On the Road: The Original Scroll: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

What's all the hype about?

Okay, Kerouac was a talented writer. That is plain to see, and anybody who doesn't see it I feel sorry for. And while On the Road was an enjoyable read, one that I don't regret nor ever will, I still can't help but feel disapointed. This was supposed to be meaningful...where is the meaning? Generally, I'm better than most people at finding allegories within works of fiction, being a nit-picky satirist myself. I can give you symbolism for every event in Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle. I can give you the moral, philosophical points of Burgess' A Clockwork Orange. I can decode the works of Burroughs. But 'On the Road' left me feeling like it was pointless...a good, enjoyable read, but...pointless. So here's my advice: Read the book, don't believe the hype. Enjoy the story, but don't expect it to be life-changing, intellectually charged, and allegorically moral, like so many fans want you to believe.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

On the Road, Jack Kerouac

On the Road is written by Jack Kerouac, published by Penguin in 1955. This book is considered to be an authentic representation of the movement in our society called the "Beat Generation." The book tells of Sal Paradise, and his decision to travel from New York to California during the late forties and early fifties, a time when the nation was recovering from the effects of World War II. The music of the time changed from a swing beat to jazz; this was a change from what was known, to something with a beat--jazz was edgy and different. This change in music was indicative of the change in young people, and this is the adventure from which Kerouac writes, because he was part of this beat generation.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

extra-ordinary

To anyone with a wildly out of control friend, that one who makes you crazy but you just can't quit, the story of Sal and Dean will send echos through your head. To anyone who wants to intimately know the post-WWII wanderlust that struck so many Americans, to anyone who wants to know how the Beats and the hippies came to be, this is the bible.
Genius.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Voice of an Era

The most useful purpose On the Road serves is not as a great character exploration - which it is - or as a wild adventure story - which it isn't - but as for better understanding a generation of people inspired by it. In some ways, it's a book about nothing, a book about drifting... which sometimes makes for an aimless narrative, but does capture the way so many have wandered after.

The most appropriate thing about this nook version is that you can take Kerouac's classic on the road with you:)

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

the ultimate american "tour de force..."

I first heard "On The Road" on tape... a most enjoyable and truly impressive presentation... subsequently bought the book for my library and an ebook version so I could read excerpts while... on the road. The written version is heavyweight great...!!

Makes you think

I have seen life differently since I have finished this book. Its a great book.

A must read for the free spirit adventeror A must read for those who love no ties and true freedom

Great story based on free spirit and free love just before the hippie era

On the Road

Really enjoyed the book. Kerouac's cross-country adventure is a fun read and gives an interesting look at counter culture.

Dont buy it is a rip off

Wasted my money

0 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

Important Read

This book started off strong for me and I got into it really fast. About halfway through I started to really hate the characters particularly Sal but I still wanted to keep reading and I am glad that I did. While the characters were completely unlikable to me the way this story shows the expanse of America and represents a different side of this generation than what I am used to reading is great. I definitely thing everyone should read this book it might not be the best book you have ever read but you won't regret reading it!

Piece of a Generation

Jack Kerouac sets out to capture the essence of his beat generation in to one book and for the most part is successful. On the Road chronicles Sal Paradise, an archetype of the beat generation, and his aimless ramblings across the continental US. Living penniless and destitute, Sal travels cross-country several times meets many different people and places, including but not limited to, drunken southern californian vineyard adventures, the hustle and bustle of Manhattan and nocturnal guard shifts at a prison in seattle. The story is interesting and captivating, especially with the broadness of it which makes it relatable to almost anyone's own life experience. Sal's search for a home and a lover and beer, is similar to the younger generation of today, perhaps even the origin. Kerouac's reference towards other Beat Generation notables and friends, like his nod toward Neil Cassady under the guise of Dean Moriarty, gives the reader a sense of who these character's really were and most importantly, what the generation stood for. At times, the narrative can be dull and move slow however, possibly On the Road's greatest strength is that it is realistic, showing an un-biased, impartial perspective of the beat's. Kerouac chooses to leave nothing out, showing a brutal honest picture of the beat generation, the good, the bad and the down right weird. In doing this, he best captures the purpose of the beats. The book is not short of powerful, thought provoking moments which humble the reader, as it should. On the Road is one of the 20th centuries greatest literary achievements.

Exquisite.

A beautiful novel by a beautiful author, Jack Kerouac has blessed us all with this esoteric, truly original piece of art. The way Kerouac writes should be seen as abstract, for it's by no means technical nor should it be treated as such. With that notion, this novel could use a bit more structure, but I think the sporadic writing is what makes this novel work. All in all, the characters are believable and dastardly charming while the mildly philosophical statements are perfection and not at all over the top. Thank you, Mr. Kerouac, for providing such wonderful escapism.

SchroetterJ

On The Road by Jack Kerouac was published in 1957. It was a critical mess back then and yet considered a classic now. It all begins with Sal Paradise, living in New York after the break-up of his first marriage. He meets a man named Dean Moriarty. That spring, Sal decides to go on the road. He takes a bus to Chicago then hitchhikes to Denver where he meets up with his friends Carlo and Dean. He then leaves Denver and goes to San Francisco with a friend named Remi. After he leaves San Francisco, he meets a beautiful mexican girl named Terry. He lives with her for a while, picking cotton with her family for a living. He ends up leaving and crossing the country for home. He eventually meets back up with Dean and goes to New York then New Orleans then California. The next year, Sal returns to Denver, hitches a limo to Chicago, then goes back to New York. His next plan is to drive to Mexico and Dean offers to take him there. When they arrive, Sal is too sick to appreciate Dean for driving him there, and Dean just turns around and drives away. The next time they will ever meet is very brief and after that, they will never speak to each other ever again.

This book was a rendition of Jack Kerouac's life. It is inspiring to me because it makes me want to travel and meet new and interesting people. I love the bohemian style of the characters. This book reminds me of "Into The Wild." I definitely draw a connection between Alexander Supertramp to Sal Paradise. The only thing about this book is there was no point to it. There was no goal to reach or an outstanding achievement to the plot. It was also very repetitive. Overall, this wasn't my favorite book but it also wasn't the worst.

On the Road

Jack Kerouac has created something here that few writers have the ability to do. With this original scroll, the reader is able to follow through the actual events of Kerouac's day. No revising or revisiting, just him sitting down and writing things as they happened. Some readers may be offended by his inability to put the effort forward that most writers do of revision, but I would argue that his greatest quality is his love for his life that is clearly written among the pages. This book is the living diary of his travels on the road and although some areas become confusing with the introduction of new characters, the book is an easy read. The simplicity yet descriptive portrayal of his adventure leave the reader with a desire for the same travel. A favorite read simply for the reason that, as Kerouac also respects, we all desire to get away, and to be on the road.

The Road Makes for Good Travel but a Slow Story

I was at first hesitant to read On the Road, not because I thought it would be a bad book , but because it had reached a point in literary fame that I knew it had inevitably been over hyped. To be honest, it was. I'm not trying to be overly negative. I really did enjoy the book, but it's not my favorite book of all time. That is a place still reserved in my heart for Nineteen Eighty Four. The reason I can never really love this book is the most basic feature of it: concept. I don't particularly care for the idea of non-fiction in the first place and in second place the idea of a non fiction based on no major event is even worse. Yes, I admit that it the book is very interesting and that I found his flow of consciousness writing style to be enjoyable but for some reason I just could not get really into the book. There is just something very anti climamactic about a story that consist of little more then a random travel.
By far the best quality of the entire book was the characters that flowed in and out of it. Dean Morainty (Neal Cassidy) paints perfectly the image of a careless free spirit in a way that could not have been done better ,even had Jack simply created him out of his imagination. I have also always had an admiration of Allen Ginsberg so it is only natural that I should like his character humorously named Carlo Marx. But more interesting then even learning about the beats was learning about the "normal" people he met during his time on the road whether it be an eccentric truck driver giving him a ride, a young Mexican lady that he finds emotional connection to, or a person that comes to join his circle of Beatniks the random people in life always seem to be exceptionally interesting.
By the end though even the fascination I have with people was not enough to win me over. I think as I write this now, that perhaps I would have liked it more had I came in with no expectations, but that just cant happen with a book like On the Road. Everyone reading it is going to have expectations of what the book is going to bring to the, table and if it doesn't deliver on those expectations it will seem worse then it is. For this reason I will never really know how good this book would be if I came in with a completely open mind, but I suspect I would still believe there are good characters with no actual storyline.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

about time

why has it taken so long to get this, the original manuscript, out to the general public? I've never believed it was written in one draft anyway. I found an old paperback copy of Dharma Bums in a thrift store in Modesto a while back, which I have never read. They wanted like a buck seventy five for it even though all the other paperbacks were about ten cents each. I was incensed and got into an argument with some Mexican ladies that ran the store and basically am still kicking myself for being so cheap. But it was the principle. I'm just old enough to have traveled coast to coast on old route 66 when I was a kid. You can't appreciate how this sort of a lifestyle could be possible unless you've made that journey, especially in a Studebaker like we did. I think the reason they've never released this scroll is because of repressed homosexuality. I've always felt that Kerouac and Cassidy were both at least bisexual, but that was clearly unacceptable in the fifties and frankly most of the rest of the latter half of the 20th century as well and only now can we even approach the truth.

Simple and Carefree

On The Road is a simplistic story about a man who wanted to make a drastic change with his life. Most people don't have the guts to do it. Sal Paradise was unhappy living his life as it was so took off for the west coast in search of...meaning. It was something he was skeptical in doing at first, but his buddy Dean Moriarty was sure this is what he needed. Dean is the extreme adventurous type who can never stay in one place for too long. He is the proof that as much as people need to mix it up, everything needs to be done in moderation. This gives hope to those who would like to have the option to escape from it all. It shows that it can be done. Sal experiences what life is like all throughout the country again and again. It's a scenic trip the whole time that I would recommend to any reader with a free spirit.

Worse of the Best

I could not get into this book once, the characters are not life like i dont know anyone that talks like Dean unless they our hyped up on speed or something Ya! Ya! Ya! It wasn't relatable, it didnt entertain me. It seemed like you had to have ADD in order to understand the book. Heard it was one of the best books ever but i found it to be the worse. Maybe its because i wasnt around in the 1960's or that i am a female but to me it wasnt a good book.

0 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

This is a classic!

From the first page to the last, I absolutely fell in love with this book! It's filled with characters who come from every different facet of life and the way that Kerouac tells his story and interweaves these characters makes you want to know more. It's a hard book to put down. Even when it seems that he is traveling to no where for nothing sometimes, and you forget why he started off in the first plsce, it always comes back around and opens your mind a little more to what people are actually like. It's an interesting look at human nature.

Mixed Feelings

I read On the Road as the first book from Time Magazines 100 greatest novels of all time. While I will give the book its due respect as an American icon and classic, I personally had mixed feelings about it. I can see how, for its time, it was a new concept, very beat, and possibly controversial. But for people in our day and age, its somewhat difficult to connect with. There isn't a man I know who hasn't wanted to live on the road at least once in his life, and this is exciting to read in that respect. However, our country just isn't the same as it was when this was written. Had I read this book in the sixties or early seventies, it would have sent me out onto the road as fast as my Hudson could take me. As it is, I enjoyed it, but was not amazed. Quality characters, a fun journey, just not what I expected from all the hype.