i've just finished reading Jack Kerouac's On the Road - anyone read it? stunning prose, i really 'dig' (hehe) Kerouac's automatic writing thing. and his evocations of long dark jazz-playing 50s nights are quite something. but i felt there was a huge void there too. i feel a bit scared of not 'getting IT' and so on, but i just felt that the lack of real narrative structure meant that the book got a bit tiresome after a while. i also thought there was no real moral centre to it. not in a cunning postmodernist kind of way, but in a lazy, naive way. most of the characters were pretty flat. too much focus on landscape, too little on personal relationships etc. ho hum. still something to read though eh. now i'm on to something called How the Irish Saved Civilisation. a bit different, no?
On the Road
- Thread starter tom796
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"that's not writing, that's just typing".
Truman Capote on On The Road.
Truman Capote on On The Road.
Buddy Bradley
Pantheistic solipsist
I loved it - must read it again.
souljacker
innit
I liked the bits of the book that were him actually 'on the road' as it were. But the bits when he was describing the parties and stuff I found a bit pretentious. Mind you, I reckon it would have read very differently back in the early '60's. Saying 'we went to a wild party and smoked lots of tea and stayed up ALL NIGHT maaaaan' doesn't get much of a response these days!
I also hated the way he sucks up to Dean all thru the book. Hey look Deans stolen my girlfriends car! Isn't he crazy!!! Wow, he's borrowing money off my mum that he's got no intention of paying back! What a guy!!!!
I also hated the way he sucks up to Dean all thru the book. Hey look Deans stolen my girlfriends car! Isn't he crazy!!! Wow, he's borrowing money off my mum that he's got no intention of paying back! What a guy!!!!
Barking_Mad
Non sibi sed omnibus
What, Catch-22 isnt "up to much"?
Dear god.
Dear god.
Dirty Martini
gets what he cant want
One of the dullest books I've ever read. Kerouac's rep far outweighs his talents, imo.
floopadelic
New Member
When I was 14 or so I read 'Dharma Bums' and 'Desolation Angels' and quite enjoyed them at the time.
But I agree with the character in Buddha of Suburbia who says to young enthusiastic Karim "the cruellest thing you can do to Kerouac is read his books again when you're 30".
It's very true. He comes across as a sad old drunk with a mother fixation
But I agree with the character in Buddha of Suburbia who says to young enthusiastic Karim "the cruellest thing you can do to Kerouac is read his books again when you're 30".
It's very true. He comes across as a sad old drunk with a mother fixation
Is Dharma Bums the one where they run really fast down the side of a mountain? that's a fantastic piece of writing, but all too rare in Kerouac, the Kureishi quote is spot on.
much better to read Ringolevio. as Ringolevio will tell you
much better to read Ringolevio. as Ringolevio will tell you
pilchardman
Dances With Penguins
I liked it when I was 17.
Mind you, when I was 17, I liked Teardrop Explodes.
Mind you, when I was 17, I liked Teardrop Explodes.
oi! don't you be knocking Teardrop Explodes..
pilchardman
Dances With Penguins
I haven't listened to them in years. Do they stand the test of time?
Cope didn't.
Cope didn't.
cathal marcs
Well-Known Member
Reading it just now very dissapointed. Although its getting a bit better just nowas they are in Mexico. Just feels like being stuck in a going east/west/east/west and bloody back again. Not the worst book in the world but for it reputaion I was expecting more
dynamicbaddog
run for your life
tom796 said:
If you liked that, you should check out The Beat Hotel by Barry Miles, it recounts the history of what went on during the years when the Beats were abroad in Paris. I read it a few months back excellent book relating many interesting anecdotes - them beatniks were wild
Lysistrata
Well-Known Member
I loved it when I first read it when I was, oh, about 13 or 14. The fantastic scene where he's lying on the roof of the car in the sun very stoned was what inspired me to get into drugs and I've never regretted it.
L
LWide Eyed Angel
Forgeddaboudit!
i really enjoyed it, i found it a good dreamy book for all those hours i'm spending on endless coach journeys at the minute
Barking_Mad
Non sibi sed omnibus
I loved it, although its been a while.
I still rate Kerouac a great deal - but then I'm not 30.
On the Road doesn't deserve to be his best known book though - people are right that the Dharma Bums is excellent (mostly because Gary Snyder is the don), but there are a number of others better than OTR too.
Matt
On the Road doesn't deserve to be his best known book though - people are right that the Dharma Bums is excellent (mostly because Gary Snyder is the don), but there are a number of others better than OTR too.
Matt
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