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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
I know, it's a cliche, but it changed my mind and life, and has kept changing it even though I've never re-read it.
I had high hopes for this book, but after 60 pages, I'm not going to keep reading.
I knew this book was part philosophy, part motorcycle journey, and while I don't care much about motorcycle maintenance, I was interested in the zen book. But the story line doesn't go much anywhere, and the transitions between road trip and internal dialogue with something (Is it a person? Is it a ghost?) called Phaedrus (who later turns out to be the author?) are confusing and don't seem to further the author's goal.
The road trip scenes through the Midwest offer more color to an otherwise dry reading, but the author is haughty and spends his time judging his traveling companions for their simultaneous dependence on and frustration with technology. He also is continuously mean to his 11-year-old son, who seems to constantly annoy the author for no reason other than his existence.
Maybe I'll revisit this book when I'm a little older and hopefully, wiser, because I realize a lot of people say this book has changed their lives. For now, though, I can't get into this rant, and I'm moving on.
I knew this book was part philosophy, part motorcycle journey, and while I don't care much about motorcycle maintenance, I was interested in the zen book. But the story line doesn't go much anywhere, and the transitions between road trip and internal dialogue with something (Is it a person? Is it a ghost?) called Phaedrus (who later turns out to be the author?) are confusing and don't seem to further the author's goal.
The road trip scenes through the Midwest offer more color to an otherwise dry reading, but the author is haughty and spends his time judging his traveling companions for their simultaneous dependence on and frustration with technology. He also is continuously mean to his 11-year-old son, who seems to constantly annoy the author for no reason other than his existence.
Maybe I'll revisit this book when I'm a little older and hopefully, wiser, because I realize a lot of people say this book has changed their lives. For now, though, I can't get into this rant, and I'm moving on.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was creative and had an interesting approach of a person struggling with internal conflict. However, I feel like the reader needs a class in philosophy to appreciate what the author was really getting into. If you are reading this, it weighs about 2/3 into the internal narrative and 1/3 into to motorcycle trip. That would have influenced my choice to read this.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The book is very tough to get through, especially if you're not used to how philosophical this book is. It's perspective on our world is interesting, but very challenging to grasp for an inexperienced reader.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Second time through and I see it in a whole new light, particularly as I coach people in meaning and purpose. This idea of something to “move towards” and the dissatisfaction that comes with compliance and conformity are huge themes, and having a source for this cultural split as well as a simple yet powerful analogy as motorcycle maintenance to ground it all is powerful. The metaphor of finding one’s self is not lost on me, though I craved more of his actual experience of transformation, but perhaps his was not that type of narrative to write.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes