Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel

I enjoyed this book much more than The Life of Pi, Martel's previous bestseller. At times it struck me as a bit smug (Henry seems to stand in pretty obviously for Martel), and at times the violence of the text really shocked me (although I don't know that it was inappropriate in a book about the Holocaust). I was really intrigued by the play Beatrice and Virgil: I thought it was very well done, in the manner of Beckett. I know this book will remain in my mind for a long time--there's a lot to ponder.