Week 2 November 9-15 - Nonfiction Journeys - This week choose a book that reflects a journey for its author or for the reader or both. This can be a physical journey, an emotional, psychological or spiritual journey or a combination of these. Any nonfiction title that leaves its author/protagonist and/or reader in a different place at the end from the start point is good for this challenge.
There has been no book in my life that influenced me as much as Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values by Robert M. Pirsig.
This book is the story of a journey, a motorcycle ride by Pirsig and his son and some friends; and this book is a book I first discovered when I was on a journey, away from home, working in Yellowstone Park; and this book took me on a journey, a journey into the world of philosophy and life meaning, that continues to this day.
That said, I have never (not one single time!) recommended this book to anyone who actually read the whole book and came back to me and said they loved it. Never. Most people who tried reading it quit. Those who did read the whole thing said they hated it, said it was condescending or too in-the-head or boring. So be it. It's perfectly fine. Not every book is for every person.
Hosted by Frances. Frances is a poet, essayist and reviewer. Her novel The Winchester Codex was published in 2024. She lives in London with her husband and Suki the Golden Doodle. Her blog can be found at volatilerune.blog It covers books she happens to be reading – both fiction, non-fiction and poetry. She especially enjoys biographies of writers and artists.
I think it's so interesting that this book influenced you so greatly and yet didn't have the same effect on anyone you recommended it to. And you make me curious to read it, but with some apprehensiveness!
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