ANHOW REview of Books: "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac -- Adilbrand Noblesword's Hall of Warriors

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Date Posted: 14:31:21 02/26/02 Tue
Author: mt. healthy mountaineer
Subject:

ANHOW REview of Books: "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac

Genre: semi-autobiographical fiction
Published: 1957

It is with some trepidation that I am reviewing this book. None of the other books I have reviewed in this little forum have had the prestige and the reputation as this book. It has been an enduring icon of the Beatnik generation. In fact this author gave that generation its name.

So, what's this story about. Its about nothing. However, its also about life, theology and the nature of friendship. It is packed full of thoughts like, "The one thing that we yearn for in our living days, that makes us sigh and groan and undergo sweet nauseas of all kinds, is the rememberance of some lost bliss that was probably experienced in the womb and can only be reproduced (though we hate to admit it) in death." Here's an interesting theological concept thrown into a discussion in the backseat of a car: "'Now you just dig them in front. They have worries, they're counting the miles, they're thinking about where to sleep tonight, how much money for gas, the weather, how they'll get there - and all the time they'll get there anyway, yuo see. But they need to worry and betray time with urgencies false anbd otherwise, purely anxious and whiny, their souls won't really be at peace unless they can latch on to an established and proven worry and having once found it they asssume facial expressions to fit and go with it, which is, you see unhappiness, and all the time it flies by them and they know it and that TOO worries them no end.'"

The road is a metaphor for Sal and his friend Dean's spiritual travel. There's some Buddhist thelolgy thrown in, but not so much that an inattentive reader would note it. Dean is constantly crisscrossing the country, trying to find a place to settle, but unable to do so. Sal would settle, but Dean won't let him (or Sal won't let himself)and so they're off again!

But, what do I think of the book? I like the descriptions of the trips, especially Sal's initial trip across the country. I hate the parts of the book in which they are not traveling - mostly they drink themselves silly with a great variety of friends and acquaintances, smoke dope, go to night clubs (interesting at first - especially with the parrallels with jazz and their trips on the road) and Dean gets married (or divorced) and then plans to run away to one of his ex-wives.

I'm giving this book a "C-"

It gets good marks for a strong start.
It gets bad marks for a repitive, meandering plot in the middle.
It gets a little bonus for being a book with some thematic depth.

If you have read it and have an opinion, I'd be interested in seeing what you thought. I skimped on a lot of the details of the story in the interest of time (mine and readers of this post).

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Replies:

Well... -- mvd, 16:03:51 02/27/02 Wed
- Re: Well... -- mt. healthy mountaineer, 08:16:57 02/28/02 Thu
  - I see. -- mvd, 10:54:37 02/28/02 Thu
    - Re: I see. -- mt. healthy mountaineer, 13:37:38 02/28/02 Thu
      - :) Ah, right -- mvd, 13:44:51 02/28/02 Thu