No.6
I'm reading this book at the moment. Anyone read it? Did you like it?
No.10
>>6I was reading it in my senior year of high school, but then my friend offed himself and I never picked it back up.
I read a synopsis, though. It seemed interesting. I think the disassociation for the main character between what he wants and is expected to portray is something we can all relate to.
No.60
I basically lived off this book in sophomore year of college, I must have read it cover to cover like 10 times. I still do like it, but not for the same reasons I originally did.
Let me tell you right now, this book is not real philosophy. It's a confused, disorderly, at times raving book that lurches between philosophical treatise and personal Grail quest. Pirsig wants you to know that Phaedrus, his philosophical alter ego, went through great pain and trouble to arrive upon this intense revelation. If that sounds familiar it's because it's the exact equivalent of Jesus spending 40 days in the desert before angels come and reveal all to him.
Phaedrus is a modern day Jesus, blessed above all fellow men with his 170 IQ, persecuted by lesser men who repudiate his rejection of the entire philosophical tradition that precedes him, who fail to see the truth that only Phaedrus is privy to. And he is driven out, banished from society, forced to retreat to the depths of insanity, to pursue this truth. And in the end he attains it, he escapes from the cave, he is visited by angels, and he learns the truth.
The philosophy itself is an apology of sophism, the notion that not everything in this world is reducible to tangible or quantifiable concepts. It's an interesting position, but one largely rejected by professional philosophers. Besides, Pirsig doesn't defend it using the philosophical method. In fact he rejects the philosophical method altogether. He relies on the rhetorical modes of ethos and pathos to force you into believing him instead.
My advice to you is read it and appreciate it for the fantastic piece of literature that it is. It was written in the 70s, when America was going through a spiritual crisis, and Pirsig's raw rhetorical power is directed at millions of disaffected Americans, trying to provide a conduit to spiritual awakening. It is a powerful book that will grip you, make you think, give you something to indentify with. But try to maintain a certain dispassionate reserve when you think about the philosophical parts of the book, because the tempatation to get swept away will be strong.
No.73
>>6It was meh… I read it during a time when I was actually interested with Zen Buddhism. It's not actually very informative about either Zen or Motorcycle Repair. I think it's like the 70s version of clickbait. Trying to buy into the preoccupation of 60-70s culture with Eastern Philosophy. I knew it wasn't about Zen, but decided to read it anyway.
It's sometimes very "deep" but never quite profound. I barely remember most of it, which is usually a bad sign with me.
No.581
I read it. I felt like the book was anti-climactic. I thought it was building up to something and nothing happened. Maybe that was the point, but I'm anti-eastern "philosophy" so it was beneath my Western philosophical tastes :)
No.584
I liked it, but I lost my copy somewhere around the part where he was passing though the middle of nowhere. I would like to read it again, but probably won't have time for pleasure reading till summer.
No.662
I read it and liked it. Then I took philosophy seriously and began reading analytic like mad. Now I think its absolute trash.
Its really stupid.