The Snow LeopardThe Snow Leopard
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1973, a year after his wife died of cancer, Peter Matthiessen joined the biologist George Schaller on a two-month trek into the Himalayas of Nepal to study wild blue sheep, hoping also to see the rare snow leopard. Through mountain passes, snowstorms and Buddhist monasteries, the journey becomes a search for something inside himself as well.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award and is a classic of nature and travel writing. Matthiessen's descriptions of the mountains are breathtaking, and the book is as much about grief and Zen Buddhism as it is about the leopard.
You'll love it if you liked
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster
WaldenGood to know
It's quiet and meditative, written as a journal, with long passages on Buddhism. It's not an adventure story in the usual sense.
By the numbers
- Readers56 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics85 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller13 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #107 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #189 of the 762 classics we rank
- #591 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Adventurous
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Quick answers
Is The Snow Leopard worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Award and is a classic of nature and travel writing. It ranks #591 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 77.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Snow Leopard about?
In 1973, a year after his wife died of cancer, Peter Matthiessen joined the biologist George Schaller on a two-month trek into the Himalayas of Nepal to study wild blue sheep, hoping also to see the rare snow leopard. Through mountain passes, snowstorms and Buddhist monasteries, the journey becomes a search for something inside himself as well.
How long does it take to read The Snow Leopard?
About 9 hours (368 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Snow Leopard won?
National Book Award (Nonfiction) winner (1980).
What should I read after The Snow Leopard?
If you liked it, try Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard, Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer or Walden by Henry David Thoreau.