a great travel log with a little zen

books:


	• THE SNOW LEOPARD (PICADOR BOOKS) PETER MATTHIESSEN PAN, 1980 - 312 pages average customer review:based on 66 reviews
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highly recommended

a great travel log with a little zen

Matthiessen is a talented writer who consistently manages to capture the essence of what he sees. He insists that he is a fiction writer, first and foremost, but the honesty and vibrance of his words in nonfiction are phenomenal. As an "travel log"-type book, this is one of the best. His interactions with the sherpas and his colleague, GS, are human and believable. There are extremely personal moments throughout the book, concerning his first wife and kids and missed opportunities with them, since he spent so much time traveling. A section about a bowl makes me sad even now. The discussion of the animals of the region ( not just the leopard) are very detailed and accurate. Particularly, sections that are devoted to Schaller's attempt to distinguish between goats and sheep. While the leopard, itself, adds a magical quality, a more intriguing creature is the yeti. I became a full-time fan when he spoke of it.
Beyond the actual journey is the constant discussion of Zen. The history and facts he gives are deep, at times. There are many footnotes. It is an excellent resource for Zen students and it's interesting to see how it fits into his life. Zazen in his tent, for instance. Zen isn't something to be learned, but this book and Cave of Tigers are two that every aspiring student of zen should read.
He talks about his wilder days and where he finds himself going at the time (metaphysically speaking, of course.) I picked up this book because I had seen the film At Play in the Fields of the Lord. It is like nothing I have ever read. I still randomly reread passages to experience it again. This is a book that changes how people feel.

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Interesting and Compelling Book

The Snow Leopard is slow paced and there is little plot. The book is about a long hike and the author's coming or not coming to terms with his divorce from and the death of his ex-wife. That is really it, but the Snow Leopard took me to a new and better place, one that I can not easily explain. This is one of the best books I have ever read.

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Boring

I'm sorry. I tried to enjoy this book because it was recommended to me by my favorite author. I found it great to get me to sleep at night and not so great at inspiring me to seek adventure, spiritual or otherwise. I had no idea what this dope-head was talking about.

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to the mountaintops and back . . .

Matthiessen and George Schaller's 3 month trek into the most remote area (Dolpo) between Nepal and Tibet to study the blue sheep and possibly sight the elusive snow leopard. With lucid and fascinating prose, Matthiessen describes the lives of his Sherpa companions; the rough traveling conditions over snow blocked mountain passes by yak; the monks and hermits in remote monasteries; and of course, his own struggle to attain a spiritual peace triggered by the death of his wife.

The writing has its self-indulgent moments; yet, the author is honest about his searching and why that has brought him to the Himalayas. The quest to glimpse a snow leopard turns out to be a mirror image of Matthiessen's own inner quest for enlightenment. Leaving his young son behind in New England with relatives causes much remorse (and self-pity) on his part; however, the need to go deeper into himself is understandable after the loss he has experienced.

Matthiessen's articulate descriptions of his journey seem to offset the regrets he feels. He is honest enough to admit his deficiencies while he works on his awareness of observing himself in these alien surroundings.
The descriptions of this process are articulate and compelling.

Peter Matthiessen is a naturalist; he mixes this experience with his spiritual musings so that the blend is a very interesting read. This is a multi-level book: a zoological exploration coupled with a man's search for spiritual meaning through zen practice.

This writing is graceful yet deep with insight. A high recommendation to those with an interest in finding meaning via a man who has been to the mountaintops and back.

Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts

The Cloud Reckoner

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