On the road by Jack Kerouac

[Cainkane1]

I just bought a second hand copy of this book on e-bay. I paid $10.50. Has anyone else ever read this book? If you have was it good?

 

[Piscivore]

I've read it many times, it is one of my favourites. It really makes me love humanity, despite and because of their faults and flaws and sins- at least for a few months or so, anyway.

Give yourself a chapter or two to get used to the archaic slang, though.

 

[fishbait]

This book serves as a beacon of hope for insomniacs who do not respond to strong medication.

 

[applecorped]

Dated but worth a read.

 

[Rairun]

That's kind of expensive for a used book.

But it's definitely among my favorites. I wouldn't say it's dated at all--sure, it's hard to envision that story taking place today, but it also goes far beyond the cultural climate of the time, the beat movement, etc. I'm a nerd who would definitely not enjoy living Kerouac's life, but I can still relate to it because of how passionate he is about everything, and how he wants to make the most of it while he's still alive.

 

[mhaze]

I just bought a second hand copy of this book on e-bay. I paid $10.50. Has anyone else ever read this book? If you have was it good?

Yes and definitely yes. Historical antecedents to the 1960s, some very likable sociopathic characters.

 

[Cainkane1]

That's kind of expensive for a used book.

But it's definitely among my favorites. I wouldn't say it's dated at all--sure, it's hard to envision that story taking place today, but it also goes far beyond the cultural climate of the time, the beat movement, etc. I'm a nerd who would definitely not enjoy living Kerouac's life, but I can still relate to it because of how passionate he is about everything, and how he wants to make the most of it while he's still alive.

Oh well its a hardback.

 

[vitamin]

This is a brilliant book. Though, I actually enjoyed to "Big Sur" a little more.

 

[figarot]

Though I love the beat generation I felt that much of what they wrote was a bit boring. Read On The Road about ten years ago after my own travels through Israel and felt that had I penned my own memoirs of my time in the "Holy Land" it would have made for a far more interesting read. That said Kerouac did have an excellent style of writing, much better than say Ginsberg (who should have been better seeing as he put himself across as a poet). Though, of the beats, my favourite has got to be William S. Burroughs.

 

[ChrisC]

Be prepared for lots of hip (50 years ago) lingo. Took me a little time to become accustomed to it since I missed that era by a number of years.
I liked it the first time around but a second read really sealed the deal. It's a book about living life.

 

[Brainster]

It's an extremely influential book and worth reading as a prelude to the beatniks and hippies of the 1950s and 1960s. As art, I agree with the reviewer who described it as "typing, not writing".