There is no way to know if Pi is telling an honest story or not. In fact, that is the very question that Pi and author Martel leave readers with at the end of the book. Pi is being interviewed about the sinking of the ship and the following 227 days. He narrates two stories. One is with animals and is full of amazing things. It is practically unbelievable. The other story contains none of those things, but it is more believable. Pi boldly asks the interviewer which story he likes better. Pi points out that the factual details did not change in either story, and the investigators can't prove which version is the true version. They have to take his word for it.
"So tell me, since it makes no factual difference to you and you can't prove the question either way, which story do you prefer? Which is the better story, the story with animals or the story without animals?"
Because of that single quote, I do not think that Pi is a completely honest story teller. I believe that he is honest when it comes to telling the cold hard facts.
"In both stories the ship sinks, my entire family dies, and I suffer."
Beyond that though, I think much of the story is imaginative embellishment on the part of Pi.
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