"Life of Pi" and New York Times best-selling author Yan Martel released his latest book entitled "The High Mountains of Portugal".
The book has reportedly achieved Martel's goal of fiction: "to go beyond the facts...to a greater subjective truth," and to reach our "empathetic imagination."
Martel was known for his amazing best-selling book adapted into movie "Life of Pi", Martel now writes more about religion, Christianity to be specific. The "High Mountains of Portugal" transport the reader into another setting showing the power of allegory, creativity, art and work of fiction.
On his new book, Martel focused the story of Christ as "dispassionate". He explained with these words: "God is incarnate as a human being, to the extent of not only suffering but actually dying, which is unparalleled in religions."
"We are killed off by life," he said.
According to the "Life of Pi' author, the life of Jesus symbolizes our lives, too. He said, people are born, try their best and then crucified at the end when their time has come.
Martel was reportedly used to despise religion due to its sexism, homophobia and its paternalism, especially the Catholic Church. But, he said he has come to respect some of its aspects.
"I see all these religions as metaphors of the same mystery that we cannot fully grasp...I do choose to believe that all of this material reality, underpinning it, there is some greater meaning," he explained.
While writing the book, Martel revealed that he did really good research. He went to a car museum in England, viewed two autopsies in Saskatoon and travelled the roads that the book's protagonists travel. He also mentioned that he read every Agatha Christie novel published from 1920-1938. He also read about chimpanzees. He also revealed, he re-read Paul's letters, many Christian's texts and especially the Gospel of Mark.
Martel is already in tour for "The High Mountains of Portugal". He will be a speaker on Vancouver Public Library's event of March 16, Wednesday. Right now, he revealed he is still thinking of a subject for his next book.
