59 pages • 1 hour read
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
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Book Brief
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1974540
Book • Nonfiction
United States • 1960s
1974
Adult
18+ years
1040L
Super Short Summary
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, published in 1974 by Robert M. Pirsig, follows a father and his son on a motorcycle journey across America, using the trip as a frame to explore philosophical ideas, conflicts, and resolutions about living a balanced life. The narrative weaves together Eastern and Western philosophies to address how technology can enrich rather than degrade human life, all while delving into the narrator's past and his relationship with his son, Chris. The journey from Minneapolis to San Francisco, along with their companions, the Sutherlands, provides a backdrop against which these themes are examined. Sensitive topics include mental health issues and past trauma.
Contemplative
Challenging
Melancholic
Reviews & Readership
247,428 ratings
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Mixed feelings
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Review Roundup
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig is lauded for its deep philosophical insights and unique narrative approach, blending a cross-country motorcycle journey with complex discussions on quality and the art of living. However, some readers find its philosophical passages dense and its pacing uneven, potentially alienating those seeking a straightforward travelogue.
Who Should Read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance?
Readers who appreciate philosophical inquiries into life's meaning, combined with personal narrative, will enjoy Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Fans of works like Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha and Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning that blend introspective reflection with engaging storytelling will find it compelling.
247,428 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
PHAEDRUS
PHAEDRUS
The narrator's former self, named after a character in Plato's dialogues, who was an academic prodigy dissatisfied with conventional Western reasoning. He developed a philosophy centered around the concept of Quality.
CHRIS
CHRIS
The narrator's eleven-year-old son who joins him on a motorcycle journey. He frequently experiences stomachaches that the narrator attributes to potential mental health issues.
JOHN SUTHERLAND
JOHN SUTHERLAND
A friend of the narrator who joins the motorcycle trip with his wife, Sylvia. He owns a BMW motorcycle and prefers not to maintain it himself, representing a “romantic” view of technology.
SYLVIA SUTHERLAND
SYLVIA SUTHERLAND
John's wife who accompanies him on the journey. She shares her husband's "romantic" outlook towards technology, showing an aversion to it.
540
Book • Nonfiction
United States • 1960s
1974
Adult
18+ years
1040L
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