Forty years ago, Robert M. Pirsig, his son, Chris, and two friends rode their motorcycles from Minneapolis to California on a journey made famous by Pirsig’s best-selling Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974). “Pirsig pilgrims” and “Zen riders” have been following the Pirsig trail every since, and now journalist Richardson takes his shot, laptop lashed to Suzuki. His travelogue is dull, mesmerizing, and provocative, just like a long road trip. There’s plenty of motorcycle maintenance, an accounting of what has remained the same on the route and what has changed, and the intriguing discovery of the journey Pirsig’s book has taken, reaching the unlikeliest of readers. Richardson meets folks who appear in Pirsig’s book and their descendants and presents an incisive portrait of the reclusive guru, a difficult man of uncommon intelligence who has weathered mental illness and his son’s murder. Richardson is companionable, but he is no deep thinker. His chronicle lacks historical context and metaphysical understanding, yet, like a well-maintained motorcycle, it carries you forward into shadow and sunlight. --Donna Seaman
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Review
“Assured and poetic. . . . A sort of Cliff’s Notes version of the dense original, and as much of a biography of Pirsig as Richardson was able to piece together. . . . An enjoyable read. . . . Richardson is quite meticulous in describing the thoughts, sensations, even the superstitions many motorcyclists experience while riding.” —
The Los Angeles Times“A harrowing account of the toll that themaking of one man’s masterpiece exacted not only on himself but on those around him.”—
TheWall Street Journal“Most notably for fans of the original,
Zen and Now pushes the story forward, through Richardson’s correspondence with the interview-averse Pirsig, his editor, his ex-wife, and a second son, Ted.” —
The Boston Globe“Richardson’s strong narrative thread results in a page-turner that does right by the original.
Zen and Now is sure to inspire a new generation of riders and readers to pick up Pirsig’s book and take to the open road in search of quality.” —Vince Darcangelo,
Rocky Mountain News“Fans of Pirsig’s cult classic should read Richardson’s book if they want the true story of the author. . . . Richardson digs deep to unearth the motives behind his tormented mentor’s search for quality while embarking on a search of his own. . . . [
Zen and Now is] an engrossing tale recounted with a journalist’s attention to fact and an adventurer’s appetite for the enlightening surprise.” —Scott Driscoll,
Seattle Post-Intelligencer“A good read. . . . Although Richardson is on the trail of Pirsig, this book is as much about his own status in the universe and who he is as a father and a human being. It is charmingly written, honest to a fault and as unpretentious as Pirsig’s book was the opposite.
Zen and Now invites the reader along on several levels; Richardson’s research into Pirsig and his life is impeccable and the book is full of all kinds of interesting little nuggets.” —Ted Laturnus,
Toronto Globe and Mail“
Zen and Now is a story worth telling, about a journey worth sharing–an entertaining, inspiring, and rewarding read.” —Neil Peart, bestselling author of
Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road
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