Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

-N- · 06-08-2004, 07:35 PM

Anyone read it? Thoughts?

If ever there was a book that could be accused of overreaching itself, this would be it. But somehow, no one can accuse it of doing so. It covers so much, but none of it seems extraneous (well, some metaphysics is repeated too much for my taste, but perhaps that's for the lay reader to understand better). And I also thought the ending was magnificent as well - it proved to be an excellent literary and philosophical adventure - something I consider difficult to do.

Burtsplurt · 06-08-2004, 09:56 PM

I haven't read it yet. I was going to (mainly because of the title!), but I was dissuaded by a friend who found it boring. Is it worth reading? I don't really like philosophy-heavy books, though.

-N- · 06-09-2004, 03:32 AM

As any philosophically-burdened novel, it can be cumbersome. But by the time you finish reading it, you can use big words like "cumbersome".

Seriously, if you can look at it holistically rather than "Gee, this part is long, and this is long too" and look at how it all fits together, it really is quite fascinating. Mostly.

Burtsplurt Beneath the Stars Location: Terra firma	#2 (permalink) I haven't read it yet. I was going to (mainly because of the title!), but I was dissuaded by a friend who found it boring. Is it worth reading? I don't really like philosophy-heavy books, though.
06-08-2004, 09:56 PM

-N-	#3 (permalink) As any philosophically-burdened novel, it can be cumbersome. But by the time you finish reading it, you can use big words like "cumbersome". Seriously, if you can look at it holistically rather than "Gee, this part is long, and this is long too" and look at how it all fits together, it really is quite fascinating. Mostly.
06-09-2004, 03:32 AM