Rating: 
Summary: I have read it...Then I saw it !
Review: Maybe you can't believe it, but I have read it during a trekking in Dolpa. And the day after I finished the book, I saw a snow leopard, about 2 days of walk from the place where the events related in this book occured (no, I don't smoke, and yes, I am used to altitude...)
Fred, French Alpine Club in Annecy.
Rating:
Summary: A Book, A Mountain
Review: My brother casually lent me this book some years ago, but I only had the chance to read it recently. In a word I was stunned- in both Mathiessen's honesty and the force and beauty with which he renders all things he chooses to write about. Framing a period of great loss and confusion in his personal life, Matthiessen sets out on a scientific trip through Nepal with preeminent zoologist George Schaller. Their aim is to study and observe the Himalayan blue sheep, but in the back of their minds is the rare chance to see the mythic cat of the mountain cathedrals, the snow leopard. What makes Matthiessen's storytelling so rich is his ability to blend all his interests throughout the odyssey (philosophy, anthro, biology, history) in a way that magnifies the simple art of walking a path, observing. Throughout the book, we share that image with Matthiessen: walking a path surrounded by mountains ringing in light. With these surroundings he initiates an ongoing conversation with himself. Passing him and falling behind him on the path are a motley group of guides and sherpas. Some are quiet and resourceful, some opportunistic and cunning, and there is one who we never fully understand. This one, the enigmatic Tukten, is the one whom Matthiessen is the most drawn to. Perhaps because he feels he himself is a mystery, and that the world is a mystery. And to acknowledge this, is also a direction. After finishing the book, I called my brother to tell him how much I enjoyed the book. I mentioned a favorite passage, where George Schaller exchanges a haiku with Matthiessen, one that he had written during a long hike up to one of the villages. Unfailingly, my brother recited the haiku from memory after which must have been years since reading it. Maybe you too will find yourself saying it on a path of similar space:Oh cloud trails I go Alone, with chatting porters. There is a crow.
Rating:
Summary: All can learn from this journey
Review: Oh boy, I cannot believe the ignorance of those who don't understand buddhism, and make shallow, insipid comments on the book because they didn't want to learn about something that doesn't fall within the McDonald's viewpoint of the world.
This is a nature book, self-discovery, and about the humility of the human spirit. It is also a look at the Himalayas and what makes them so magical. Buddhism, with its gentle view of nature, is covered in this book as a means to describe what Matthiesen is going through. I do highly recommend this book; I have been to Nepal twice, and read it during a hiking trip in the himalayas. It was neat to read this book on that trip, as it helped me see things I normally wouldn't have picked up on.
As for those who don't understand Buddhism, or anything about Zen, please don't read this book, and please don't even comment on it. You have no business reading about this part of the world if you are not open to learning about different cultures and religion. It can be done (speaking as a Roman Catholic).
Rating:
Summary: In Looking Much is Seen
Review: The Snow Leopard is about a journey which appears to have only one purpose - to see a snow leopard, but it ends up being about so much more. Humanity, nature and the elements, religion and spiritualism - this book has it all. I read this book only a couple of months ago and could not believe that it was written before I was born! It is so fresh and modern in feeling and context. It also reminds me of another excellent book that I have recently read called Going to Dolpo (writer Timothy Doyle). In both books the author walks into Dolpo in the Tibetan Himalayas, a remarkable accomplishment in itself. Both men are drawn into their own personal Buddhist pilgrimage. Far superior to the usual traveler yarns, I would recommend both these books to the independently-minded reader.
Rating:
Summary: Language of the Snow Leopard
Review: This is a book about a search, for many things besides the elusive snow leopard of the title. I bought two copies of this book, one to keep at home and one at the office. It's that good. The tale itself is one of interest to me. I learned much about the Himalayas and about the religion and culture of the people who dwell in those mountains. But, as a writer myself, the true wealth of the work is in the beautifully elegant language. I've marked off numerous passages of absolutely brilliant description or metaphor, and I return again and again to them as I try to create my own prose. I can't recommend The Snow Leopard highly enough.
Charles Gramlich
Author of "Cold in the Light"
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