Lila

LILA
by Robert Pirsig

Nomination: Pulitzer Finalist 1992

Date Read: November 15, 1998

I had read Zen & The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance (twice in fact) and was eager for another helping of Pirsig. His novels read more to me as philosophy, rather than fiction, but far be it for me to question the judges. 

The main character, Phaedrus, is sailing his boat along the Hudson when he encounters a very complex woman named Lila, clearly nearing a nervous breakdown. Pirsig uses this construct to continue his previous explorations of the true meaning of "quality" and further distills this abstract concept into the Static and Dynamic, arguing that the universe can be divided into four Static qualities: inorganic, biological, social and intellectual. 

Pirsig also uses this novel to critique the field of anthropology and the difficulties anthropology poses to objectivity. Through his musings, he very interestingly concludes that "...modern American culture is the result of a melding of Native American and European values." 

While I enjoy Pirsig's robust intellect and obvious passion for his subject matter, I ultimately think his work is inaccessible to many readers and I found myself often getting lost in his complex philosophical arguments. I also find that I lack the same devotion to his subject matter, which makes wading through this daunting for many.

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