Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

Not Only for Buddhists and Mechanics

The first of Robert Maynard Pirsig's two books, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is neither primarily focused on zen nor motorcycle maintenance but is a nonfiction account of the author's search for truth. More symbolic of the manifestation of Pirsig's philosophies, the concepts of zen and motorcycles are used to demonstrate the author's theories so that the reader can better visualize his ideas. Serving as the book's main organizational device, the motorcycle trip lasts for seventeen days beginning in Minnesota and ending in California. This quest motif seems to be representative of the author's larger search for truth, for identity, and for quality. Interspersed throughout the story of the author's journey through the mountains are what he likes to call Chautauquas: philosophical thoughts pertaining to life, human nature, humanity's relationship with technology, and the ever-elusive concept of quality, which is the book's main focus. The philosophical aspects make the book worth your time and somehow more sophisticated. The narrative aspects provides interest and gives you a break from all the deep concepts presented. The autobiographical aspects cause a relationship between the author and yourself to form. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance can be a perplexing book and a struggle to get through. In the beginning of the book, before you've adjusted to this unusual style of the author, you can't help but wonder as what this book's purpose is, be confused at this structure which you had never seen before, and even question the sanity of the author. Then, as a reader you become accustomed to Pirsig's writing style. You begin to look at things differently, where you don't look so much as to what the words are but what they mean. And after becoming accustomed to his unusual style, you learn to appreciate it. His use of narrative structure makes it seem as if the author is just now experiencing all of these thoughts and discovering all of these truths. Pirsig portrays himself to be in the act of philosophizing, in the act of his experiential struggles, not simply telling the reader afterward when the action is finished and the thought has ceased. As a reader, you feel as if you are experiencing these revelations in concurrence with him. Pirsig invites you to step into the next level of thinking but still allows you to formulate your own personal viewpoints and opinions. He doesn't write above the level of the average person, yet manages to not oversimplify things as if he's addressing ignorance. Before reading this book, I perceived the concepts which he discusses to be way above my level, perhaps because they simply are too complex for me or perhaps because I lack the patience to really sit down and examine them. Somehow, Pirsig made these topics more understandable. However, this is not to be confused with effortless. He does not make the topics easy and simple, but he makes them more accessible to an ordinary person like myself. He allows you to have the opportunity to look at and dissect these things, to relate them to your own thoughts and life, to have its own profound impact on you. There is still much confusion, times of frustration, endless hours of thinking about these concepts that just go around and around in your mind. There is still all of this, but there is no confusion as to what these topics are, just the marvelous confusion of what these topics mean. Personally, my perception of the theme was that changing your concept of the world and of life can change the world and life itself. Looking at things from a different point of view, a point of view not tainted by sociey's perception of right and wrong and normal, a point of view not tarnished by structure and routine, a point of view completely new and fresh, can do wonders. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is the type of book that stays with you long after you've finished reading it.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

It's worth the read

Reading the novel Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was overall an enjoyable experience. The novel is about the narrator's journey on his motorcycle with his son. The narrator describes everything he sees in detail throughout his trip, which does get quite boring and repetitive. Although the description of his journey may be boring, it gives the reader a feeling of truly being in the mind of the narrator. You feel as if what you're reading is a part of your own thought. One second you're just observing terrain, and the next second a thought emerges, which leads you to another thought and another thought. In his thoughts, the narrator begins to take apart what you know as truth, and concepts and ideas you would never think to question. He makes you wonder if everything you've ever know to be real is just a figment of your imagination. Because I've never studied or read philosophy, I found these topics new and exciting. The idea that the concepts of science are actually modern day ghost that we have come to believe in open my eyes to the idea that everything is only in the mind. The idea of ghosts seems silly to us now, but when the narrator explains it you really begin to understand that everything we believe in is as realistic as a ghost. Everything we believe in is only in our mind, whether its ghosts or science. As the narrator takes you through his thought process you begin to make connections, and you feel that you're studying philosophy yourself. The narrator also goes into Buddhist ideals. He talks about how everyone needs peace of mind to accomplish anything. He also says that before you can fix any exterior problems, like the fixing of a motorcycle, you must work on yourself first. You must resolve all your inner problems and then move on to your external problems one by one. If you have internal problems they will reflect onto your external problems and you will accomplish nothing. Although the philosophy is entertaining, certain parts are unclear and confusing. At some points you're unsure of whether the narrator has just contradicted himself, or if you have just missed something he has stated. The narrator's thoughts also get frustrating at times. After a long explanation of thought, the narrator sometimes refuted his own argument and had to start a new argument from scratch. Although it is frustrating, this only adds to the feeling that the novel is a trail of your own thoughts. As a person who is new to the concepts of philosophy, I feel that someone who has studied philosophy would not find this book as interesting as I had. Although the philosophical concepts may not be as thorough as a philosopher might like, it is interesting to see how one man evaluates his surroundings, and to see what conclusions he makes through his observations. The novel allows you to see many ways of looking at and evaluating life. The novel makes you think about things you would have never realized could even be questioned. Overall the novel was fun to read because you feel as if you're trying to figure out these rhetorical and logical flaws as the narrator does in his novel.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great Plot, But Very Confusing Read

Although well written, I felt that Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance presented it's ideas in a very confusing manner. This novel covered a larger array of topics than I ever recall noticing in other books. Pirsig is so passionate about his philosophical musings, that it comes off as rambling, which unless you are as interested as the author is, becomes very repetitive very quickly. I think I now understand the numerous rejections this novel had to endure before it was finally published. Perhaps he should have narrowed down the number of points of interest, so as to not confuse the reader. One "chautauqua," which was meant as a small philosophical discussion (resembling more what I imagine a college classroom lecture would be like), would consist of fifteen pages dealing with the split between classical and romantic reasoning. After about a paragraph of relief when the narrator goes back to describing the real story of a cross country road trip, he would begin yet another philosophical outpouring of ideas on a completely different topic. As a reader, I found myself continuously flipping back and forth throughout the story. Unfortunately not in a nostalgic way, but in an effort to understand how the two topics could possibly be related. If Pirsig actually believes that every topic discussed was absolutely necessary to get his message across, the term "less is more" was most likely a concept that he rejected. The fact that so many topics were discussed so thoroughly, and sometimes without a break in between, made this book a very slow read that required patience and a willingness to reread certain lines, passages or chapters. If it was the author's intention to use his ramblings as an example of the workings of a damaged mind, then he succeeded.
When I first heard the title of the book, I assumed it was allegorical, but instead found it to be a depressingly accurate description of what to expect. Sometimes I found the motorcycle analogies to be helpful when deciphering the author's message. For example, 'gumption traps' would have been a more difficult concept for me to understand if not for the association to boredom and frustration which get in the way of a mechanic's enthusiasm when repairing his cycle. However as someone totally unfamiliar with motorcycles, I found it especially difficult to stay focused on the theme when the author went into such tedious detail about specific machinery and tools.
On a more positive note, I found the actual story of Chris and his father to be fascinating (and brief!), especially with the conflict of Phaedrus trying to resurface and connect with his son. This was the first time I found myself relating to someone with a mental illness of this sort. Usually our brain is thought of as the way out of a problem, and this story made me wonder, "what if sometimes our minds are the problem?" My favorite part was the last time the narrator mentioned his recurring dream, because that marked the point where Phaedrus finally overcame himself and re-emerges.
All in all, with such an interesting plot, this novel would be less overwhelming if it was equal parts philosophy and actual storyline.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Far too much

Quick into reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance, I realized that the narrator enjoyed rambling. When discussing his journey he made sure to provide the reader with ample detail, however I did not personally like that. The immense amount of details seemed to sidetrack me from the philosophical understanding of the text. He went too far into details with the scenery that he saw, the weather, the mood, etc. With the excessive amount of detail, I was easily bored while reading and unfortunately, it would cause me to put the book down for periods of time, thus losing connection to the author. The whole idea of "repairing motorcycles" was distracting as well. As a female reader, the idea of repairing motorcycles does not interest me, therefore I lost any sense of connection through the random talk about the repair of them. I realize it was all for the narrator to get his points across about the relations of motorcycle repair to scenarios in life, but he could have simply showed the symbolism between the two and omitted all the extra unnecessary details. I found the conflicts within the book to be interesting and relatable to a more general audience though. There is the idea of reconciling with one's past as well as a father's lost connection with his son. These issues are all a result of the narrator's insanity. He must search for ways to find peace not only within himself, but also with those around him, especially his son. The only times I was able to feel connected to the text was during the philosophical discussions, mainly those of Phaedrus' beliefs, before the author would sidetrack back to describing his journey on the road to through the West. At this point the narrator discusses compelling philosophical insights that the reader is actually able to learn from. He discusses topics such as the classic-romantic split and stresses the importance of the unity of the two. The idea of "caring" was very common throughout his text as well. In order to be successful at something, one must care for what they are doing in order for their performance to reach its full potential. The narrator showed he cared about motorcycles by constantly mentioning them and through his knowledge to fix them without the necessity of a manual. He wanted to pass this knowledge to his son, but since there was no connection between them and Chris did not care, this was difficult for him to do. Finally, defining "Quality" was a major aspect in this novel. The author came to the conclusion that quality is the source of all objects and subjects and therefore cannot be defined. This book was assigned to me, had it been optional, I would not have chosen it. The overall message that the book portrayed about finding one's identity was very intriguing. Without the excessive detail, I think the book would have been pleasant to read in regards to the philosophical aspects that the author touches upon.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book changed everything for a highschool student in NJ.

This book had a profound effect on the way that I saw the world after reading it in highschool. It has had an effect on everything that I have done in the 15 years since. The book provokes the reader to ask questions about what we value in our lives and why without turning into some Dr Phil rhetoric about feelings. The story of the author and his son is compelling on its own and a perfect back drop for his inquiry into quality. I highly recomend it to anyone that hasnt read it before.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

An extraordinary read

I just finished re-reading this gem of a book. When I first read it, some 22 years ago, it spoke to so much of what I was grappling with and had no words for as I came to grips with a culture and society that seemed at best disinterested, and at times, hostile to any notion of authentic self-expression and communication. In the intervening years, through the participation in a rigorous discipline, I have come to have a deep regard and appreciation for the language and distinctions he creates, which are as fresh and powerful now as they were then. What Pirsig shares with us, his readers, is an extraordinary journey to the heart of our humanity, played out in multiple layers. I cannot recommend this book too highly. For me, it is one for all ages.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I wanted to like this book...

I almost went insane from the madness of detail in this book. I didn't feel any emotions for the characters or their situations. I felt obligated to finish the whole book and I suffered the whole way through. A very intelligent, eccentric friend of mine recommended this book to me. Therefore, I do admire those who can appreciate this book.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Illumination...

I read this book in the early 80s - and have re-read it several times... it made me step away from myself and really look at what my life was. I have read many books, but this one is on top of my list. It will take you to a different level of understanding and introduce you to what the meaning of life really is. It is an existential view of reality. This book should be read by all.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fascinating Look at a person's search for meaning

Many great reviews have been written here and have said most of what I want to say and agree with. I only wanted to add that this book is an incredible take on modern metaphysics. I see it as one person's search for universal truth, the search for meaning beyond dichotomous concepts such as 'good' and 'bad', hence the long and fascinating journey into what 'Quality' really means. Pirsig attempts to convey something beyond a simple view of the world, just as many before him have, such as Lao Tzu in the 'Tao Te Ching' or other books on Eastern Philosophy. This book is definitely for thinkers and will give you plenty to process. Another fascinating book, which is more a book that you absorb than think about and which really allows a practical understanding of something beyond 'good/bad' and 'right/wrong' is Ariel and Shya Kane's 'Working on Yourself Doesn't Work'. Whether or not you liked Pirsig's book, if you have an interest in understanding life and its meaning for you, the Kanes do a brilliant and beautiful job of making life easy and truly understanding 'Quality'. I think Robert Pirsig would even like them and their book. 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' offers a conceptual framework of how one might search for meaning and 'Working on Yourself Doesn't Work' is like the How-To Manual for getting meaning and satisfaction out of life.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a very good book th

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a very good book that makes you look at things with a very different perspective. The determination that is shown through the book is phenomenal, and it really is almost a spiritual experience. A motorcycle road trip does not seem like the most philosophical journey that one would take, but it actually opens a whole new world for the narrator and the audience. It takes something as ancient as Buddhism and outs it in a very nice perspective for contemporary readers. The motorcycle maintenance is not the kind that bores you or makes you put the book down. It is simply used as a metaphor for philosophical concepts. I highly recommend this book to someone that is looking to expand their horizons.

Classic

Definitely a good read and even re-read. Lots of notes to be shared as I read through the book. Ladies do not be turned off by the title, it is far more intellectual than having to do with motorcycles or engines.

Worth the read

This book introduced me to the idea of quality as a goal when I was a small boy. I found this book in a lemon and orange orchard in Ventura, CA as a 9 year old. I read the book until the cover fell off. Besides being a great way to introduce logical thought (because of the way the idea is presented) it is simply a good read.

Takes time to warm up to

Right from the start I could tell Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was going to be one of those books with excessive detail that would sometimes be unnecesary. I knew I would need much diligence in reading this book. One of the major themes of the story is finding a sense of indentity. The narrator struggles with this and finds himself at opposition with Phaedrus, his other personality. Phaedrus is very detached, detailed and stubborn and finds it his desire to seek the truth. The novel is divided into four parts in which the story unfolds. It is the story of a forty year old father and his eleven year old son who take a motorcycle trip from Minnesota through the Dakotas, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and California. They are accompanied for some time by the narrator's friends, a married couple, John and Sylvia Sutherland. Throughout the trip, the narrator feels that it is the perfect time to give these lectures he calls Chautauquas in which he explains such an overwhelming amount of philosophical ideas and analyzes those ideas,. By giving these Chautauquas, the narrator provides us with more and an understanding of how Phaedrus thought and what he thought about. The topics he chooses to talk about are: technology, classical versus romantic understanding, quality, deductive versus inductive logic,caring and attitude, 'gumption', and of course motorcycle maintenance. John and Sylvia are the narrator's victims in his talk about technology. He explains how the effect of technology makes one feel "alienated" and "a stranger in your own land" and how John and Slylvia hate technology and so try to run away from it. The narrator talks about quality but is never able to define it and just states that to achieve quality one must have clarity of mind and the right attitide. He also explains that gumption is encouragement and he provides not only gumption traps but the solutions to those traps. Of course these are very simple explanations of the many topics he has in-depth analyses of. Also, the narrator tends to be in the middle of his Chautauqua and suddenly cuts off to talk about the current motorcycle trip he and his son are taking that the story is supposed to be about. Aside from this inconsistency, he goes into great detail when he analyzes each subject and the book gets a bit confusing to understand and to follow. The flow of the book was not very well planned.One example of unnecesary detail found in the novel as I explained before is in chapter four where the author makes an extensive list of valuable items that should be taken on a motorcycle trip. In doing so he takes up the first half of the chapter giving information that does not directly have to do with what the plot of the story is about. I would not consider this as a book meant to be read by anyone below the college level. The book's 400 pages are packed with complex information that needs a lot of time to fully grasp and appreciate.

Don't read this while on the road.

I brought this book with me to read it while road tripping through the mountains of Puerto Rico. While this setting is different from the American Midwest, the boredom is not. As such, it frustrated me greatly that my one of my escapes from meditating on the random birds and trees that passed me by in real life was to read about a man meditating about the birds and trees that passed him in an partly autobiographical novel. Persig truly succeeds as an author in his ability to describe the boredom of being on the open road. To break from that monotonous cycle, I tried to just focus my attention on the parts where Persig discusses logic, reasoning, zen, and most importantly, quality. I must note this diversion because the book really can be separated into two parts: a story about a father and son trying to connect as well as a discussion on the journey to uncover the ultimate truths of life. I did not enjoy the story. I barely cared about the characters and nothing gets resolved in the end if you really analyze the whole thing. But alas, even I, who loves philosophy and have even electively taken logic and reasoning courses, grew bored with the sections where Persig discusses philosophy. Perhaps the central problem with the book is Persig's long winded writing. I like getting to the point while Persig enjoys dragging out each and every idea, whether it describes a lake that passes the motorcyclists or it argues a philosophy. Additionally, the analogy of motorcycle maintenance feels forced. I actually grew anxious after literally the hundredth time bolts and screws were used as an analogy. And trust me, it really was the hundredth. On the other hand, reading this book may have subconsciously worked. Even writing this review, I find myself questioning how I am supposed to determine the quality of this book. Why? Because many of the ideas persig wrote about have stuck . What makes a good author? Does a good book communicate the authors own thoughts? I mean, the entire book really made me feel like I was locked in a room that was known as Persig's mind. Furthermore, there were many passages within the book that actually do help with every day thinking. The section where Persig discusses his cures for boredom ironically helped me finish the book. As a whole, I would definitely never read this book again. I really did grow impatient while Persig would "get at it slowly". Maybe I'm just young and impatient. Maybe half of the book could have easily been edited out and all of the memorable and best information would have remained intact anyway. But I would certainly not recommend this book for any small children, not because it is graphic, but because it takes a certain enthusiasm that only exists for the most fervent fans of highly descriptive narration. Some people love that; I am not one of those people. On the contrary, finishing this book is not only rewarding because it can stand as a challenge of will, but it is also filled with ideas that stick. If there is one thing that you take away from this review, however, is that you should never take this book to try and escape from traveling.

Pirsig wanders deeply into the depths of life

After finishing Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, I highly recommend it to those who are interested in the deep analysis of the infinite aspects of life. Pirsig demonstrates his unusual, but gifted talent for classifying and sub-dividing people and their behavior. The author also completely alters the manner in which the majority of society views some components of life. For example, he notes that Quality is the source of, essentially, everything and that, contrary to common belief, Quality creates subject-object relationships. Personally, I enjoyed this view on Quality as it required me to analyze deeper than to what I am accustomed. Pirsig ventures extraordinarily deep into the concept of Quality, always capitalizing the "Q" in order to illustrate its God-like significance. Pirsig even relates Quality to the ancient Greek Philosophers and explains how they affected the existence of Quality in different societies. He demonstrates how Plato mistakenly solidifies the concept, making Quality a truth, diminishing its superiority. He explains how Aristotle worsened Plato's fault, causing Quality to cease existing as people's reality. Of course, by reading the novel, these analyses contain more clarity as Pirsig investigates these topics more in depth. Although his examination into Quality is quite fascinating, his commentary on the existence of truth is the part of the novel I find most interesting. Pirsig mentions that the many truths of this world are ghosts, no different than those seen in a haunted house. He elaborates by explaining that Isaac Newton invented the law of gravity just as someone millions of years ago invented the idea of a ghost. The only difference is that in contemporary times Newton is supported by science. But what is science other than a composition of several ghosts? Pirsig's inquiry sinks even deeper as he opines that the facts and truths that exist are purely based upon the myths established in ancient times. He explains that over the years, the truths of each generation have been built upon several times, but the base of these facts is myth. For this reason, the author claims, when one embarks on a journey to find the meaning of existence, if one ventures deep enough, he will discover that every fact he has come to learn has been based upon fiction! A revelation so breathtaking it can only lead to insanity. The final aspect that makes Pirsig's masterpiece so revolutionary is the supplementary storyline that accompanies the extreme analysis of Quality, life, and human behavior. That is, the development of a relationship between father and son. While on a motorcycle journey with his son, the protagonist of the story, the Narrator, must overcome his early-life struggles in order to achieve serenity and live happily with his son. Throughout the novel, the father-son relationship and the investigation into Quality appear to be two completely different story lines, incapable of being brought together. However, we ultimately see that it was precisely this analysis by the Narrator that allowed him to confront his early life and, therefore, overcome it, strengthening his relationship with his son. The uniting of these two story lines combined with his ability to constantly explain the importance of Zen illustrate Pirsig's onject of brilliance called Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Falls short of expectations

Any novel that advertises itself as a ".provocative, profound, and deeply affecting modern classic that has inspired millions" certainly establishes high expectations first and foremost. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry of into Values should be applauded for its rich, in-depth information in the broad field of philosophy. However, author Robert M. Pirsig fails to deliver his message in a way that the general public can easily understand. Pirsig's attempt to explain the idea of quality takes several confusing and often frustrating turns.
The unnamed narrator, presumably Pirsig himself, struggles with a dormant personality, whom he refers to as "Phaedrus." The opposing viewpoints that the narrators contrasting personality's envelope often leave the reader wondering which viewpoint is in fact being preached. Pirsig's obvious purpose in writing this novel is to offer advice to the reader on how to live a better life. The endeavor is an utter failure. Pirsig dedicates countless pages towards the explanation of various philosophical concepts that fail to enlighten the average reader. Concepts including quality, romantic and classical modes of thinking, rhetoric, dialectic, and gumption are just a few that the author touches base on. While Pirsig dedicates the majority of the novel to these concepts, the reader likely fails to completely comprehend their true meanings. The letdown happens for one of two reasons. The first may be that Pirsig goes into such detail in just a short span of writing that new ideas are presented before the reader understands the basics. Moreover, after penetrating the surface of each concept, the author repeatedly goes on tangents that may further perplex the already timid reader.
Another frustrating facet of the novel is the failure to establish credibility on the narrator's part. Granted, the narration clearly displays extensive knowledge on every philosophical concept discussed. Also, it would seem as though a college professor would know exactly what he is talking about. However, it becomes evident that the main character struggles with mental illness, as evidenced by his references to double personalities, extended hospital stays, loss of memory, social ineptness, schizophrenia, and depression. How can a narrator who terms himself as a victim of insanity provide "An Inquiry into Values." The idea is laughable.
Despite the author's failure to get across to most readers, he may be applauded for his endeavor. The brilliant use of metaphors in nearly every explanation is an intelligent way to help relate to the reader. The prose manner in which the narrator dictates his ideas also helps to deter the overwhelming of the reader. The reader also has the privilege of numerous breaks from philosophy as Pirisg describes the cross-country journey. Romantic descriptions of various settings including the mountains, lowlands, and oceans of the west faintly suppress the monotonous nature of the novel. The most useful aspect of this novel may be Pirsig's step-by-step instructions of how to avoid mental-blocks. He lays out a clear guideline, which, humorously enough, can be used to help finish reading the novel.
Numerous institutions, such as Time, The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun, and The New Yorker promise a novel will be a helpful guide to living a better life. However, after reading this book, I say with confidence that the time it takes to read and understand this novel should be directed to

*

Philosophical literature is ambiguous insofar as the method in which it is communicated. This ambiguity arises because philosophy is such a personal endeavor. In my experience philosophers rarely frame their beliefs in the form of a narrative. Robert M. Pirsig utilizes this story driven approach as can be seen in his novel Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I was initially skeptical of how successful this approach would be. The storyline did spark my interest, however I feel that Pirsig should have committed more to the development of supporting characters. I believe that a majority of the author's ideas are a result of his relationship with Chris and had he elaborated on this relationship, his motives would have been clearer. The amount of philosophical banter was comparatively overwhelming to the amount of attention placed on the actual story. This lack of balance disrupted the overall flow of the novel. Although interesting, the philosophy discussed often felt verbose and unnecessarily dense. I feel that it would have been more effective in keeping the attention of the reader if each argument had been a bit more condensed. Pirsig consistently used a dual nature in his arguments, which paralleled many other aspects of his life, namely his identity versus the identity of Phaedrus. Because of this specific consistency, there was a general or common problem shared in all of the arguments. There is no clear answer to anything. No question of philosophical origin can be answered in a "right or wrong" fashion. This is where the issue of values comes into question. It is only when the narrator realizes that there is always other alternatives or perspectives in any issue that he is able to come to terms with his past identity, and become one with himself. I feel that this is part of the main goal of the author; to demonstrate the flexibility of thought and truth. One of the strongest points in his writing was the use of motorcycles. Immediately the motorcycle is identified as a system that needs meticulous and patient maintenance, which is beautifully compared to the necessities in society and in the human condition. This also allowed an exploration into the idea that problems are not fixed directly, but rather they must be fixed from the source. Pirsig begins the novel wanting to simply recite his beliefs in his head, slowly fixing all the indirect sources of his major problem. By the end, he has come to terms with Phaedrus and has truly restored his relationships and his being. Reading this book was not always a completely enjoyable experience. I feel that the verbosity of the text truly did become too much and took away from the greater picture. That being said, I feel that looking at this book as a sort of biography makes it much more interesting. The fact that someone lived this intellectual endeavor and felt this passion and enlightenment is truly fascinating. In retrospect, I feel that this is a successful novel because of Pirsig's ability to humanize the philosophy in which he believes. It is truly an amazing thing to read a novel that makes one feel as if their own thoughts are developing simultaneously to the authors. In a way, it creates a connection between author and reader and an infinite cycle of intellectual development.

Decent, but missing a major scene.

I discourage people from reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance for two main reasons: the monotony of the more factual passages, and the disconnection of the abstract philosophical passages with the real, concrete world. Throughout the novel, Pirsig intersperses long passages describing tangible, real experiences with various long philosophical abstractions. The purpose of the more concrete passages becomes painfully apparent, as Pirsig tries to correlate his conceptual philosophy with seemingly down-to-earth experiences. To the reader, these passages just become pages and pages of different mechanical components of a motorcycle or, on occasion, sights in rural western America. Although interesting to a person heavily involved in a chop shop, to whom I recommend buying this book as soon as possible, it becomes merely a dreadful focal point with which any other profession struggles. Moreover, after subjecting the reader to so many pages of painful tedium, Pirsig fails to even connect the two seemingly independent stories that he is developing. The resulting novel is, for all practical purposes, two separate, individual, and most of all unrelated stories. One of abstract philosophical thought, and the other of concrete listing, almost like reading an IKEA manual that explains all possible issues one may encounter when attempting to put together a chair.
Therefore, the most disappointing aspect of the book is the massive separation from the real and the abstract. Pirsig switches between both of these in an almost schizophrenic manner, the transitions coming more and more often until the two stories 'merge' which unfortunately never completely occurs. After one reads the fruition of all of Pirsig's abstract rambling, an intellectual climax of sorts, they understand that the deficient descriptions of the motorcycle trip were just there to support his 'life-changing' philosophical discovery. But at the real climax of the book, when both stories should merge, Pirsig falls extremely short of his mark and the entire book becomes disjointed and obsolete. The want and need of this merge is so great as one travels throughout the book, and its disappearance in the novel is sorely noted. These theoretical passages that are difficult, confusing, and require painstaking re-reading and without a tie to the practical world, which Pirsig promises again and again, they conclude with no real purpose in helping society. The entire book loses all of its meaning and no longer helps people, but only has a claim to be a 'fun' read, which it is not. Even in the title, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Pirsig puts two contradictory ideas in a sentence and there is an implication that at some point in the novel the complex ideal and the concrete practice will come together in a meaningful way. Unfortunately, it never happens. The premise, theme, meaning, and promises of the novel drift into obscurity and leave the reader with an unsatisfying end that calls for an explanation of why he or she has wasted the last few weeks of their time. If the climax occurred and the abstract philosophy had an implication in everyday life, then the book might be worth reading. In its current state, however, it is not.

Don't Believe the Hype

A best-selling novel and my father's favorite book, I began reading Zen with high expectations. The back cover promises that Zen is: "The extraordinary story of a man's quest for truth. It will change the way you think and feel about your life." Needless to say, I was disappointed to discover that I would be spending my time reading through nothing more than Pirsig's monotonous, self-absorbed ramblings. The story follows the narrator's cross-country road trip with his son; however, the plot becomes merely a backdrop to the narrator's hard-to-follow philosophical discussions. In fact, he hardly mentions his son for the first half of the novel, aside from a few negative remarks towards him, and instead is absorbed in his own lame observations. The parts where the author bothers to mention his relationship with his son, specifically Phaedrus' relationship with him, are fascinating and I wish Pirsig had gone further into developing it. In fact, any sort of development of characters other than himself would've contributed to the success of the story as a whole. But instead, the plot becomes lost in his endless philosophizing. Furthermore, Pirsig desperately tries to connect his story and ramblings with flimsy transitions that are clearly forced. Instead, most of the book is made up of constant complaints about weather, unimportant observations that contribute nothing to the overall story, and the narrator's tiresome philosophical monologues. I quickly found myself being forced to continue reading. To be honest, most of my disinterest probably stems from my complete lack of knowledge regarding the mechanics of motorcycles, which made up a large part of the novel. A discussion that peaked my interest involved the author's suggestion that things we accept as fact, such as the laws of science, may be nothing more than another "ghost." Pirsig writes, "The laws of science contain no matter and have no energy either and therefore do not exist except in people's minds. It's best to be completely scientific about the whole thing and refuse to believe in either ghosts or the laws of science." Pirsig's discussion on the classical and romantic split also engaged my attention. However, a few insightful philosophical discussions weren't enough to win me over --and for the most part, unfortunately, his philosophical ideas were weak. For example, his explanation of the concept of "Quality" is drawn out and ultimately left a mystery to the reader as Pirsig ultimately declares it indefinable. Also, for a student who is not at all well versed in the origins of Greek and Eastern philosophy, I found myself struggling to understand references to Aristotle, Plato and Eastern philosophers. For the most part, Pirsig's writing came across as unorganized and random, as he struggled to make a real connection between his philosophical ideas and the actual plot. It's no surprise to me that Zen was rejected by over 100 publishers, despite becoming a best-selling book, as it generally doesn't seem to appeal to a large audience.

Goood book !

Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance proves to be a compelling, thought-provoking voyage through the intricate mind of Phaedrus. Pirsig structures the novella to depict Phaedrus's ongoing stream of consciousness, paralleling his thought process quite accurately by imitating his acute ability to drift into a tangent while maintaining focus on the bigger picture. The themes of man's search for identity and man's quest for meaning power Pirsig's tale as an engaging discourse of what has become of the modern man and his values. Pirsig encourages readers to look beyond superficialities and to analyze the underlying message. He emphasizes life's dualities and the significance in maintaining differences in harmony. He is able to express points across simply enough when needed, yet able to express them complexly enough to keep you contemplating about the depth of the sentence you just read. As the author covers subjects such as Oriental mysticism and pre-Socrates thinking, this book may not be for those disinterested in such topics. I, myself, am not too interested in Greek philosophy, therefore, I tended to lose concentration on the series of pages describing the extensive ideas of Plato, Aristotle and Socrates. Nonetheless, this book provides both a romantic and classical appeal, on the surface depicting a physical and emotional journey between father and son, following the underlying message through the psychological journey for a man's search for identity. This feature allows Pirsig to extend his audience range to accommodate differing interests as a result. The installment of Pirsig's personal account about his alienated relationship with his son provokes an emotional appeal to the characters on a more relatable level as well. His approach is clever, as Pirsig utilizes the weather as a frequent method to better describe his current relation with Chris and the nature of his Chautauquas. To those who enjoy lengthy descriptions, this story will not let you down. On a serious note, Pirsig highlights the dangers of fanaticism and the fine line between mental insanity and enlightenment. Losing oneself to an idea leads to an unhealthy and potentially self-destructing lifestyle. In other words, Pirsig depicts the condition leading to man's downfall. I not only highly recommend this book to those interested in those topics stated previously, but also to those who simply wish to enhance their knowledge on life philosophy. As a difficult read, in order to fully appreciate Pirsig's work, one requires patience and a more mature level of reading comprehension. This book will challenge you to perceive everyday commonalities in a new manner and strengthen your understanding of common knowledge. By the end of the novel, the reader will believe to have undergone Pirsig's motorcycle journey too. Ultimately, the author's most noteworthy features of the book is his innovative method of attaching his abstract ideas onto something as concrete as a motorcycle. His ability to provide a perfect example to each of his ideas is what leaves the reader with such a lasting impression. I guarantee that Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance will be a book to remember.