Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

So I figured that while I am having to dedicate my literary life to American Literature pre1865, and am also taking on the daunting task of re-reading Atlas Shrugged I would have to go into the vault for a while. A month or so ago I picked up a copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and have to say that it is one of the best American novels ever written. Now it probably comes as no surprise that I enjoy books that mix up philosophy and fiction (Love Ayn Rand), and this book definitely delivers in both departments. It is a story of a philosopher that more or less lost his mind and then embarks on a cross country motorcycle journey with his son. Just the story that could be told from a cross country trip would make a great read, but in this particular book that was not enough.
      I will say that Pirsig did as well of a job as Ayn Rand when it comes to defining a particular philosophy, but he did give a bit of a lesson in philosophy and Rand never was much for giving any history lessons. In the story he actually proposes a different way of looking at the world, and at times flirts with absolute brilliance. The guys knows his stuff and is not afraid to take the reader to a place that is beyond basic concepts of metaphysics. The end of the copy that I bought had a little bit of information about the author and a few notes that went with the story, and it is clear that the man truly believed in what he was writing. This is one of those books that demands to be read for a second time, and begs to be studied, simply because the major point that it is trying to make is a completely valid one. If you are even remotely interested in philosophy or just about reading a great story that has some substance to it, you need to read this book.
   

My opinion is the one that matters most.

AtlasShrugged

I am really beginning to see so much that I missed out on when I first read Atlas shrugged. It is a great book and is something that needs to be evaluated from multiple perspectives simply because Ayn Rand was a master of character psychology. The characters throughout this book are so rich with personality that they just seem to jump off of the pages and demand further scrutiny and reflection. I honestly believe that Rand's eloquence when regarding her belief in capitalism is matched by no writer in history. She has a way of writing that seems to require the readers to agree with what she is saying, and seems that her philosophy is complete truth. If someone were to give a synopsis of this book it would be a seriously flawed because there are so many levels to which she forces the reader to visit that just being familiar with the story does not do her writing justice. This book is simply amazing. Bravo Miss Rand Bravo!

Atlas Shrugged

Well it looks like it's time to start reading Atlas Shrugged again. Everyone should read this book. I do not care what you read or what you like this is a must read for every single person in the world. Period. There is an essay contest coming up for the book, and it pays real money for top spots. Money is a great motivator. The book is one of the best books of all time but it is a heavy read. This is definitely not a book that can be knocked out in a weekend. It will be interesting re-reading it with an essay prompt in mind. Check out the Contest:

Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Battle Royale

So I just finished reading Battle Royale and thought it was great. I'm not gonna lie I hated The Lord of the Flies and actually did not finish the book. The problem was I came close to finishing the book and realized that I really did not give a crap about the characters. Battle Royale is almost the same idea except it is amped up to 11. Imagine if Piggy was given a machine gun to even up the odds, and the kids had explosives around their necks that would blow up if they didn't follow the rules. The whole idea is freaking insane. It is definitely a quick read that will keep your attention throughout the book. I'm not going to lie though it is a little graphic, and by a little I mean it has a scene with a teenage girl shoving a sickle through a fellow classmate's throat. This book is that hardcore. If you don't mind graphic violence and extreme situations involving teenagers then you should check this book out. It is very well written and is a cool story. 10 times better than Lord of the Flies.

Buy it here. You won't be sorry.