

37. "If we citizens do not support our artists, then we sacrifice our imagination on the altar of crude reality and we end up believing innothing and having worthless dreams"

-Author’s Note, 'Life Of Pi'.

38. "It was my first clue that atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith, and every word they speak speaks of faith."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 17.

39. "Faith in God is an opening up, a letting go, a deep trust, a free act of love—but sometimes it was so hard to love."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 74.

40. "The elements allowed me to go on living"

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 41.

41. " you open yourself to further attacks of fear because you never truly fought the opponent who defeated you."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 57'.

42. "Life is a peephole, a single tiny entry onto a vastness"

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 60.

'Life Of Pi' Richard Parker Quotes

Here's a list of some of the best quotes about Richard Parker from the book.

43. "It is the irony of this story that the one who scared me witless to start with was the very same who brought me peace, purpose, I dare say even wholeness."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 57.

44. "A part of me did not want Richard Parker to die at all, because if he died I would be left alone with despair, a foe even more formidable than a tiger"

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 57.

45. "without Richard Parker, I wouldn't be alive today to tell you my story"

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 57.

46. "Go 'head, Richard Parker, finish me off."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 61.

47. "Richard Parker, come out you have to see this! It's beautiful!"

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', 2012.

'Life Of Pi' Important Quotes

Here's a list of some of the most important quotes from the book.

48. "Time is an illusion that only makes us pant"

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 63.

49. " Don't let the stories and pretty lights fool you, boys. Religion is darkness."

-Santosh Patel, 'Life Of Pi', 2012.

50. "Experience taught me that it was better to strike when I felt I had a good chance of success than to strike wildly"

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 66.

51. "We can't understand God in all His perfection, but we can understand God's son and His suffering, as we would a brother's."

-Priest, 'Life Of Pi', 2012.

52. "I descended to a level of savagery I never imagined possible."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi, Chapter 66.

53. "The hull of the lifeboat invited life"

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 67.

54. "Even when God seemed to have abandoned me, he was watching. Even when he seemed indifferent to my suffering, he was watching."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', 2012.

55. "I was either fixed on practical details of immediate survival or transfixed by pain"

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 41.

56. "You think tiger is your friend, he is an animal, not a playmate."

-Santosh Patel, 'Life Of Pi', 2012.

57. "It's important in life to conclude things properly. Only then can you let go."

-Pi Patel, 'Life Of Pi', Chapter 94.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 'Life Of Pi' quotes then why not take a look at ancient quotes, or Greek quotes.

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Written by Oluwatosin Michael

Bachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology

Oluwatosin Michael picture

Oluwatosin MichaelBachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology

With a Bachelor's in Microbiology from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oluwatosin has honed his skills as an SEO content writer, editor, and growth manager. He has written articles, conducted extensive research, and optimized content for search engines. His expertise extends to leading link-building efforts and revising onboarding strategies. 

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