Zen and the Art of the Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert M. Pirsig's worldwide bestseller, holds a unique and unforgettable place in modern Western literature. Now in Lila, he brings us a new voyage, a poignant journey and a passionate philosophical exploration.

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 her intellectually, finding her a culture of one in whom he discerns an unexpected Quality. Sailing with him to Manhattan, where her mental state deteriorates further, Lila promps Phaedrus to explore conflicts of values, such as those between Native Americans and Europeans, or between the insane and the normal.