On the Road

Rating:
Summary: Defining moment of the Beat generation
Review: On the Road has not only inspired thousands of people to make their own cross-country trips, heading off for parts unknown, it is truly one of the original writing styles to emerge from the 20th Century. Although it could be lumped into the "stream of consciousness" category, it is clearly much more than that; whereas most stream of consciousness books carefully describe with intricate detail the events of a small period of time, such as a few days, On the Road covers various events that take place over a period of several years, and it does so in a more general fashion.

In essence, the book covers the four major trips that Kerouac made during the late 1940's along with Neal Cassady. The first three of these are essentially about heading West (or South) to meet up with many of their close friends. The trips take them usually to California or Denver, but also entail going to New Orleans, Chicago, etc., and back to New York. Basically, they travel West, have their kicks, get their fun while it lasts, and then head back East. The fourth trip, at the end of the book, covers a spur of the moment journey to Mexico, and is in many ways the most interesting of all the adventures.

I should mention, as you probably know, that the names of the characters in the book are not the same names of the people in real life. If you are familiar with some of the Beats and are curious about the tales that Kerouac tells of them, I know that at least some editions metion in the introduction who is whom. The four main Beats that most people are aware of, Kerouac, Cassady, William Burroughs, and Allen Ginsberg, are Sal Paradise, Dean Moriarty, Old Bull Lee, and Carlo Marx, respectively. In the Penguin edition, there are a few other people who's real names and character names are matched up.

One interesting thing to think about while reading is that Kerouac wrote the entire book in a matter of weeks. He taped rolls of typewriter paper together and let his coffee, nicotine, and, according to some people, benzedrine, keep him up for hours while he wrote. Often, he would write for six or eight hours in a row, or more. This obviously leads to the type of writing style that he uses, and is also synonymous with the Beat lifestyle. The book flows and grooves, just like the music they were listening to, and just like the mentality that many of them had.

Although it took many years for On the Road to be published, and although it eventually caused a rift between Cassady and Kerouac that may never have been resolved (Kerouac apparently didn't even blink when told many years later that Cassady had died), it is perhaps the best description of the Beat way of life, which without a doubt was a huge influence on the Hippie movement that followed. This influence is something that was explored by Steve Allen when he interviewed Kerouac on his television series. The New York Times book review, at the time of publication, declared this the "Sun Also Rises" of its' generation, comparing Kerouac to Ernest Hemmingway as a leading voice of people his age. It is a masterpiece, and a truly fun classic to read.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting read, with historical context
Review: I tried reading this book tens years ago, and found the first chapter "boring" and put it down. Now, trying again to read what many claim is a classic of literature, I'm glad I gave it a second try.

Describing the book is a little like describing a Seinfeld episode. A bunch of guys drive around, drink a lot, chase women, listen to jazz, and basically ignore what most people do in life to learn what life is all about. But the restlessness of Dean Moriarity to find himself, and his long lost father, and the writer protagonist Sal to discover what exactly he sees in Dean is what drew me in. You can't help but feel the joy of discovery the characters go through. Interestingly enought, there are are enough hints from Kerouac to suggest that just maybe, all the "revelations" aren't as cracked up as they seem to be.

It is interesting to view this is a historical context. In the 50's, the free wheeling life styles would have been shocking. In the 60's no doubt people would read this and say "Right on, man!". Today, Dean Moriarity comes across as genuine, if misguided. We're not so outraged at what he does, so much as the irresponsibility of it, which many of the book's characters seem to get by the end. Even Sal realizes this by the end of the book.

Many people call this a great book about finding yourself, but I don't think it is that. It is more about two characters trying to find truths on the open road, who are not entirely successful. In addition to that, the book genuinely changed more than one generation. For that reason alone, I recommend reading it.

Rating:
Summary: Everyman's Story
Review: "On the Road" has taken a terrible beating from modern critics. Harold Bloom,the dean of modern American critics, has written the most damning review I have ever read of a book in the Preface to his Twentieth Century Interpretations volume. Basically, he says that "On the Road" is a worthless piece of trash. I totally disagree.

"On the Road" is the classic book of self-discovery. Sal Paradise floats over the United States and Mexico as if they were some sort of mirage on his own bruised ego. A veteran of WWII, Sal is desperately trying to locate a place for himself in a dislocated post-war world. Slowly we discover that he and all his roadie buddies are just doing what each of us has done in one way or another, found the pathway to our own true selves. "Tom Jones" does no more -- or less. "Robinson Crusoe" has little else to offer. It is precisely what Hamlet tries and fails to do.

So maybe Kerouvac was on drugs when he wrote it. So what? Maybe it is a story that goes no where. Who says books have to present answers? Maybe all that is true. It doesn't change one bit the sense that "On the Road" captures the very American desire to find "IT," that strange singular place where all our discordant parts fit together.

In the end, Sal finds his true sweety and settles down, but the story, the story dear Mr. Bloom, is the classic tale of a young man finding his place in this crazy modern world. Perhaps Harold Bloom is too old, or too focused, to remember this quintessential event in his own life anymore. Sal Paradise remembers it, and he brings it back in vivid descriptions that help us all [OK, almost all of us] to experience it again.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Miss This Experience!
Review: Academics and some intellectuals hate On the Road, which is a good enough reason as any to read it. If you listen to what these folks tell you, then you'll believe that Kerouac was some sort of brainless prodigy who didn't have an ounce of talent--or, if he had any talent, he had no control over it, like a pitcher with a great fastball who is unable to hit consistently the strike zone. Do you know why he isn't liked? Because Kerouac was, in fact, a natural writer and a craftsman who worked tirelessly to create literature, even as he experienced life to its fullest. He can't be a "real" writer, the reasoning goes, because the words came too easily to him. Just because they often did doesn't mean that Kerouac had no control over them. For proof, just look at his other novels, especially his first, The Town and the City. Kerouac knew what he was doing; he chose to write in a freewheeling, contemporary style that truly brought the American novel into the post-war era. It was poetry that did not ignore the language used by everyday people.
The style perfectly fits the characters that populate On the Road. For example, Dean Moriarty, based on Kerouac's early muse, Neal Cassady, is one of the most "larger than life" characters in American literature. He seems barely contained by the pages that tell his story. On the Road is a book that will become a friend to you, a friend you can trust always to be honest and real whenever you encounter it. Academics don't know what they're missing. Another quick recommendation ---> The Losers' Club by Richard Perez

Rating:
Summary: A Book Like No Other
Review: It's a stream of consciousness time book, that gives you a feeling of empathy for the main character Sal Paradise. The one he idolizes is also a misfit, but Sal sees the holy in him.
It's a book about the underground life of Sal, his pal Dean Moriarty, and the others they run around with. In the end..I believe Sal has learned something from his idol, something that will help him on the rest of his life's journey.

Very interesting book, and I'm glad I finally read it. I have met people like Dean in my life, and now my sorrow for such characters goes deeper than ever.

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

Rating:
Summary: Everyman's Story
Review: "On the Road" has taken a terrible beating from modern critics. Harold Bloom,the dean of modern American critics, has written the most damning review I have ever read of a book in the Preface to his Twentieth Century Interpretations volume. Basically, he says that "On the Road" is a worthless piece of trash. I totally disagree.

"On the Road" is the classic book of self-discovery. Sal Paradise floats over the United States and Mexico as if they were some sort of mirage on his own bruised ego. A veteran of WWII, Sal is desperately trying to locate a place for himself in a dislocated post-war world. Slowly we discover that he and all his roadie buddies are just doing what each of us has done in one way or another, found the pathway to our own true selves. "Tom Jones" does no more -- or less. "Robinson Crusoe" has little else to offer. It is precisely what Hamlet tries and fails to do.

So maybe Kerouvac was on drugs when he wrote it. So what? Maybe it is a story that goes no where. Who says books have to present answers? Maybe all that is true. It doesn't change one bit the sense that "On the Road" captures the very American desire to find "IT," that strange singular place where all our discordant parts fit together.

In the end, Sal finds his true sweety and settles down, but the story, the story dear Mr. Bloom, is the classic tale of a young man finding his place in this crazy modern world. Perhaps Harold Bloom is too old, or too focused, to remember this quintessential event in his own life anymore. Sal Paradise remembers it, and he brings it back in vivid descriptions that help us all [OK, almost all of us] to experience it again.

Rating:
Summary: a little story
Review: There once was an emperor who ruled over a great kingdom. One day, two tailors/book salesmen came to visit him. They told him about this glorious new novella "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac. They told him it was a barometer test for whether or not a person was intelligent. Anyone who liked "On the Road" was a genius, and anyone who disliked it a buffoon. Eager to prove how smart he was, the emperor quickly read the novella. When he was finished, he realized he was an idiot. Rather than being brilliant, he found the book to be a collection of insane ramblings and occurances that could only be interesting to Kerouac himself. It was about a man on a search for truth and meaning in the world, but he went about this by getting drunk and pretending that he liked poor people. However, when he saw true poor people in Mexico, he thought about how terrible it would be to be them. This made no sense. The philosophy for a better life was more vapid and meaningless than the life Sal was leading before Dean came around. Rather than changing the emperor's life, it made him long to have 4 hours of his life back. However, he was afraid to look like an idiot, and told the salesmen that it was the best book he had ever read. They were delighted, and told him he qualified for a special fabric...one that was invisible to everyone except those who loved "On the Road". The emperor couldn't see the fabric, but eagerly bought it. He then arranged for a public reading of "On the Road", and told the townspeople how only intelligent people liked the novella. The people all lined up to hear the reading. They thought the book was nonsense, but were afraid to say so. They pretended that the work was life altering, and that their ruler was actually clothed. Finally, a brave little boy in a tree shouted "This makes no sense. Dean isn't Jesus, he's a raging lunatic, and Sal isn't a disciple, he's just a fool. More importantly, why are you naked?"

Rating:
Summary: Ti Jean- My French Whore
Review: Kerouac had stumbled onto a new way of writing via Neal Cassady in the form of a letter Neal wrote Jack that read like a mad-man on a rant. It was later termed "spontaneous bop-prose," a method of capturing your first thought, the raw emotion. He likened it to a Jazz musician improvising a piece of music. One never knew where the song was going to go, it was dictated by the feelings of the musician. The language of writing, poetry or poetic prose, is not any different than music, which Nietzsche claimed was the "voice of the soul." Kerouac's method was to type without thinking, as in a meditative state. Doing so called for lightning fast typing with no revision. He found that stopping to change paper interrupted his flow. Before the days of word-processors, Kerouac typed his manuscript on a scroll which provided a continuous feed of paper to match his continuous flow of emotion.
Writing is the original alchemy, turning lead into gold. The writer turns language into poetry. Words, mere words used to point at something, are transformed through craft and inference. The writer is only half of the equation, the reader too must be open to the poetry of the world in order to realize the value of gold, and the ability to discern it from lead. The womb is the golden eternity. It is where we feel, we are most alive without excessive external influence. It is what we all strive towards, the primordial warmth.

Rating:
Summary: A potential life changing experience
Review: I'm realatively new to literature...partly because the books I was forced to read at an early age disinterested me completely. However, this book alone has instilled within me a whole new passion for the written word. Kerouac's style captivated me from the first sentence read and propelled me to a whole new world where I became thoroughly acquaited with Sal, Dean, and friends to the extent that I also felt part of the story. I especially recommend this book to anyone who has a passion for travelling. I absolutely garantee that you will gain a similar appreciation for this work.

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous stuff
Review: Kerouac writes in such an invigorating, joyful style - not traditional but unconstrained and full of life and beauty - this is a life-changing milestone of a book that changes your outlook and fills you with desire for experience and life. A perfect way to escape the humdrum of day-to-day life and lose yourself in another world - and after all, thats what reading is about. Just listen to this quote:

"The only people for me are the mad ones - the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the saem time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars"

Beautiful. That says it all. If you haven't read it, you need to.