I have read the book. It's by a Frenchman. The hero in the story is an Indian kid but it's a very esoteric story. It's about the human sprit and our ability to cope with the most horrid situations and sanitise it in our mind. I do not wish to ruin the movie for anyone other than to say the story is not cuddly. The setting and the personalities are Indian, Japanese, Chinese etc but the story is an universal one.... It's nothing really to do with India or Indian culture as such.... PI is the proverbial Everyman...
The animals are metaphors.... A great book that some may like me see as a story of belief in God and others may see it as completely from an humanist perspective. Judging by the ads its CGIs are amazing ....... The book I will recommend, the film no idea as have not seen it..... But it's a very very harsh story but where ultimately human will triumphs above unbelievable adversities.