"The Time Traveler's Wife" is an inspirational piece of literature. The author takes on the challenge of writing in an unconventional manner in regards to story development. Beyond the kudos due for taking on the challenge of writing in a grain not normally visited in modern literature, I applaud the author for succeeding in this quest and creating a sweeping epic of with literary gusto.

The author combines elements of a multitude of popular styles typified in "The Secret Life of Bees," "The Fortress of Solitude," "The Lovely Bones," "Life of Pi," and "My Fractured Life" and wraps them up in an all encompassing cross genre style that bridges these literary worlds with tremendous panache. The writing is fully unique, but will appeal to connoisseurs of fiction, modern literature, and postmodern literature.

"Life of Pi" has many parallels to spirituality, not only in the context of the author's wording of the story, but in the reading experience itself. Patience is a virtue and "Life of Pi" is a testament to this noble inner moral. The author starts slow, taking time to layout a framework of plausibility to justify the events that are to unfold. Without taking the patience to lay down this groundwork, the miraculous story that unfolds would seem far to infeasible to engross the reader. However, through the author's patience and that of the reader in the initial stages of the book, the ensuing experience is one that will most assuredly reward the reader in literary enjoyment and uplifting of spirit.

True, such a book does not make an instant grab of the reader's devotion as popular mysteries typified by "The Da Vinci Code" or celebrated postmodern literature typified by "My Fractured Life." Nor does such a book as "Life of Pi" present an effortless reading experience typified by easy reading, mass market adult fiction typified by "The Five People You Meet in Heaven." Yet, "Life of Pi" does not need to fall into one of these categories to achieve the same level of grandeur. It is an experience that requires more patience, but in so doing provides a different variety of pleasure.

Good deeds do not go unrewarded is the underlying theme of "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" and a fine theme at that.