Beginning The Life of Pi

I have decided upon The Life of Pi for my outside reading book this quarter and am currently three chapters into it. Already, it has grabed hold of my interest-- this book is definitel different from my previous two english novels. Though these chapters are short, and consequently I have not learned very much about the protagonist. The main character's name is Pi Patel, he was named after a glorious swimming pool located in Paris, La Piscine Molitor. He has a brother, Ravi, a mother and father, as well as an uncle figure who he calls Mamaji. Mamaji used to be a competitive swimmer and when Pi turns seven, he teaches him to swim. Right now in the story, I believe Pi is living in Canada and moved there from India. But that is all. Some of the phrases I read almost seem random in this book, but later I believe they will come to make sense. With that, there was a cool quote that caught my attention while reading: "The reason death sticks so closely to life isn't biological necessity-- it's envy. Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it can. 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" (6. Martel). I think this is a fascinating way to regard life and death; comparing Death to an obsessive lover who can never obtain Life, and Life as one who will never return the mutual feelings of Death. Death, however, will never cease his endless tries and will obtain some victims, but Life will live and go on.