Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #126979 in Books
• Published on: 2004-10-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

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

Customer Reviews

Welcome to the 50's
On the Road by Kerouac is an American classic literature, which I throughly enjoyed reading. The novel journeys around the swinging 50's decade, in America. As a reader, you will gain an insight American's society. Jazz music, fast foods, sex and drugs are some of key changes which characterized American society in the 1950's.

The novel features two main characters such as Sal Paradise (narrator) and his hero Dean Moruarty who journey around America through the highways (motorways). We are introduced to a colorful and eccentric range of characters. When you are reading this novel, it feels you are part of it, as it is written with great imagination and flair.

If you show an interest in classic piece of literature, read On the Road.

Beatnik
Jack Kerouac will always be remembered for this novel that is obvious, but why?

The answer: Beatnik.

In a time when American conformity was at an all time high, Kerouac came out with this book, and gave a voice to the voiceless.

Jazz, tea, poetry, hitchhiking, or driving really fast, taking on odd jobs, and moving from town to town . . . . These things are just as much a part of Americana as apple pie. Kerouac's acceptance of these values in "On the Road" might offend the straight arrow right-winger going to church every Sunday. But if Kerouac had written something that the moral majority accepted, this book would not have become a cult-classic, nor would it have described the "Beatnik."

Kerouac's prose is spontaneous, he called it automatic writing, and anyone who detests bad grammar might cringe reading this book. His style of writing may not even be suitable in some of his other books (like "Doctor Sax," reading that book gave me a headache), however, in "On the Road" it is a perfect fit.

This book is perfect in its time, place and purpose. Kerouac deserves to be remembered by it.

Yet, this book is not for everyone. I understand that some people out there would be enraged by this book. Do not read it. On the other hand, if you're the kind of person that is looking for a book off the regular path, that is inspiring, and lets you know that there are other people like you out there. Read this book.

On the Road
One of those books that everyone should read at some time. The problem is that it should be read when one is young but can only be fully appreciated when one has lived a little. A bit of a dilemma really. I also think it is one of those books that might be better listend to rather than read so having read the book I am now going to get the CD.