On the Road
Ratings349
Average rating3.3
15
Ratings349
Average rating3.3
Described as everything from a "last gasp" of romantic fiction to a founding text of the Beat Generation movement, this story amounts to a nonfiction novel (as critics were later to describe some works). Unpublished writer buddies wander from coast to coast in search of whatever they find, eager for experience. Kerouac's spokesman is Sal Paradise (himself) and real-life friend Neal Casady appears as Dean Moriarty.
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3,690 booksWhen you think back on every book you've ever read, what are some of your favorites? These can be from any time of your life – books that resonated with you as a kid, ones that shaped your personal...
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1 released bookDuluoz Legend is a 33-book series first released in 1950 with contributions by Jack Kerouac, Martín Lendínez, and 14 others.
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Reviews with the most likes.
A vibrant portrayal of life presented in jazz form: messy, loud, improvised, collaborative, and irreverently original. This is what you would expect from a literary icon who helped found an entire movement. Jack Kerouac's iconic novel On the Road truly lives up to its positive reputation and embodies a life-affirming joie de vivre. This is my first Kerouac read, though I am familiar with various quotes from him, with one of my faves being: “Nowhere to go but everywhere, so keep on rolling under the stars.”
Like the quote, On the Road unfolds like a stream of consciousness as the author embarks on a somewhat autobiographical journey across the country several times. Each journey features a unique assortment of supporting characters, inspired by real figures from Kerouac's life, who enhance the reverie of existence. Figures of the Beat generation such as Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs, among others who embody the sentiment of the free spirited and unconstrained of their generation. Ultimately it’s a story about embracing life to its raw fullest; to live in the moment without hesitation or judgment amidst all its highs and lows.
Film Recs:
- Easy Rider
- Babylon
- Y tu Mama Tambien
- American Honey
- Kill Your Darlings
I think that stream of consciousness books are not for me.
Wildly overrated “novel” about a bunch of beatniks travelling around and having “adventures”, mostly involving drugs and sex and being liberated and putting it “to the man”. Pathetically trying to be cool and irreverent but coming off immature, like rebellious teenagers. I don't understand why people rate this book highly. It's not much and what there is is repeated again and again.
