Yann Martel

Born June 25, 1963

From Salamanca, Castile and León, Spain · Nationality: Canada · Writes fiction

Yann Martel (born June 25, 1963) is a Canadian author who wrote the Man Booker Prize-winning novel Life of Pi, an international bestseller published in more than 50 territories. Life of Pi was adapted for a movie directed by Ang Lee, garnering four Oscars.

Quotes

“I cannot think of a better way to spread the faith. No thundering from a pulpit, no condemnation from bad churches, no peer pressure, just a book of scripture quietly waiting to say hello, as gentle and powerful as a little girl’s kiss on your cheek.”
Life of Pi, Chapter 73
“There were many seas. The sea roared like a tiger. The sea whispered in your ear like a friend telling you secrets. The sea clinked like small change in a pocket. The sea thundered like avalanches. The sea hissed like sandpaper working on wood. The sea sounded like someone vomiting. The sea was dead silent.”
Life of Pi, Chapter 78
“I applied my reason at every moment. Reason is excellent for getting food, clothing and shelter. Reason is the very best tool kit. Nothing beats reason for keeping tigers away. But be excessively reasonable and you risk throwing out the universe with the bathwater.”
Life of Pi, Chapter 99
“An apple resists being eaten. An apple is not eaten, it is conquered. The crunchiness of a pear is far more appealing. It is giving and fragile. To eat a pear is akin to … kissing.”
Beatrice & Virgil, p. 50
“Words are cold, muddy toads trying to understand sprites dancing in a field.”
Beatrice & Virgil, p. 114

Quotes from Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Books by Yann Martel in order

Books by Yann Martel in the order they were published, from The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios and Other Stories (1993) to Son of Nobody (2026).

If you like Yann Martel

Authors readers of Yann Martel often like, from our AI-written notes

Moacyr ScliarBrazilian writer whose novel Max and the Cats is often cited as an influence on Life of Pi; also writes allegorical fiction about animals and survival.
Jorge Luis BorgesShort, philosophical fiction that plays with how stories and reality relate, similar to Martel's story collection.
Michael OndaatjeCanadian novelist who writes across genres and time periods, with a similar interest in memory and exile.
Rohinton MistryIndian-Canadian novelist whose books deal with family, history and survival in a way that readers of Life of Pi often find comparable.
Franz KafkaAllegorical fiction with a parable-like structure, close to the mode of Beatrice and Virgil.