After this week’s reading, I am a
bit disappointed because I am starting to lose interest in the story. I started
the first few chapters with a fairly strong interest in the story, but now it
feels like the story is starting to drag for too long. The large majority of
the book is just the narrator, who still remains nameless, describing his
endless chain of thoughts. In a way, I guess it is understandable that he has a
constant flow of thoughts in his mind, given that there is little else to do
when driving for so long and working on his motorcycle for hours. Regardless, I
still find it boring. His thoughts sometimes state the obvious, while others
dig deep into the technical side of motorcycles, both of which do not hold my
attention for very long. Despite my reservations about how the novel is
progressing, I did find one statement particularly interesting: “That’s all the
motorcycle is, a system of concepts worked out in steel” (88). I find this to
be true. I think my architecture background has had some influence on my
interest in this sentence in particular. When creating structures, the ideas
and concepts are what fuel the final product. The narrator’s philosophy can be applied
to building structures. The ideas behind the construction of a motorcycle are
similar to that of a building. The material that is used, whether it be steel,
glass, concrete, or anything, is what helps the concept become a reality. Even
though this sentence stood out to me, it does not change my feelings about the
story. I am disappointed only because my interest in the story was heavier
towards the start of the novel.
A blog dedicated to the in depth study of the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and its author Robert M. Pirsig, by the 2nd period AP Literature Class group.
I have to agree with Priya, except, I think I became bored of the story a long time ago. It has its redeeming moments but, other than that, I guess I just am not clicking with the narrative or the direction or even the narrator himself. Between the long winded mental rants and complaining about the people around him, I find myself only becoming slightly interested when he begins to talk about the actual, physical aspects of motorcycle maintenance, simply because it is something I am unfamiliar with and I enjoy learning new things. Other than that, I feel as though the author meant for the reader to become more interested in the philosophical aspects of the novel, but it just is not doing it for me. I am a little concerned because I have heard great things about the novel from those who have read it, but I have yet to become interested and Part I is already over.
ReplyDelete