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The Snow Leopard

by Peter Matthiessen

A Himalayan expedition shaped by natural observation and Zen practice

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Paperback New English

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Awards & Recognition

  • Award recognition

    National Book Award winner

    The source describes The Snow Leopard as a winner of the National Book Award.

AlbakiReads Editorial

A Himalayan expedition shaped by natural observation and Zen practice

Set during a 1973 journey into Nepal’s high mountains, The Snow Leopard brings together expedition writing, wildlife study, and spiritual inquiry. Peter Matthiessen travels with field biologist George Schaller, whose work centers on Himalayan blue sheep, while holding out hope of seeing the elusive snow leopard. Alongside the physical route toward Crystal Mountain and the shrine of the Lama of Shey, the book records Matthiessen’s engagement with Zen Buddhism and questions of suffering, impermanence, reality, and beauty. The travel narrative’s outward destination and inward search remain closely linked throughout.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in Himalayan travel and remote mountain landscapes
  • Fans of nature writing centered on wildlife observation
  • Readers exploring Buddhist thought through memoir and travel writing

Themes

Himalayan explorationWildlife observationZen BuddhismSpiritual seekingImpermanence

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

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

An unforgettable spiritual journey through the Himalayas by renowned writer Peter Matthiessen (1927-2014)


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. This Penguin Classics edition features an introduction by acclaimed travel writer and novelist Pico Iyer.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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