The raucous, exuberant, often wildly funny account of a journey through America and Mexico, Jack Kerouac's On the Road instantly defined a generation upon its publication in 1957: it was, in the words of a New York Times reviewer, "the clearest and most important utterance yet made by the generation Kerouac himself named years ago as 'beat.'" Written in the mode of ecstatic improvisation that Allen Ginsberg described as "spontaneous bop prosody," Kerouac's novel remains electrifying in its th... (show more)
The raucous, exuberant, often wildly funny account of a journey through America and Mexico, Jack Kerouac's On the Road instantly defined a generation upon its publication in 1957: it was, in the words of a New York Times reviewer, "the clearest and most important utterance yet made by the generation Kerouac himself named years ago as 'beat.'" Written in the mode of ecstatic improvisation that Allen Ginsberg described as "spontaneous bop prosody," Kerouac's novel remains electrifying in its thirst for experience and its defiant rebuke of American conformity.
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Before I read this book, my plan in life was to get good grades, go to an Ivy, get a computer science degree, make lots of money. This book destro... (show more)
Before I read this book, my plan in life was to get good grades, go to an Ivy, get a computer science degree, make lots of money. This book destroyed my plans. Instead, I got an English degree, moved boxes, drove around the country, moved more boxes, drove around the country, sold hot dogs, drove around the country, worked at a call center, drove around the country, and I'm currently in debt and unemployed. Thanks, Jack! (show less)
Ugh. Am I the only one who didn't like this book? I will try not to be too biased since I am a female, but honestly this book embodies pretty muc... (show more)
Ugh. Am I the only one who didn't like this book? I will try not to be too biased since I am a female, but honestly this book embodies pretty much everything that aggravates me about the male species. Before I get into that, let me just say that about halfway through, I realized there was really no story in this book and that it would ultimately lead nowhere, but I painfully crawled through the second half, hoping to find something to relate to or to make me say, "oh yes, that's it!" but that never happened. I initially liked the idea of journey, adventure and self-discovery through the beat generation of 1940's America, but what I got from reading this was that basically men got bored with their lives and decided the only way to feel like they were truly living was to run around the country like idiots, looking for other "mad" people, avoiding responsibilities, and discussing life in vague incoherent (and mostly drunk or high) philosophical ramblings. The character of Dean reflects this most, and the author/narrator clearly has some sort of romanticized notion of this person as the god of all beatniks, wanting the reader to believe he is sweet and endearing beneath all of his madness. Well, I didn't feel that way, needless to say. And in the end, I felt his crazy antics revealed his true nature, as a selfish narcissistic nut who ultimately abandons people. You can't really blame Dean, however, who is at least up front about who he is, but only the men and women who fall in love with him, foolishly thinking that his wacky behavior makes him "exciting" and more of a real human being. On top of all this, I was honestly just bored and after awhile felt like I was listening to too many guys I've known who sit around in a fantasy world, analyzing life in painfully obscure terms rather than actually living it, who I eventually just tune out but want to shake and say, "Grow up!" Interestingly, one of my favorite books is Into The Wild, in which the main character was very much inspired by Kerouac's On The Road. Hmm. (show less)
I had very high expectations for this book -- a story about criss crossing America with good friends, this is a recipe for great literature! Sadly, the details about the places visited are few and far between, and lacking in substance. What is left is a story about the central characters, for whom I could feel little empathy.
The characters on the whole are hedenistic and shallow, with no real goals or ambitions in life. Carlo Marx is perhaps the only exception -- he seems able to find ... (show more)
I had very high expectations for this book -- a story about criss crossing America with good friends, this is a recipe for great literature! Sadly, the details about the places visited are few and far between, and lacking in substance. What is left is a story about the central characters, for whom I could feel little empathy.
The characters on the whole are hedenistic and shallow, with no real goals or ambitions in life. Carlo Marx is perhaps the only exception -- he seems able to find meaning through his music and poetry. But sadly, through the course of the book, the rest of the characters stay pretty static -- there are no life changing events or epiphanies here, and they continue to drift meaninglessly through life. All in all, I found this theme to be rather depressing.
Perhaps this book is a good snapshot of America during the late 40s through the lives of these particular characters, but if you're looking for meaningful uplifting literature, you won't find it in On the Road. (show less)
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The first time I read "On The Road" I loved it. I had read it over the summer and mainly for enjoyment, never really stopping to analyze the content. The second time I read the book was for senior english seminar and I have to say, now, I feel that the book is far overrated.
On the second read I finally noticed how self-righteous Sal (Kerouac) is. He repeatedly compares himself to various minorities and impoverished people, playing pretend with them for a short time while he amu... (show more)
The first time I read "On The Road" I loved it. I had read it over the summer and mainly for enjoyment, never really stopping to analyze the content. The second time I read the book was for senior english seminar and I have to say, now, I feel that the book is far overrated.
On the second read I finally noticed how self-righteous Sal (Kerouac) is. He repeatedly compares himself to various minorities and impoverished people, playing pretend with them for a short time while he amuses himself. He then easily escapes as soon as the life becomes difficult, asking his aunt for money.
The misogyny is almost hilariously apparent. In their journeys, Sal and Dean leave numerous people along the wayside. Sal will be deadly in love with a woman one moment, then hate or ditch her the next. Dean leaves a trail of pregnant and salty women behind as he gets bored with life and decides to selfishly pursue his own "kicks". Women are painted as something that keep men tied down and any sort of attachment to them avoided. Also, if one is to buy into any of the grand ramblings, notice that it is the men who are capable of making these observations while women sit prettily waiting in rooms for the men to return to them at their leisure.
Now don't get me wrong. I'm all for free living and experiencing what life has to offer, but that isn't what these men are doing. They are playing pretend, concocting grand rationalizations along the way to make themselves feel more important than they actually are. Sal and Dean are less impoverished traveler and more imperial conquerer as they drive around, usurping the culture of the downtrodden only to pretend as though they have any idea what that sort of life is really like. On the surface level this seems fun, but then again I'm sure it's pretty awesome to avoid all responsibility and run away when people start to have expectations of you. The problem is that this isn't a romantic ideal, it's a sad picture of two delusional men. (show less)
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pronounced "Ker-ACK! Personally, I like it the way I mispronounced it... Jack Kero whack! :)
Tzulin Debbie Miller 2 months agoNarcissism and On The Road
http://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2007/10/kerouacs_on_the_road.html
Opinions?
Rowan Fortune Wood about 1 year agoKerouac and American Literature
I have to admit that a recent reading of On the Road struck me as banal and narcissistic, but when I read it in 1971 it was an awakening. One should step back and remember that the USA of the 50's had a pretty up-tight culture - one couldn't legally purchase Henry Miller! On the Road was as much a reflection of social unrest as Rebel w/o a Cause or The Wild One. While that literature might not be as sophisticated as today's, the message is just as pertinent. The characters in Breakfast at Tiffany's weren't changing the nation's perspective; however, the beats at City Lights were setting the stage for Kennedy, the Smothers Brothers, and Peace & Love. There was an undercurrent of conflict back then that was much more palpable than today's - reflected to some degree recently by Revolutionary Road. In the early 70's the road I traveled came to a fork and I'm much better for having chosen the one described by Kerouac than the one descibed by Frost.
Michael Tomlin-Brenner 4 months agoHope someone can help me ..
How do you pronounce jack's last name?
My best attempt is something like... Kur-O-ak ...
Facebook-användare about 1 year agoAmerica
Should I have read this book when I was 30?
America is a vast continent that lures the stranger and fascinates its own inhabitants. Crossing it is a myth and an initiation. From Balboa to Lewis and Clark and Forrest Gump Americans have been continuously on the road to experience it more than to discover their home ground. And this is what young, inexhaustible Kerouac does back and forth, back and forth and at full speed. He is only the narrator of this vast and profound novel, but a narrater who carries all his characters under his own skin.
lvm
AMAZMENT.WONDER.EXPLORE.TRY,LOOK,FIND,NOTE,....
I COULD GO ON WITH THE TOPIC WORD PHRARSER BUT ITS EASIER TO READ HERE!
I HAD A TOUGH TIME BACK IN CIRCA 98'THINGS SHALL BE LEFT UNSAID THOUGH NOTHING HAD CHANGED IN MY OVER ALL WORLD/STREET SENCE.I WAS A BAD READER ALWAYS AND NEVER WAS ABLE TO GIVE BOOKS TIME,THOUGH SUM CLEVER CHICK WITH COOL GLASSSES TOLD ME I WAS dyslexic.....(sorry wasnt shoutnig..just found the caps lock)
ive been invited to the states as i shared a flat with one o the god damn best yanks you could ever wish to meet.....i said i f i come to the states ,ill be "On the roadn"it ill arrive state side new york and and make my way west come what may.hopefully minus as raping and the odd robbery.
ok weird part..........was it just me or di the part wher sal and co are in a "brand new" car headng neyork bound when the radio is fucked as is the window and the heating...........ithink the pharase used was... "we felt a bit like arabs( with jerseys wrapped round their heads for wrmth) on our way to blow up new york" !!!!!!!!!!!!! this is 1956 i believe,my facts are never always acurate so at least that may urge you to read it anyway.....and do.
cam*
Cameron Phair about 1 year agoThis book has been added to these lists:
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