In the name of due diligence I did a search for the title here on Permies and found numerous comments mentioning this book, but no dedicated threads (there might still be one and I missed it--apologies in that case). Figured it deserves its own
thread, so here we are.
I think all in all I would call
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance my favorite book. I was given a copy when I was in high school by a family friend who must have recognized something in me that cried out for it. (She didn't give one to my twin brother.) I read it, instantly loved it, and in the 2+ decades since then I've read it maybe a half-dozen times, or once every few years. Each time I get more out of it and feel like I understand it better.
I've also read the sequel,
Lila and I consider these
books together as one complete work, outlining Pirsig's Metaphysics of Quality. Sadly, I lent my copy of
Lila (full of my own sticky notes!) to a dear friend who died, and because we'd been out of touch for a couple years I didn't get it back. I'd found that copy used at a garage sale and I feel it would only be appropriate to find my replacement copy in a similar way, which of
course so far has not happened. Maybe that's silly, but I'm holding out.
The other people I've met in real life who are fans of that book have, perhaps or perhaps not coincidentally, all ended up being tremendous mentors and deep conversation partners, or at any rate people I admire and cherish as much as the book itself.
Anyway, I just finished my fifth or sixth reread a week or so ago and the book is still on my mind, so I decided to start this thread about it, because I just know there are others here who enjoyed it as much as I did and might like talking about it, plus more who might discover it through this discussion. All that said, I won't take up space here in the OP describing the plot or the subject matter, and instead I'll leave it to others to say what their reaction has been to it, how it's influenced their lives, what they think about the MoQ, ruminate on any nagging questions they've had about the book, and so on.
Oh, one more funny tidbit I'll add: my brother used to work for a guy who sold used vintage motorcycle parts on eBay. I recommended the book to that guy, who got a little bit into it and then turned it away saying "too much zen not
enough motorcycles". Last year I also got my wife to read it. She similarly quit after a few chapters, saying "too much motorcycles, not enough zen"! Fortunately my wife has agreed to give it a second chance at some point.
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