- Paperback: 291 pages
- Publisher: Penguin; New edition (3 Sep 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0140274154
- ISBN-13: 978-0140274158
- Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 11 x 2.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
On The Road, the most famous of Jack Kerouac's works, is not only the soul of the Beat movement and literature, but one of the most important novels of the century. Like nearly all of Kerouac's writing, On The Road is thinly fictionalised autobiography, filled with a cast made of Kerouac's real life friends, lovers and fellow travellers. Narrated by Sal Paradise, one of Kerouac's alter-egos, this cross-country bohemian odyssey not only influenced writing in the years since its 1957 publication but penetrated into the deepest levels of American thought and culture. --Acton Lane
Review
? A dazzling piece of writing for all of its rough edges, stripped of affectations that in the novel can sometimes verge on bathos . . . It seems much more immediate and contemporary.?
?Luc Sante, " New York Times Book Review"
?Luc Sante, " New York Times Book Review"
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have just finished an exhilirating ride through Kerouac's almost deranged writing style. There appears to be no filters between his mind and his words and I can picture him committing this work to paper in an almost trance-like frenzy.
While many things have and can be said about this book - that it describes a hedonistic search for release and meaning, lost souls in search for the metaphorical holy grail, self-obsessed idiots using and abusing people and circumstances - to me this book is primarily about life. But this isn't life as many of us know it, this is life on the very edge of sanity where mystical experience mingles with psychosis.
I believe this is why the book is such a love/hate piece of literature. If you haven't felt the desperation in life that looms so heavily over Dean Moriarty's and Sal Paradise's heads, there is no way you can sympathize with or understand them. If I as a reader haven't had the experience of extreme dissatisfcation, of a tremendous longing for something better and an image in my mind of there being a way of living that is more genuine, more rewarding, I wouldn't be able to connect with the deeper meaning of this novel.
So in essence, this book's primary theme is a spiritual one, the search for *what is*. The frenzied protagonists Dean Moriarty and Sal Paradise travelling across the somewhat grim backdrop of a post-World War 2 American landscape keep searching for this meaning in the external world of people, situations, places and experiences. The book reveals how this search goes unfulfilled, but in a way, you feel that it is not, after all, a waste of time. In a very real way, these protagonists display a level of sanity above and beyond what most of us possess, as having touched the depths of the human condition, they are among the few that go searching for more. Unwilling to let social conditioning, conformity and a sense of fitting in hold them back, their search is completely uninhibited. (and as such, probably offensive)
I believe this testament to the power of the human spirit is what makes people love the book. Possibly, what makes people hate it is that it brings to light the painful realization of how most of us go through life without ever having truly lived - living a timid life in fear of the unknown, unwilling to take a chance on something better. A simpler explanation could be the convoluted language which is difficult to interpret at times.
Even though it is obvious that the literary creations of Kerouac's (and probably Kerouac himself) go about their goal of release in ways that are in large part misinformed - primarily looking outside instead of inside, the experience of tagging along is definitely worthwhile and can teach us a thing or two about our own search for happiness. Make no mistake - in our joyless contemporary society, this work is as relevant as ever.
In conclusion, I would like to offer a parallel between the character of Dean Moriarty and my favourite Albert Einstein quote:
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed"
If this is not something you agree with, you will likely hate this book. However, if this sounds strangely familiar, I suspect this book will teach you a thing or two about life.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"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 same 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 and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!"
This was my first introduction to Jack Kerouac. I found this book to be fantastic! For those like me who have heard of Kerouac and "On The Road" but really do not know what it is about I will provide a brief synopsis without giving too much away. It is the story of Sal Paradise (substitute for Kerouac) and his friend, Dean Moriarty (modeled on Kerouac's friend) and their late 1940s cross country searches for "it", music, sex, liquor...life, as they know it.
Those who have read my other reviews may be surprised at my gushing praise for this classic of the Beat Generation. The life style described in this book is, in my opinion, utterly disgusting. What makes this book great, to my taste, is the writing style. It is a fast paced, stream of consciousness description of totally irresponsible, hedonistic behavior. I would not recommend this life style to anyone but I do recommend the book to any fan of great writing with the maturity to avoid the siren call to take to the road.
This was my first introduction to Jack Kerouac. I found this book to be fantastic! For those like me who have heard of Kerouac and "On The Road" but really do not know what it is about I will provide a brief synopsis without giving too much away. It is the story of Sal Paradise (substitute for Kerouac) and his friend, Dean Moriarty (modeled on Kerouac's friend) and their late 1940s cross country searches for "it", music, sex, liquor...life, as they know it.
Those who have read my other reviews may be surprised at my gushing praise for this classic of the Beat Generation. The life style described in this book is, in my opinion, utterly disgusting. What makes this book great, to my taste, is the writing style. It is a fast paced, stream of consciousness description of totally irresponsible, hedonistic behavior. I would not recommend this life style to anyone but I do recommend the book to any fan of great writing with the maturity to avoid the siren call to take to the road.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a classic so I picked it up. I wouldn't consider myself a HUGE reader but I found this book a bit tough going at first.
The style of writing is that of someone from the beat poet generation who's on the road and bit lost, meaning that there are long sentences which extend right down the page, almost following one train of thought as if it has been written in a complete rant, which is important because he might have forgotten what he was gonna say and then when you least expect it, he'll deviate!!
You get my meaning.
It's an interesting read and I enjoyed it. Not a light book (not a very one either) but certainly one that captures the spirit of freedom and living your life in those uni/post university days/daze.
The style of writing is that of someone from the beat poet generation who's on the road and bit lost, meaning that there are long sentences which extend right down the page, almost following one train of thought as if it has been written in a complete rant, which is important because he might have forgotten what he was gonna say and then when you least expect it, he'll deviate!!
You get my meaning.
It's an interesting read and I enjoyed it. Not a light book (not a very one either) but certainly one that captures the spirit of freedom and living your life in those uni/post university days/daze.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
On the road
LOVE this book so much, jack kerouac is a legend and such a classic! will read this again soon
reccomend to anyone who hasnt read this
i have bought several... Read more
reccomend to anyone who hasnt read this
i have bought several... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Millyyy
Read it, it's a classic
Some of the negative reviewers here have not made an allowance for the age of this Novel. It was written before 1950 and there was a lot of pressure on writers to be unique. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Neil Gibbs
good book, but failed to live up to the hype for me
i have wanted to read this book for a while, given its reputation, and i have to admit for the first half or so it was a good read. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Bm Weller
On The Road
Inspired millions of people over multiple generations, uses a brilliant stream-of-consciousness narrative that I love. Yet again fast delivery with the minimum of packaging.
Published 9 months ago by MonkeyMan
Conflicting Feelings...
I read On The Road with great expectations, with only ever having heard unadulturated praise for both the novel and Kerouac. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Jamie
Not impressed
I was told to read this book for my film class while we were studying road movies, but I couldn't even finish it. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Victoria
Disappointingly overhyped
This is obviously a classic novel, so I'd heard a lot about how great it was - and I was really disappointed. Read more
Published 19 months ago by miss_spookiness
my all time favourite book
The last time i read this book i was 15 which was ten years ago!
I'd forgotten how good this book was and am very pleased with it. Read more
I'd forgotten how good this book was and am very pleased with it. Read more
Published 20 months ago by lindsey
How to see the USA ?
The book arrived on time at a good price. I should have ordered it about 50 years ago,though,and not grown up. It is still enjoyable,however,if you're that way inclined!
Published on 29 April 2010 by Mr. Richard A. Spanner
Struggle To Finish
I Had to force myself to finish this appauling book as I had to see what the deal was... it was nothing. Possibly the most overrated book or one for the 'cool, alienated kids'. Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2010 by B. Mavis
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