Book cover of Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals

Book description

Phaedrus - a character familiar to readers of 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' - is sailing down the Hudson River when he meets Lila Blewitt, an unapologetically sexual, psychologically unstable woman whom a mutual friend warns him against. But Phaedrus is drawn to her physically, and interested in…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Lila as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I recommend the sequel to Pirsig’s more famous bestseller because I’ve never owned a motorcycle (and I find bicycle maintenance hard enough), but now I own a sailboat—where his second story is set—so when he describes hearing people walking on the cabin roof, or checking the knots on the mooring ropes, I know exactly what he means because I’ve experienced this. Some of his fans felt this sequel was a betrayal of the magical mysticism of undefined Quality he described in the first book. For me, although problematic, it was a necessary clarification and one I not only used for…

From Alan's list on philosophical fiction.

If you love Lila...

Ad

Book cover of Hope, Laughter, Survival on the Refugee Trail

Hope, Laughter, Survival on the Refugee Trail by Eileen Kay,

Dramatic true story with a wacky sense of humor.

Retired English teacher in Budapest meets foreign medical students fleeing the war in Ukraine, producing a sweet and unlikely friendship, spicy soup, and wicked joking. A sense of humor, however dark, can keep us from despair.

Sample heroes: there was the…

Want books like Lila?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Lila.

Browse books like Lila

Book cover of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
Book cover of The Fragility of Goodness: Luck and Ethics in Greek Tragedy and Philosophy
Book cover of The Thought Gang

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,277

readers submitted
so far, will you?