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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I get why people like this book, but I found it hard to stay with it through its duration and I renewed it 6 times! I think it’s fine.
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
My copy of the book looks much thumbed after this single reading and I must add that I am glad I bought this book and did not borrow it. Reading this book, I've discovered the joy in marking and post-it-ing books! Full review here: http://dappledpavement.blogspot.in/2012/09/zen-and-art-of-motorcycle-maintenance.html
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first time I read this book I was 19 and the metaphysics felt like a huge revelation. Now rereading it years later as an adult, it just comes across as a mentally unstable and unloving father neglecting his son and friends as they bike cross country. Extremely self absorbed and self aggrandizing main character. I get it was the 70s but still.
This was hard for me to get through. I’m not even sure how to rate it. There were moments of brilliance and lots of “huh”? I guess that’s why I’m going middle of the road with this one. I was surprised at the end.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have always been interested in reading this book for the exact reason the author describes in it's afterword. He denotes the book a "kulturbarer," a Swedish word for "culture-barer," which in this instance, describes the book as one that defines a generation. The problem I discovered while reading this book is there is a big disconnect between the experiences of my generation and the experiences of the author.
Speaking first to his more general outlines of specific philosophers such as Kant, Hegel, and Hume, anyone that hasn't taken a philosophy course will certainly find it useful and interesting information, however those who have read a significant amount of philosophy will find those sections to be re-hashed. Pirsig eventually ties together his philosophical analysis to make his point about "Quality" and its existence as a universal, undefinable term. The problem I have with this argument is that Pirsig could have easily made his point in much fewer pages. I understand he probably went into more depth in order to give more weight to his main character's (Phaedrus) downfall, but it caused his rhetorical arguments to become increasingly tedious.
The one point I think this generation can really connect to is the need to separate oneself from technology and experience your surroundings. The problem I have here is he didn't really describe this point to that great of an extent, instead taking the time to hammer in his fundamental point, the difference between technological and romantic viewpoints.While technological and romantic viewpoints are an interesting lense through which to analyze society, from my personal experience, the gap between the technological and the romantic viewpoints is becoming increasingly small with the rise of computer-based careers such as graphic design, web design and computer engineering which require a balance of both artistic and technological skill.
While I will say the book's structure of going back and forth between Phaedrus' experiences and the motorcycle trip was interesting, content wise I was unsatisfied.
Speaking first to his more general outlines of specific philosophers such as Kant, Hegel, and Hume, anyone that hasn't taken a philosophy course will certainly find it useful and interesting information, however those who have read a significant amount of philosophy will find those sections to be re-hashed. Pirsig eventually ties together his philosophical analysis to make his point about "Quality" and its existence as a universal, undefinable term. The problem I have with this argument is that Pirsig could have easily made his point in much fewer pages. I understand he probably went into more depth in order to give more weight to his main character's (Phaedrus) downfall, but it caused his rhetorical arguments to become increasingly tedious.
The one point I think this generation can really connect to is the need to separate oneself from technology and experience your surroundings. The problem I have here is he didn't really describe this point to that great of an extent, instead taking the time to hammer in his fundamental point, the difference between technological and romantic viewpoints.While technological and romantic viewpoints are an interesting lense through which to analyze society, from my personal experience, the gap between the technological and the romantic viewpoints is becoming increasingly small with the rise of computer-based careers such as graphic design, web design and computer engineering which require a balance of both artistic and technological skill.
While I will say the book's structure of going back and forth between Phaedrus' experiences and the motorcycle trip was interesting, content wise I was unsatisfied.
I really bounced back and forth on how to rate this book— in the depths of the philosophical droning (IMO) it felt like a 2 star, simply because these type of meta-philosophy discussions definitely aren’t my cup of tea. But then when that was flipped to practical insights on things like religion, relationship, human-technology interactions, I felt energized and inspired. I know Pirsig intended these aspects to go hand in hand— can’t have one without the other— but the slow, dragging parts were really slow and really dragged. But I’ll settle on the three stars because I do feel I got some value out of it in the end.
I’ll note also that the later written intro and afterward that reflected on the book’s success over the half century since it was written definitely helped with context. In many ways, the esteem this book comes from the moment in cultural revolution it was written, a time I am too young to have seen. So criticizing or taking for granted much of what Pirsig was sharing about things like mental health and technology feels like calling the Beatles overrated because you weren’t around to experience how they changed things.
In the end, I think I’ll be happy to keep my copy on my shelf and May even revisit some of the particularly interesting and moving passages dedicated to the motorcycle trip and the gather-son relationship (god, I feel so sorry for Chris), but I can’t see myself slogging through it all again.
I’ll note also that the later written intro and afterward that reflected on the book’s success over the half century since it was written definitely helped with context. In many ways, the esteem this book comes from the moment in cultural revolution it was written, a time I am too young to have seen. So criticizing or taking for granted much of what Pirsig was sharing about things like mental health and technology feels like calling the Beatles overrated because you weren’t around to experience how they changed things.
In the end, I think I’ll be happy to keep my copy on my shelf and May even revisit some of the particularly interesting and moving passages dedicated to the motorcycle trip and the gather-son relationship (god, I feel so sorry for Chris), but I can’t see myself slogging through it all again.