Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is renowned for being a book that combines philosophy and literature, and one that is supposed to create an exciting read whilst  enlightening it’s audience. The problem is that the abovementioned elements of this notoriously well-received and somehow 'best-selling' novel do not succeed.

The philosophical aspects of the novel are elementary, and while it borrows from some well known philosophers, such as Kant and Hume, it’s overall ‘thesis’ is underwhelming and falls short. The notion of a classic vs romantic view of the world, and the negation of technology, seems to differ only slightly from other philosophical theories while attempting to stand on its own. It fails to be either revelatory or substantial. Consequently, Robert Pirsig isn't, nor ever will be, considered a philosopher in the same class as some of those mentioned in this book.

In terms of its literary achievement, it lacks the quality to captivate its audience, it is a slow and lacklustre read, and it seems conflicted in what it is trying to accomplish. The best parts of the book are about his relationship with his son, and these are too infrequent and when they do arrive Pirsig, once again, veers off into the world of philosophy and creates a story that is difficult to follow.

Furthermore, the book is noticeably narcissistic and seems like an attempt to celebrate the authors own intellectual superiority. This makes the novel tedious at times, and a reader may well be inclined to raise his eyebrows above the page at the self-indulgent biographical narrator who seems stubborn and ultimately bland.

I wouldn’t advise this book to anyone. especially anyone who either loves literature or has a penchant for philosophy. In trying to combine the two he fails at both respectively. All this could be forgiven if the book was entertaining, but it is a difficult, slow and evidently monotonous read that fails to encapsulate, enlighten or even slightly engross its readers.