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Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
7 reviews
scotttwx's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A great book but dense at times. Difficult to read large portions in one sitting.
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
irwinw41's review against another edition
challenging
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a long and challenging read. I think part of the reason people speak so highly of this book is the same reason people display trophies. There is a sense of triumph when you have conquered this text. Every piece of this book is necessary for the whole premise to be fleshed out. So much of what initially feels like filler turns out to be critical to understanding the writers ideas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Forced institutionalization
apprentice322's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
One of the few books that made me actively think and meditate on certain ideas.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
aguattery's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
It was so bad. A true test of endurance. The narrator (? Character? Author?) is so full of himself and very clearly thinks he's better than everyone else. I can't tell you how many times I rolled my eyes reading this. Additionally, there were so many unnecessary tangents it was just so difficult to follow and could have been 200 pages shorter, easily.
For context, I finished Dune in less than a month and this took me nearly 6 weeks.
For context, I finished Dune in less than a month and this took me nearly 6 weeks.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
egosor's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
optionalobjectives's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
If I had a thousand dollars for every time an adult figure in my life recommended that I read this book, I could have paid of a significant chunk of my student loans. Incidentally, this book could be used as a way to leaven an introduction to philosophy course. I don't think it really succeeds as a work of philosophy on its own, and the plot is so thin that it's more of a framing device. The main character is very flawed, an incredibly analytic personality. He is totally unable to understand that he doesn't relate to people so much as analyze and reduce them, even while his ongoing, personal philosophy lecture is overtly anti-reductionist. Nobody suffers more for this than the character of his son, Chris, and its to Pirsig's credit that this is a central driver of the plot and the way to its conclusion. Overall, not bad. But I still don't understand why it's been recommended to me so often, short of adults thinking, "oh, here's an overly analytic personality who gets wrapped up in his own philosophical beliefs to the point of..." hey, waitaminute.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
crufts's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Writing as himself, Robert M. Pirsig narrates a motorcycle trip taken with his son Chris, as well as his friends John and Sylvia Sullivan. As they power along through wide stretches of the American natural landscape, Robert drifts off into a mental discussion of philosophy, taking the reader with him.
The book is intellectually entertaining from start to end. The idea I enjoyed the most was that quality creates dualism. What does this mean?
We might assume that our ability to distinguish between things (duality) is what lets us decide that we like or don't like things (quality).
But the narrator asserts that it's the other way around: it's the sense of quality (liking things) which creates the duality (distinguishing things), because being able to distinguish things lets an organism move towards whatever situation it sees as better quality.
Is this actually true? Who knows, but it was fun to read through the philosophical argument for it.
On the negative side, I found the connection between the philosophical discussions and the motorcycle maintenance rather tenuous.
This is a very strange book, and its ideas are not all that practically useful, but it sure is entertaining to read.
The book is intellectually entertaining from start to end. The idea I enjoyed the most was that quality creates dualism. What does this mean?
We might assume that our ability to distinguish between things (duality) is what lets us decide that we like or don't like things (quality).
But the narrator asserts that it's the other way around: it's the sense of quality (liking things) which creates the duality (distinguishing things), because being able to distinguish things lets an organism move towards whatever situation it sees as better quality.
Is this actually true? Who knows, but it was fun to read through the philosophical argument for it.
On the negative side, I found the connection between the philosophical discussions and the motorcycle maintenance rather tenuous.
This is a very strange book, and its ideas are not all that practically useful, but it sure is entertaining to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Minor: Medical trauma
The narrator describes his past self's journey to insanity. However, he speculates that he wasn't really crazy, just thinking in a way considered unacceptable by most. There are also brief references to electro-convulsive therapy (ECT).
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