Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, written by Robert M. Pirsig, is a fantastic philosophical book that really forces the mind to open up to the mystery of science. The book is about a motorcycle trip that a boy and his father take during their summer vacation. The story describes in vivid detail the scenery of the trip as well as how much more fantastic it is made due to the trip being made by motorcycle, rather then in a car. Often while on the trip, the narrator, who is the main character of the book, goes into incredible detail about motorcycle maintenance, philosophically linking it to all aspects of life. This book was definitely one of the most difficult I have ever read: the narration forces you to re-read paragraphs and even whole pages to figure out exactly what Pirsig is talking about. I found that my mental idea of life was changed and my view on how life should be done was re-considered due to the opinions expressed in this exploration.
(1) I would recommend this book to a more seasoned reader, due to the language and ideas of the story being presented in a high level fashion. This book is a fantastic read for these two reasons: it gives an extremely mind-opening view of all kinds of subjects, anything from how people react to technology to the philosophical idea of how senses work. Another reason I would recommend this book would be the incredible amount of sensory description used in the book. You could feel the heat coming from the engine as the characters where traveling on the open highway, or the chill of the morning drilling into your bones. This book is one which will be easily read 2 or 3 times while still keeping the reader glued to the book.
(11)(question: What would you ask the author if you got a chance to) Seeing as the book is a philosophical autobiography, the main character is also the author. If I was fortunate enough to get to talk to Robert, I would like to ask him what other bike trips he has taken, and what links they share with his past. He has a very complex and interesting past history, and I think he might have more stories waiting to be told.
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Cameron- you write well about this seminal piece of coming of age writing! I write 'coming of age' as it seemed that all of my friends in University were reading and re-reading this to try and understand the world better. You write that this book has changed your mental view of life...how so? What do you think of his views of Zen meditation?
ReplyDeleteZen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance sounds like a very interesting book, and I would now like to read it one day! Is there a book that you have read or have heard about that is related to this one, that you would recommend?
ReplyDeleteI saw this book on the list and was thinking about reading it. You said it was a difficult read; is it difficult to the point of being confusing in any way? Even if it is, it still definitely sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteHello Amy- I am interested to hear Cameron's view on level of difficulty, but I think it is a good fit for your age. It could be an adventure story AND it can be considered a philosophical treatise- it just depends on how you read it! Cameron- what do you think?
ReplyDeletethe book is very hard to interpret. the problem is that is uses a very high level of vocabulary as well as a high level of thought. the book had lots of references to past philosophers, this caused me to think about how life really works. it also includes many ideas on how to solve problems for yourself, and not to always ask for help. To respond to your question Katie, i have never read a book like this one. the only reason i did read it was cause my dad said it was fantastic. also touching back on the level of the book; it can be very difficult to keep up with the philosophical idea of it, luckily it does have a mental relief every so often, with the adventure role of the book coming into action.
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