On The Road

Discussion in 'Beat and Hippie Books' started by Dandelion_Blood, May 10, 2004.

  1. Little_Dove

    Little_Dove Member

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    I think that's definately part of the problem many people have with his work, lol, they take that for granted.

    Perhaps the appeal for me is that the book is so unstructured, but at the same time, still very cohesive.... Reading this book is like having an experience, not hearing a story with a beginning-middle-end... Stories about your life experiences don't have beginnings or ends, something always splinters off and effects this or that part of your future or someone else's. I like that this book doesn't treat living as though it was linear, like, this caused that, caused that, caused that... Things just all happen at once, one after the other and I think because of his interest in spirituality, he tried to be more go-with-the-flow in his narrative...

    But me, I love the mad ones....
     
  2. dara325

    dara325 Member

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    Eh, Kerouac is awesome, but the book did not change the way i looked at life, or made me look differently at the world. Its a good story, and during the 50's historically ground breaking as a literature work but reading it today it doesnt have the same fire it had in the 50's.
     
  3. ashbury1500haight

    ashbury1500haight Member

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    I just finished reading this in about a week and I'm about to start it again. This book is definantly one of my favorites now. The way it was written and what Jack Kerouac writes about is just ... i dunno.
     
  4. dlo24844

    dlo24844 Hip Forums Supporter HipForums Supporter

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    Brother It changed my life.I wish someone had turned me onto it earlier. I read about the Beats and I went on the road in Auztralia. Ended up in jail for vagrancy blah. blah. blah. Anyway it's a fantastic book. Love and Peace R.A.T
     
  5. dlo24844

    dlo24844 Hip Forums Supporter HipForums Supporter

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    I've read Flashbacks and The Politics of Ectasy and loved both. No wonder they tried to pot him for 30 years.For better or worse at least he tried. R.A.T Auztralia
     
  6. Ghost of ruins

    Ghost of ruins Member

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    I'm reading this book, too. I really enjoy it. The descriptions of the different people, they meet are really good. You "know" them after reading the book and you meet them in live. I'll soon have finished it. Perhaps I'll have some questions then.

    Read this book. It will open your eyes for things you didn't notice before. It's really cool.
     
  7. gurney

    gurney Member

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    great book
     
  8. Ghost of ruins

    Ghost of ruins Member

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    I finished it yesterday... It was really great[​IMG]
     
  9. flowersinmyhair

    flowersinmyhair Member

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    I read it last year, it's great, you should read "The Dharma Bums" that's my favorite so far.
     
  10. Ghost of ruins

    Ghost of ruins Member

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    Good idea, then "The Dharma Bums" will be the next book I read..[​IMG]
     
  11. imagining

    imagining Member

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    thats such an awesome book :D ..and his writing style is i think what really made it so great for me, actually. hadn't read anything written that way before. i read dharma bums afterwards but still like on the road just a bit better..
     
  12. deadonceagain

    deadonceagain mankind is a plague

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    its was good definitly a classic
     
  13. *josai*

    *josai* Member

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    incredible book! i read it in college (i was a lit major) & it totally changed my life as well! i loved everything about kerouac's style. he always wrote just like he thought...totally scattered, stream of conscious, but with some really profound insights as well! i'm trying to remember what was the book he wrote about the lonely summer in a firetower???? drawing a blank....somebody help me out here
     
  14. dylanzeppelin

    dylanzeppelin daydream believer

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    I love this book. I read it back a year ago. So inspiriational. Probably read it after the books I intend to read right now. Gotta love the use of words and the language, I love it.
     
  15. Lozi

    Lozi Senior Member

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    i dont' think i ever finished it...or ..if i did....i forgot the ending..all i remembered was some guy peeing over the side while the drivers delibarately wobbled about in the road! oh and lots of drunken riots
    brilliant book though :)
     
  16. shockseventyfour

    shockseventyfour Member

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    that was near the beginning^^^^
    such a great book though, I've read it twice.
     
  17. Ghost of ruins

    Ghost of ruins Member

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    My favorite part of the story is when they go in an empty dusty house and start a party there.. It's really good. An other excellent part is when Sal has to work as policeman to earn money but steals a box of food.. :)
     
  18. shockseventyfour

    shockseventyfour Member

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    Geez I loved that one. The kind of energy that is just to go and see and be and experience was just crazy. It felt like a whole new world had opened up to me after I read that. I read it twice and recenetly read a kerouac biography. So I'm guna look and the Dharma Bums and Naked Lunch.
     
  19. dlo24844

    dlo24844 Hip Forums Supporter HipForums Supporter

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    The book Jack wrote about the fire tower would be Desolation Angels.Great book.I've got a book" selected letters 1957-1969 ". Great reading.But Icarn'tfind the first book "Selected letters 1940-1956" Has anyone read these books? Love and Peace.
     
  20. gypsyrose6007

    gypsyrose6007 Member

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    I've just finished it, and my life is changed!
     

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