Rating: 
Summary: No Title of Mine is Adequate
Review: I read this book the first time back in the 70s, shortly after it was published. I've re-read it every two years or so since then. As in reading any number of times lines from Shakespeare, I never tire of their inherent beauty; my heart soars again and again re-reading Mattheissen's lines of ice-like clarity.
The book on one level is a extraordinary travel documentary, describing brilliantly one man's experiences during a trip into a recently opened area in Himilayan Nepal. On a profoundly different level, the book also is a diary of his journey into his own heart and soul, one, perhaps, calling for more true bravery than any mere physical experience.
There are many moments of exquisite beauty and intimacy that have left me sobbing, longing to be on the journey with Matthiessen and his travel companions.
Matthiessen is an Everyman, seeking he really knows not what, searching for what may only be the quest itself. Perhaps he and his fellow Buddhists have the answer: their goal is ultimate acceptance of what each moment brings us, not wanting or desiring anything but what is now.
In closing, if one is looking for some answers to how to live a good life, without being told what to do and not to do, I find that this book is a far more useful guide to being a human being than any religious text that I know.
By all means, even if you think you have all the answers, buy this book.
Wayne Robinson
Rating:
Summary: A "Nature Classic"--how about a "Classic Classic"?
Review: I'm not really sure about dubbing this book a "nature classic", because as much as it will please nature lovers, this book possesses a universal value that merits it being considered a regular old classic--a "classic classic" if you will, like the ones kids read in school.
Although I am extremely critical of many so-called spiritual authors such as Hubbard, Deepak Chopra, Yogananda, Prabhupada..., I felt immediately after finishing this book that reading it was one of the most profoundly moving experiences I've ever gotten from literature, and a year later, that feeling remains as powerful as when I read the final page. I've given this book to many of my friends and family in the hopes that it will move them in a similar way it did me. Not all have finished it, and I suppose you can gather from the other reviews that this is not a book for everyone, but those who have managed to finish the journey share a sense of the serene bliss I found in it.
What I think makes this book so effective is the way the writing style perfectly captures the tone of the philosophy he is trying to portray. He uses crisp imagery without much romantic overindulgence, and his observations are often very face value. For example when he arrives at the monastary, he spends many pages describing the sheep he has travelled these months to see. These sheep turn out not to be symbolic pawns for any deep hidden message, but rather just animals that engage in some sheeplike behavior which is far from conveying the meaning of life! This is not a book in which a snow leopard leaps into the path before Matthiessen in a moment of transfiguring ecstasy, but rather a solemn reflection on life.
In a way, it is kind of sad that some people are dissapointed by the lack of action in a book about Zen Buddhism. The journey described is plenty adventurous, but it's not exactly the kind of book that will be turned into a blockbuster action movie (at least I sincerely hope not!) I do have sympathy for those who get mired in the abstract discussions of Buddhism to be found here, and I suppose I had an advantage reading this book already knowing something about the philosophy he expounds. Yet I learned from the Snow Leopard that reading about Buddhism is one thing--experiencing it is very different. I share the sentiment of other reviewers who say that reading this book changed their lives, and as for myself, I don't think I really understood important parts of Buddhism before reading this book. I hope readers see that an action-packed epiphany would defeat the purpose of this book; this is a book about real life, and life doesn't happen that way. Some may see wisdom and spiritual development as a result of life-changing events that happen to them, but I see it more as a result of careful observation, awareness, and connectedness with the simple world around oneself. That's what this book is getting at.
Rating: 
Summary: 4th times the charm
Review: After 4 tries I finally finished this book. I have to agree with the 3 other reviewers- there are just too many references to Budhism that left me befuddled. If I wasn't in a foriegn country without other reading material I don't think I would of finished it this time either. My reccomendation is to read it fast and don't even try to make sense of about 20% of the book. Despite this I did enjoy the book but only 3 stars worth.
Rating:
Summary: The white diamond
Review: At first glance, the novel appears to be a travel diary, or an exotic safari journal. Perhaps Matthiessen thought the same when he began the journey. But this is a novel that is penned from the heart and not by any distance travelled. The journey that the author relates is as intangible as the snow leopard itself.
As you can see above, the editors of Amazon deftly describe the beauty and storyline of "The Snow Leopard". But no amount of praise can empart to the reader what truly lays waiting inside the pages of this novel.
Matthiessen expertly transports the reader into his shoes. The author ceases to exist less and less with each chapter. The reader becomes the first person. Halfway through the story, it is ~we~ who are the ones making this journey deep into the wilds of the Himilayas. And by the end of the book, it is ~you~ who just may have found something you did not know you were searching for. Enlightenment.
The snow leopard Matthiessen speaks can be found by the reader, if you let it find you. Read this book with an open heart and open mind, and it just may change your life forever.One reviewer bluntly summarised his opinion of this novel as "THE SNOW LEOPARD is the best book I've ever read. Period." I agree.
Rating:
Summary: An Unforgettable Journey
Review: I first read this book while in college but it still resonates for me today as well. What starts out to be simply a journey to far-off Tibet in search of the elusive snow leopard turns out to be also a journey towards understanding--of the death of his wife from cancer, the exotic culture and people of highland Asia, and his relationship to his mysterious guide and friend Tukten. No definitive answers are found to any of these questions but we learn that sometimes it's the quest and not the destination that's truly important.
It transports the reader to a faraway part of the planet but at the same time it shows how our journeys abroad can illuminate
our own lives and uncover parts of ourselves that we don't see
back in our tightly controlled worlds.
This is not a book for everyone's tastes but it is a true
classic in every sense of the word. Read it!
Rating:
Summary: An Unforgettable Journey
Review: I first read this book while in college but it still resonates for me today as well. What starts out to be simply a journey to far-off Tibet in search of the elusive snow leopard turns out to be also a journey towards understanding--of the death of his wife from cancer, the exotic culture and people of highland Asia, and his relationship to his mysterious guide and friend Tukten. No definitive answers are found to any of these questions but we learn that sometimes it's the quest and not the destination that's truly important.
It transports the reader to a faraway part of the planet but at the same time it shows how our journeys abroad can illuminate
our own lives and uncover parts of ourselves that we don't see
back in our tightly controlled worlds.
This is not a book for everyone's tastes but it is a true
classic in every sense of the word. Read it!
Rating:
Summary: He takes you there with him
Review: I read this book many years ago and have bought more for my friends to read. I have two or three of copies laying around most of the time - just incase I find someone who likes to read good books. I haven't done this with any other book. Matthiessen takes you with him on his journey into the realm of the snow leopard. He lets you feel all of his emotions, from the feeling of being alone on the side of a mountain to the happiness and the hurt of his wife remembering his gift to her. I feel as if I went on the adventure with him. The feeling from (maybe) having been seen by the snow leopard let's you know that maybe the point of adventure isn't in finishing with a victory, but the fact that you finished an adventure. You always learn from adventure. It's a great book.
Rating:
Summary: will i ruin it for you
Review: if I tell you it has little to do with the snow leopard? It is the quest itself, what it means to quest. "Seek and ye shall find." We're never told what we'll find. To me it is impossible to create a top ten list of books--I love so many--but this is way up there. I plan to read it again and again.
Rating:
Summary: will i ruin it for you
Review: if I tell you it has little to do with the snow leopard? It is the quest itself, what it means to quest. "Seek and ye shall find." We're never told what we'll find. To me it is impossible to create a top ten list of books--I love so many--but this is way up there. I plan to read it again and again.
Rating:
Summary: No Simple-minded Animal Story - It's an Adventure
Review: If you're looking for a fifth grade narrative about really neat animals you'd better skip the Snow Leopard. However, if you are ready to take on a great author weaving the physical and the metaphysical together into one of the greatest adventure stories ever written you'll read and always remember this fantastic work of art. It's a tale of exploration that encompasses unbelievable off the map trekking, fascinating research by the greatest living large mammal zoologist, and enlightening insights into the very core of oriental religion. I have never read a book that successfully integrated so much intelligence into one superbly narrated tale. Without exaggeration, it's a classic.
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