zen and Robert Pirsig

Robert M. Pirsig, who inspired generations to road trip across America with his booknZen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, died Monday at the age of 88.

I know Zen and the Art has it's fair share of critics and probably rightly so.

I love the book.

I remember his son, who was a major part in the book, tragically died a few years after it was published.

I've read the book a few times. It still interests me but I'm not sure how I feel about it.

I remember when I was a freshman in college and my English professor saw me carrying a copy. He asked why I was reading it and seemed to be intrigued by the fact that I was intrigued by it. A few days later, he told the class that my high school had done a better job of preparing me for college than their high schools had. I ended up getting an A, but he was kind of a jerk.

Anyway, Pirsig had some significant mental health issues. I hope that he found what he was seeking at some point after writing that book. Eighty eight years seems like an awfully long time to carry that brain around. He was probably pretty tired.

I hated the book. It was a tough slog almost all the way though. Too light on motorcycles, travel, zen and maintenance... too heavy on the word "Quality" and all that entails. It felt a little like open mike night and no time limit at the philosophy bar near a two year school. It just went on and on and on. Not everybody can be Aristotle I guess.

Still, RIP. It's a big planet and lots of people knew his name. That's gotta count for something.

Huckleberry wrote: I hated the book. It was a tough slog almost all the way though. Too light on motorcycles, travel, zen and maintenance... too heavy on the word "Quality" and all that entails. It felt a little like open mike night and no time limit at the philosophy bar near a two year school. It just went on and on and on. Not everybody can be Aristotle I guess. Still, RIP. It's a big planet and lots of people knew his name. That's gotta count for something.

I felt the same way about the book, it didn't do much for me. I didn't know until reading his obit that he wrote most of the book while living in an apartment above a shoe store a mile or two from my house.

I could only get half way through it. I never found the Zen.

I was bored when I decided to read it. Then I became really bored.