The Snow Leopard
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- ISBN13: 9780143105510
- Condition: New
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Product Description
An unforgettable spiritual journey through the Himalayas— now celebrating its thirtieth anniversary
IN 1973, Peter Matthiessen and meadow biologist George Schaller traveled high into the remote mountains of Nepal to study the Himalayan blue sheep and possibly glimpse the rare and gorgeous snow leopard. Matthiessen, a student of Z en Buddhism, was also on a spiritual quest—to find the Lama of Shey at the very ancient shrine on Crystal Mountain. As the climb proceeds, Matthiessen charts his inner path as well as his outer one, with a deepening Buddhist understanding of reality, suffering, impermanence, and beauty.Amazon.com Review
In the autumn of 1973, the writer Peter Matthiessen set out in the company of zoologist George Schaller on a hike that would take them 250 miles into the heart of the Himalayan region of Dolpo, “the last enclave of pure Tibetan culture on planet.” Their voyage was in quest of one of the world’s most elusive huge cats, the snow leopard of high Asia, a creature so rarely spotted as to be nearly mythical; Schaller was one of only two Westerners known to have seen a snow leopard in the wild since 1950.
Published in 1978, The Snow Leopard is rightly regarded as a classic of modern scenery writing. Guiding his readers through steep-walled canyons and over tall mountains, Matthiessen offers a narrative that is shot through with metaphor and mysticism, and his arduous search for the snow leopard becomes a vehicle for reflections on all manner of matters of life and death. In the process, The Snow Leopard evolves from an already exquisite book of natural history and travel into a grand, Buddhist-tinged parable of our search for meaning. By the end of their expedition, having seen wolves, foxes, rare mountain sheep, and additional denizens of the Himalayas, and having seen many signs of the snow leopard but not the cat itself, Schaller muses, “We’ve seen so much, maybe it’s better if there are some things that we don’t see.”
That sentiment, as well as the sense of marvel at the world’s beauty that pervades Matthiessen’s book, ought to inform any journey into the wild. –Gregory McNamee
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Don’t waste your time reading this book. He spends 300 pages discussing Zen and Buddhism and meditation and prayers. He had the potential for a really excellent book, the plot is excellent, the problem is that he doesnt talk about the plot. He doesnt care about the physical journey or the action, just his spiritual journey. total lackage of juice in the book, just fluff.
Reader’s Rating: 1 / 5
Tried to read this book after many people’s high reviews, but I could not get past all his talk of Zen and Buddhism. I kept getting confused by all the religious talk when all I wanted to know about was the physical journey.
Reader’s Rating: 2 / 5
The Snow Leopard is a journal of a mountain trek to a remote monastery in northwestern Nepal near the Tibeten border. Matthiessen joins an expedition headed by none additional than George Schaller to study the Himmalayan blue sheep in rut. Brilliant chronicle of the trek with plain scenic descriptions interdispersed with philoshical musings and background on Buddhism.
Matthiessen is a Zen-buddhist at the time of the journey and he was open with a koan by his guru (roshi) prior to setting out on the trip. “All the mountains are covered with snow, why is this one bare?” They arrive at their destination after a month’s hard journey. The monastery lies at the base of Crystal Mountain, which is bare. And all the surrounding mountains are covered with snow. Matthiessen stares up in amazement but is unable to make anything of the koan. He is stupified. He tries and tries, but nothing! Total stupification. Buddhist stupification. But he’s okay with that. It’s because he’s not ready for it, he tells us, not ready to receive the message and he accepts that. He accepts it completely, he says.
Well, fine, but maybe he didn’t try hard enough. Or maybe it was the thin air, the altitude and the light-headedness. But still, he should have been able to make something of it once he got down off the mountain and ongoing writing the book. As koans go, it wasn’t that hard. Not much more than a beginner’s koan, really. If he couldn’t do anything with this koan, what hope was there for him? Maybe zen was not for him. That was the apparent message, and yet he just didn’t get it. Talk about being in denial.
But these are mere details, the book itself is a excellent read. Engaging descriptions, nice pace, appealing philosphical patter, well crafted book – Matthiessen’s best by far. You’ll like this book – it’s portenteous tone will reel you in – a quest for a sight of the mythic snow leopard, while he sorts out his life and the death of his wife.
Okay, so he never sees the snow leopard. It’s only because he wasn’t ready for it, not because he wasn’t looking. And he was divorcing his wife anyway, so her death, maybe he was ready for that.
Reader’s Rating: 4 / 5
The SNOW LEOPARD – Appealing descriptions of Tibet back country and customs but leader constantly contradicts himself, he seems disoriented like he might have done too many drugs in his life, imagine that, he is a self admitted psychedelic user and he writes like it. Matthiessen demeans his Sherpas while intimating some sense of loss at leaving his 8-year-ancient son at home one year after his wife died while he treks around Tibet for two months, indefensible!
Reader’s Rating: 2 / 5
This book got such glowing reviews that I had to buy it. A high standard was set by these reviews, and sorry to say, I was disappointed. Another reviewer mentioned that they couldn’t get past the “Zen stuff”, and I agree. There were sections that were so detailed on past Zen philosophy that I had to skip the chapter before falling asleep. Maybe I’m looking for more “action”, but I can tell you this book was a huge disappointment.
Reader’s Rating: 2 / 5