Beatrice and Virgil - Yann Martel

Title: Beatrice and Virgil

Author: Yann Martell

Publisher: Spiegel & Grau c2010

ISBN: 9781400069262

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 213
Quick Review: 3 stars (out of 5)

Why I Read It: David brought it home so I read it.

Where I Obtained the Book: David got it at our local library

Synopsis: Fate takes many forms.

When Henry receives a letter from an elderly taxidermist, it poses a puzzle that he cannot resist. As he is pulled further into the world of this strange and calculating man, Henry becomes increasingly involved with the lives of a donkey and a howler monkey – named Beatrice and Virgil – and the epic journey they undertake together.

Review: I read this book and even when I was finished I still did not have a clue what it was really about. I went on-line and read other reviews to see what I had missed. I did grasp that it had something to do with the holocaust, but it was vague for me.

The story was interesting, but finding meaning was not something I did with this book.

Author Biography: Martel was born in Salamanca, Spain. As an adolescent he attended high school at Trinity College School, a boarding school in Port Hope, Ontario. He grew up in Costa Rica, France, Mexico, and Canada. As an adult, Martel has spent time in I Iran,Turkey and India. After studying philosophy at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Martel spent 13 months in India visiting temples, churches, mosques and zoos, and spent two years reading religious texts and castaway stories. His first published fictional work, Seven Stories, appeared in 1993.

Other Reviews:
The Washington Post
The New York Times