The Snow Leopard

By: Peter Matthiessen, Pico Iyer - introduction

Narrated by: Peter Matthiessen

An unforgettable spiritual journey through the Himalayas...

IN 1973, Peter Matthiessen and field biologist George Schaller traveled high into the remote mountains of Nepal to study the Himalayan blue sheep and possibly glimpse the rare and beautiful snow leopard. Matthiessen, a student of Zen Buddhism, was also on a spiritual quest to find the Lama of Shey at the 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.

Critic reviews

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

“My favorite record of an animal voyage is a book that’s fluent in failure, Peter Matthiessen’s nonfiction masterpiece The Snow Leopard . . . the great perfect shock of The Snow Leopard is that Matthiessen never actually sees a snow leopard . . . that failure becomes a powerful lesson in loss, a chance to meditate on the tangled nature of visibility and invisibility.” —Sam Anderson, The New York Times Magazine

“A masterpiece that exceeds the boundaries of the travel genre and envelops you with its incredible prose.” —Wall Street Journal

“Stunning . . . Fiercely felt and magnificently written . . . [Matthiessen] has expressed with uncommon candor and no prospect of relief, a longing which keeps the soul striving and alert in us all.” —Washington Post

“A magical book, a kind of lunar paradigm and map of the sacred.” —The Nation

“A beautiful, magnificent book that gives off at once the resonance of a classic . . . One of the most wonderful accountsI know of journeying in our time.” —W. S. Merwin

Mystical and lovingly haunting. A new favorite.

Absolutely loved it. One I'll read again and again in times of search and reflection.

Must read/listen

I love to read however I listened to this book narrated by Peter Matthiesson. Snow Leopard is an unforgettable spiritual journey through the Himalayas. 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.

A TRAVELOG

This is the travelog of Peter Matthiessen's trip up the icy mountains in search of the white leopard. Although there was no major drama, the story moves along matter of factly and quite well, pulling the reader into the environment, providing insight into lives of those who live in that rugged part of the world., As many books can be made or broken by the reader, Mr Matthiessen's narration was a definite plus and put this book over the top.

An enchanting experience

I cannot recall of ever hearing of this book before Flea (of Red Hot Chili Peppers) suggested it on an Instagram video.

It turned out to be a delight. A classic out & back journey tale laid out as a long meditation on the Himalayan region, Buddhism and the human condition. With plenty of detailed descriptions of the beauty of the landscape, its flora and fauna as well as portraits of its human inhabitants.

Wonderful recording of a beloved book

This review is more about the production, abridgment and recording of this incredible book and journey. The book itself is without compare in the annals of Himalayan travel and inner exploration. The recording and abridgment, completed by the late Peter Matthiessen himself is mystifying and entrancing. I usually steer far clear of abridged works, and especially those that I have read in their complete form before, but when I heard that Mr. Matthiessen had done the abridgment himself I was enticed. I was not disappointed. Yes, his voice is deep and gravelly; yes it is the recounting by an older man of his younger self; but the mystery and wonder is still there, and the emotions are brought to life by the voice of the author. I am so grateful to have this production on audio and cannot recommend it more highly to lovers of great travel writing, the Himalaya, Buddhism, Nepal, field biology, and the grieving process for a loved one through adventurous pursuits. Mr. Matthiessen was one of the greatest naturalists and nature writers this planet has known, and this story is one of his best, even in itʻs abridged form. Enjoy. Namaste!