Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Dramatised)

By: Robert M. Pirsig, Peter Flannery

Narrated by: James Purefoy, full cast

Length: 1 hr and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

One of the most important and influential books of the past half-century, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance® tells the iconic story of a father and son's motorcycle trip across America in the 1960s. Yet it also describes a personal and philosophical journey, asking questions along the way about how to live a meaningful life. The narrator takes a cross-country motorcycle trip from Minnesota to California with his young son, during which the maintenance of the motorcycle becomes an illustration of how to unify the cold, rational realm of technology with the warm, imaginative realm of artistry. The narrator wrestles with both the ghost of his past and some of the most important philosophical questions of the 20th century. The narrator's need to reconcile his past and present selves drives him and his son forward, to a point where all is lost or won. Now dramatised for the first time by Peter Flannery (Our Friends in the North, George Gently, The Devil's Whore) and starring James Purefoy (Rome, Injustice, Ironclad), this full-cast drama adds a new and original dimension to a true modern classic. 

WARNING: this recording contains strong language.

©2012 Robert Pirsig (P)2012 AudioGO Ltd

WARNING!!! Not the book.

It's an audioplay based on the novel. I wasted a credit not knowing. FYI, the other version on Audible is also NOT the book. (wasted another credit). It's a heavily edited shorter version. Audible doesn't carry the complete novel. Bummer.

I should have bought the book.

pro: I liked that it was dramatized
con: it was too abridged.
To sum it up: create a dramatized unabridged version because what I heard was good.

It is not the story it claims to be! Avoid!

It is not the story it claims to be! Avoid! Had to buy the real version again ...

The story in this audible is wired

Book is way better (no surprise)

You cannot boil a great book down this much (especially not a book as dense as the original) and maintain the QUALITY of the full story.

Garbage

Garbage. Nothing like the actual book, what a mistake, don't make the same as me.

amazing! great to hear this book again

really good. I listen to this book a while back while visiting Spain. I feel like I understand the setting of the book a little more by listening this short part dramatized. def worth listening too if you like the book or audio.

Very Engaging and though provoking

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes, the book is dramatised and it makes it very interesting to listen. The use of mild music is also soothing and adds to the drama

Why a short story?

Why not just do the real book? I should have read the reviews before expending a credit. I have no idea what of this is poetic license.

A good story perhaps too dramatized

What made the experience of listening to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Dramatised) the most enjoyable?

The dramatization is done quite well, and at times you can feel the emotion coming through the characters voices.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I wish I could say the child was my favorite character, but he seemed to be a brat. The father in present sense was perhaps not likable, due to his roughness, but you could empathize with him.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It's very short making it a easy to listen through in a couple of hours.

Not the full book!

Mehh. It was tolerable but underwhelming, over-acted, and hard to follow with the flashbacks of similar voices.

disappointed

I have read the book a number of times and enjoyed it. Sadly this dramatised version is far from the original text and left me feeling very disappointed. If you have never read the book then it might entertain, but if you have any knowledge of the book I would avoid this at all costs. The emphasis was completely wrong for me, possibly I missed the point when I previously read the book. This version seemed to focus on one aspect of the story and almost completely ignore, what was for me, the point of the book.

Disappointed

Bore little resemblance to the written book. Not at all what I expected...dramatisation was not at all in keeping with my recollection of the original.

I loved the book but...

The dramatization missed a lot of the depth and poetry of the original text. I'd love an audio version of the full text.

Oh dear!

It was a mistake to get the dramatised version i.e. huge chunks and half the point missing.

I have fond memories of this book and it would have been perfect as a reading.

It's my own fault for buying in a hurry and not spotting that it was a dramatisation.

Very disappointing

Does not nearly live up to the original book as I remember it. Very disappointing.

Not what I expected

Unfortunately this isn't the book I was looking for. I'm not entirely sure what this version is trying to achieve.

Disappointed.

I read this years ago and as our plans for this years Bike Tour were dashed decided to have a listen, to cheer me up.
It didn't work. The narration was good but it could not portray the book successfully when it was so abated.
Full story and plot next time please.

need the unabridged version

just seemed too short and superficial
really need a full text unabridged version
probably not really worth it to get this

Self indulgent diatribe

If you are a motorcyclist looking for rider related literature which may be insightful, entertaining and humorous, do not buy this book about a wretched, morose and self obsessed father and his mentally fragile son on a motorcycle road trip with two friends who did not know the joyless break they were embarking on.

Spoiler alert, regardless of any premise implied or otherwise, there are no motorcycle, zen, belief, societal, coincidentally enlightening insights or intelligent observations to be found in this book. It’s simply a story about a man and his depressive self indulgent view on the very narrow corridor which is his life.

There is no point writing a review as to do so is to spend too much more time reflecting on the book. Simply read the low rated reviews and you’ll learn why you should not perpetuate the sale of this god-damned-awful title.

Buy at your own risk but personally, I’d sooner have to sit through another ‘Ross Noble’ live standup show than read this hideous story again.

Don’t bother

The over acted voice narration is jarring. Whoever thought the sons voice was appropriate needs a new job.