I want to be in on the Better Story

First of all, let me say that I love how Yann Martel writes: the flow of his language, the use of just enough imagery (but not too much so as to become flowery) , his down-to-earth voice that's still lofty enough to respect. I found a series of short stories by him at Hastings for less than a dollar one time and immediately bought it. Someone greatly under-appreciates this man's work and skill as a writer. For anyone interested, the short story compilation is called The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios.

The passage in Chapter 22 well illustrates the beauty of Martel's writing. I also love the three-word phrase he uses at the end: the better story. The short chapter describes Pi's imagining of the death of an atheist and the death of an agnostic. While I do not esteem atheists to the same degree Pi does because I believe everyone should believe in God and can love Jesus, I do still respect them more than the agnostic; the description of an agnostic's reasoning as "dry, yeast-less factuality" is fitting, indeed. And that three-word phrase, the better story, signifies that there is something to live for in this life, something worth our efforts and time, fitting of the term "better." He refers to the life of faith; I have tasted of it, but I want to see much more than I have what it really means to live for it.