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1.62k reviews for:
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values
Robert M. Pirsig
3.53 AVERAGE
1.62k reviews for:
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values
Robert M. Pirsig
3.53 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
This is a must read for motorcyclist, armchair philosophers, and anyone interested in exploring a different view of life. Though written in the early 70s is a still relevant today.
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
some philosophy went over my head
tldr
“The tree that you are aware of intellectually, because of that small time lag, is always in the past and therefore is always unreal. Any intellectually conceived object is always in the past and therefore unreal. Reality is always the moment of vision before the intellectualization takes place. There is no other reality. This preintellectual reality is what Phaedrus felt he had properly identified as Quality. Since all intellectually identifiable things must emerge from this preintellectual reality, Quality is the parent, the source of all subjects and objects.”
tldr
“The tree that you are aware of intellectually, because of that small time lag, is always in the past and therefore is always unreal. Any intellectually conceived object is always in the past and therefore unreal. Reality is always the moment of vision before the intellectualization takes place. There is no other reality. This preintellectual reality is what Phaedrus felt he had properly identified as Quality. Since all intellectually identifiable things must emerge from this preintellectual reality, Quality is the parent, the source of all subjects and objects.”
As a novel it's boring and unnecessarily long, but as philosophical inquiry into values and perception, it's exceptional and life altering!
Some key arguments at the end about sophists and realists went over my head but will anyway read this again, to better grasp all the ideas.
Some key arguments at the end about sophists and realists went over my head but will anyway read this again, to better grasp all the ideas.
I tried. I gave it 5 + chapters...and I was enjoying it (even if it was a slow read) - and then he lost me. There were several pages that I went back over, trying to figure out where I lost him, but -- nope..he just went off. This book is working to the opposite of Zen for me, so I am going to let it go.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
I first came across this book because of a CBC Ideas podcast called "The Motorcycle is Yourself". It contained bits of an interview with Mr. Pirsig, just before his book became uber-famous. I resolved to read it, finally have, and am going to promptly read it again.
As all the best books do, I feel that this book is echoing my own thoughts and musings. How to live well? What is good? How do we reconcile the classic and romantic mindsets? Why am I suspicious of both Plato and Aristotle? :)
I found that my familiarity with the philosophical subject matter increased my patience for reading through sections that were a bit dense or abstract. Compared with some of the clearly unedited treatises by other philosophers, this is a breeze. I also found that knowing a few details of the author's own life made the narrative compelling, knowing that a lot of what is described is true.
Highly recommended, good holiday reading for those interested in philosophy.
As all the best books do, I feel that this book is echoing my own thoughts and musings. How to live well? What is good? How do we reconcile the classic and romantic mindsets? Why am I suspicious of both Plato and Aristotle? :)
I found that my familiarity with the philosophical subject matter increased my patience for reading through sections that were a bit dense or abstract. Compared with some of the clearly unedited treatises by other philosophers, this is a breeze. I also found that knowing a few details of the author's own life made the narrative compelling, knowing that a lot of what is described is true.
Highly recommended, good holiday reading for those interested in philosophy.