Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

[Heather]

So there were at least four of us interested in reading this book, so I say we make it official! I can facilitate this one, since I kind of brought it up, unless anyone else would like to take the reins. I already have the book at home, so I can start at any time. If you are interested in discussing and reading it with me, please let your intentions be known, and also when you think you can get started on it. I will be going on a short road trip this weekend, so this would be a perfect time for me to start it. I will wait, of course, to start discussing it once others have had the chance to get a copy and start it.

[Jamie]

I would like to chip away at my giant To Read pile a bit before I do this, but I can definitely put in the library request and join in down the road a bit - maybe sometime in Feb?

Assuming everyone else doesn't immediately have book in hand, that could buy me some time...

[Jana]

I'm interested, but there's a wait list at the library so sometime in Feb. (probably toward the end of the month) works for me.

[Teena]

I'll join. I need a "Z" for my 2010 ABC list anyway... but really, I've always meant to read it, mostly because when I was a kid it was the only book I ever remember my dad reading (he reads all the time now, but back then, never).

[Adrienna]

I'm in. I'm going to get it from Paperback Swap, so I should be ready to go when the rest of you are.

[Heather]

Awesome! I'm going to go ahead and start it because with the way that my schedule is right now it will probably take me awhile to get through it, and most of you will catch up to me really quickly. I'm excited! This book has been sitting on my shelf gathering dust and making me feel guilty for years that I never read it. I think it will help me if others are reading with me to keep me going. Let's tentatively plan to start discussing the beginning at the end of February. Yay!

[Jamie]

Sounds perfect! I'm definitely in, then.

[Teena]

Cool. I picked it up last night, but I am in the middle of reading other things at the moment, so this works out well. I was surprised when I found it on the shelf, as for some reason I thought it was a skinny book (not that it matters). Also, various forms (hardback, paperback, large print, trade paperback, many different covers) of this book took up an entire bookshelf at the used bookstore.

[bonkrood]

I heard the other day that the city where I live was mentioned in this book quite a bit, and I thought wow, they were talking about reading it on Whitenoise. So I just put a hold on it from the public library and it's renewable for an extra 4 weeks so if I pick it up whenever they pull it and let me know it's pulled, then I will be able to participate too.

[Adrienna]

I got it today.

[bonkrood]

I got it today.

Me too.

[Heather]

I'm about a third of the way in, so when you guys have things to say about it or discuss, go ahead but keep it spoilery for now.

[bonkrood]

Spoiler alert: I carried it into the house but so far have not touched it otherwise. I keep going to bed at like 7:30. It's very sad that I'm turning so old so quickly.

[Jamie]

I haven't even requested it yet. For some reason, "end of February" felt very, very far away on Jan. 25.

[Teena]

I have it and I had intended to start it this week, but I got what is possibly my last Amazon order (I'm going to make a real effort to switch to ordering books online from Powell's or elsewhere, anywhere but Amazon) of books I couldn't wait to read. But I should be starting it next week, maybe even this weekend.

[Jana]

My library account shows that the book has been sent from another branch. That usually means I'll be able to pick it up in 2-3 days, so I will really need until the end of February to get through it.

[Teena]

I'm starting it today.

[Jana]

It still hasn't arrived at my library, so I am way behind. Booooo.

[bonkrood]

I started today too, because I had to take a bath. I'm in paaaaain. I slalomed down my icy steps on my backside.

[Jamie]

I put in my request and it should be on its way.

I don't think we're behind - Heather is just ahead!

[Heather]

No, you guys aren't behind! I am moving at a very slow pace so that's the only reason I started it early. There are just many days where I don't have time to read any at all, and if I do have time I only get 1 or 2 chapters in.

[Teena]

I'm about a quarter of the way through it now. I won't say anything yet except that the introduction in my copy just irritated me, as it was all about how hardly anyone really "gets" the book, how I should read it and how I should interpret things. I'm sure it's right, but I found it annoying. I should have skipped the intro and gone back to it afterward.

[Jamie]

Good to know. Consider mine skipped.

[Heather]

I only read a little bit of the intro and skipped the rest. I will probably go back and read it after I finish though.

[Teena]

I'm about halfway through and I'm not into the book at all. The long descriptions of fixing the bike and why John won't fix his bike and what you need to fix a bike and how to fix a bike is just boring as hell. I may be in the wrong frame of mind for this book right now.

[Jamie]

Maybe you need to get zen! (Sorry.)

[Teena]

Maybe I do, actually. I'm putting this book down for a bit. I figured out Phaedrus almost the first time he was mentioned (again, wish I hadn't read the introduction) and now I'm just irritated at how long it's taking to get to the Big Reveal (I assume there is one eventually). I know I should be thinking about the philosophical aspects and not just the story, but I can't bring myself to care right now. I think I'll come back to it later in the month.

[Heather]

I didn't mind the parts about the motorcycles, and I actually kind of liked the part where e was talking abou why John didn't care about it or like technology. I'm finding it hard to get through the long parts where he's talking about Phaedrus and the different types of thinking. That was kind of boring and found myself skimming parts without even realizing it. I'm not giving up on it though, I feel like I'm getting to a good part soon. I hope at least.

[Adrienna]

I'll start soon. I know Aaron tried to read this before and found it impossible to get through.

[Jamie]

Mine came yesterday. I'm going to take Zeitoun and Zen (hey, double Zs!) on the plane to PA - I have no idea how this weekend is going to go, so I'll either have a lot of time to read or none at all, but I'd love to get through both while I'm gone.

[Heather]

I'm still finding it hard to get through some parts, but then other parts get me interested again. I honestly don't know if I would finish it if it wasn't for the rest of you reading it with me. There are a lot of dragging and slow parts and parts that I really have no idea what the fuck he's talking about.

I was reading a part last night about halfway through the book that I thought was interesting though - when he was talking about his teaching at the college and there was a girl that wanted to write an essay about the USA, but he said to make it more specific and write about Bozeman (the city that the college is in). She came back and said she nothing to say about the city, so he said to just write about Main Street, but she still couldn't think of anything to write about either. Then he said to focus just on a specific building, and start with the first brick. Then she came back with over 5,000 words about the building, describing every brick and every aspect of the building. Kind of crazy, but I just thought it was a different way to look at everything, where you are seeing everything, not just the obvious parts of the structure.

[Adrienna]

Must start reading! Spoiler text is killing me! Soon.

[Jana]

The library website says it's in transit, but it has said this for 3 weeks, so I am not likely to get it anytime soon. And I am trying not to buy books, so I may be out on this one. I'll give it until next week before I give up.

[Heather]

Jana, if you want, I can send it to you when I'm finished if it still hasn't gotten there.

[Jamie]

I'm like three pages in! And those three pages are not too shabby.

[Jana]

It's waiting for me at the library! Finally! I'm going to pick it up on Monday night.

[Jamie]

I wrapped up chapter 3. When he was going on about technophobes all I could think is "These people would up and DIE in 2010."

This book is going to be a test of patience for me. I can tell already that I do not like the narrator. I'm trying to set that aside in order to listen to the book's deeper message, hence the patience. I can tell you that if I had to hang out with that guy in real life, though, it'd be all eye-rolling and "Would pour me another whiskey, please?"

[Jana]

Aaaaand the fucking library was closed today for Casmir Pulaski Day. I have no idea when I'll be able to get back there with my crazy week. ARGH.

[Heather]

I've definitely had to be patient to get through it so far. There are good parts in there though! You just have to get through the weird and boring stuff. I like the parts where he's just talking about what is happening with his son and their friends, but some of the long drawn-out deep parts are a little taxing sometimes.

[bonkrood]

I'm going pretty slow. I finished Part 1 last night. You're right, H, the deep parts are very HARD to concentrate through.