How great is Jack Kerouac?

redmosquito10

By far my new favorite author. On the Road has been my favorite book since I first read it a few years ago, and I recently read Dharma Bums and am about to start Maggie Cassidy. Talk about writing from the heart, everything he writes is so pure and emotional, it's almost overwhelming. If you ever want to read a life-changing book, read some Kerouac. Any other fans around these parts?

adam42381

Time for me to read On The Road again. I read it in pieces a couple years ago. I enjoyed it but didn't get the full experience. Thanks for the reminder. I guess I need to pick up some more Kerouac...

Hitch-Hiker

To be honest, I found on the road to get very boring. I got through about 2 thirds of it, then realised that he'd been repeating himself since page one. Overrated IMO.

surfanddestroy

He is very great, I can read his books over and over and never get bored.

Heineken Helen

Hitch-Hiker wrote:

To be honest, I found on the road to get very boring. I got through about 2 thirds of it, then realised that he'd been repeating himself since page one. Overrated IMO.

Phew... I'm not the only one!

I have only read on the road so can only talk about that book... but I just didn't like his style. I'm big into 'adventure books' and usually I want to live what they lived... but this one just bored me

jasonw

Love him so much.....I think I've read on the road 10 times.....i've also read big sur,maggie cassidy, the dharma bums,the town and the city, the subterraneans, orpheus emerged, lonesome traveler, visions of gerard, dr. sax, some of the dharma and i'm currently reading vanity of dulouz

dunkman

On The Road is just one of those books you have to read... it just is.

Heineken Helen

dunkman wrote:

On The Road is just one of those books you have to read... it just is.

I disagree... strongly! I don't see any big deal with it whatsoever... and that kinda book is right up my alley... but it was dull!

PureandEasy

Hitch-Hiker wrote:

To be honest, I found on the road to get very boring. I got through about 2 thirds of it, then realised that he'd been repeating himself since page one. Overrated IMO.

I hate to say it but I agree 100%. I bought the book in June and I still can't through it.

IT'S BORING. I keep picking it back up because everyone says it's this masterpiece

it's boring.

dunkman

Heineken Helen wrote:

I disagree... strongly! I don't see any big deal with it whatsoever... and that kinda book is right up my alley... but it was dull!

right up my alley? its not about a ten-pin bowling mugger!

anyway, its a book that effortlessly evokes 50's america to me... it just places me in that time in the US... and i think it's one of my favourite books for that reason...

PureandEasy

I actually went here in June

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.nps.gov/archive/lowe/2002/loweweb/visiting/lowe_photos/images/kerouac.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.nps.gov/archive/lowe/2002/loweweb/visiting/lowe_photos/photo_16.htm&h=265&w=410&sz=15&hl=en&start=1&usg=__Ohu5TqDKBsxNOUl6RAfC0yB1Qgs=&tbnid=_yOy0H07kDGh-M:&tbnh=81&tbnw=125&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dkerouac%2Bpark%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den

and that is what inspired me to get the book

unfortunately, that's where my inspiration stopped

a lot of my family is from Lowell, MA too

Heineken Helen

dunkman wrote:

right up my alley? its not about a ten-pin bowling mugger!

anyway, its a book that effortlessly evokes 50's america to me... it just places me in that time in the US... and i think it's one of my favourite books for that reason...

Fair enough! Perhaps I just never wanted to GO to 50's America

dunkman

Heineken Helen wrote:

Fair enough! Perhaps I just never wanted to GO to 50's America

oh man, i'd love to have seen that era... i would have been the fucking Fonz :cool:

Heineken Helen

dunkman wrote:

oh man, i'd love to have seen that era... i would have been the fucking Fonz :cool:

I suppose if that's what you were brought up on they should write it on the cover: 'if you wanna go to 50's america, buy this book... if you can't be arsed, don't'

Hitch-Hiker

PureandEasy wrote:

I hate to say it but I agree 100%. I bought the book in June and I still can't through it.

IT'S BORING. I keep picking it back up because everyone says it's this masterpiece

it's boring.

yup, I could never finish it either. I enjoyed it for a little while...but not that long. Very disaappointing to be honest, considering it's reputation.

Heineken Helen

Hitch-Hiker wrote:

yup, I could never finish it either. I enjoyed it for a little while...but not that long. Very disaappointing to be honest, considering it's reputation.

I finished it quick enough... but mainly cos it was short and after about 30 pages I just wanted to get it finished (I hate not finishing a book) so I made myself! Although, I found my mind kept wandering off to more interesting things and I'd have to start a page again.

redmosquito10

i've heard a lot of people say they struggle to get into his books because of his writing style, so i guess it's understandable that people don't like him. i don't understand it, but it's understandable, probably by someone else. even if you found on the road boring, i would still think it was a valuable piece of literature if only for the huge amount of short sections of what, to me, are perfect writing.

the wolf

im finally reading it now. ( on the road ) i bought it 3 years ago and have never gotten around to it.

i have to admit, the only reason i bought it is because it was supposedly one of Jim Morrisons favorite books.

chime

I also found it a tough slog and pretty dull ... but like Helen hate to leave a book unfinished so made myself finish it. 9-10 years later can't really remember a thing about it

Has meant I've never tried to read anything else by him.

catefrances

dunkman wrote:

oh man, i'd love to have seen that era... i would have been the fucking Fonz :cool:

oh please :rolleyes: LMFAO!! you wouldve been potsie and im sure im not the only one that thinks so.

Heineken Helen

redmosquito10 wrote:

i've heard a lot of people say they struggle to get into his books because of his writing style, so i guess it's understandable that people don't like him. i don't understand it, but it's understandable, probably by someone else. even if you found on the road boring, i would still think it was a valuable piece of literature if only for the huge amount of short sections of what, to me, are perfect writing.

that's cool and I respect that everyone has different opinions... but, like chime, I struggle to remember any of the sections you refer to

TrixieCat

I wanted to add my 2 cents about JK but don't want to argue with Helen all day.
And Byrnzie isn't here to back me up.

catefrances

TrixieCat wrote:

I wanted to add my 2 cents about JK but don't want to argue with Helen all day.
And Byrnzie isn't here to back me up.

so what? you dont have the courage to support your own convictions?

Heineken Helen

TrixieCat wrote:

I wanted to add my 2 cents about JK but don't want to argue with Helen all day.
And Byrnzie isn't here to back me up.

no arguing to be done! Like I said I respect that everyone has different opinions when it comes to everything.. some people even like boring books :eek:

Heineken Helen

catefrances wrote:

so what? you dont have the courage to support your own convictions?

Stirrer

TrixieCat

catefrances wrote:

so what? you dont have the courage to support your own convictions?

=sarcasm

I have been down the Kerouac road with Helen before. No need to beat a dead horse.

Helen, I just read the Road! Holy crapola. I picked it up because you had been talking about it. Thank you for that...I may have missed it and it really moved me.

Heineken Helen

TrixieCat wrote:

=sarcasm

I have been down the Kerouac road with Helen before. No need to beat a dead horse.

Helen, I just read the Road! Holy crapola. I picked it up because you had been talking about it. Thank you for that...I may have missed it and it really moved me.

Excellent! Glad to hear I talk sense sometimes

Here's another one that blew me away recently

http://www.amazon.com/Prisoner-Tehran-Memoir-Marina-Nemat/dp/1416537422





I ended up having to leave ALL my books at home so am bookless :(

catefrances

Heineken Helen wrote:

Stirrer

no stirring here. im just mindful of people who pay lip service to things with wit and deferential sarcasm whilst not actually addressing the original thought.

catefrances

TrixieCat wrote:

=sarcasm

I have been down the Kerouac road with Helen before. No need to beat a dead horse.

Helen, I just read the Road! Holy crapola. I picked it up because you had been talking about it. Thank you for that...I may have missed it and it really moved me.

helen is not the only reader of this thread. and whilst she may be fully aware of your thoughts on the subject of the drunken kerouac there are those of us who whilst interested are keep in the dark.

whether you are aware of it or not trix, i am very respectful of your opinions and intelligence and as a reader of kerouac im interested to know not only your thoughts, but those of others.

TrixieCat

catefrances wrote:

helen is not the only reader of this thread. and whilst she may be fully aware of your thoughts on the subject of the drunken kerouac there are those of us who whilst interested are keep in the dark.

whether you are aware of it or not trix, i am very respectful of your opinions and intelligence and as a reader of kerouac im interested to know not only your thoughts, but those of others.

post read.

catefrances

TrixieCat wrote:

post read.

*sigh*


for the record, im not so much a fan of on the road as i am of lonesome traveller