# On The Road



## kerpoe (Nov 19, 2004)

I am a huge fan of Jack Kerouac and the Beatnik generation. I would like to know from you fellow writers how it has impacted you (if at all)

and

1.) Do you like Beat Literature/poetry

2.)What are your comments on "On the Road"

KERpoe


----------



## A_MacLaren (Nov 26, 2004)

I started reading 'On the Road' just a few days ago. So far it's not bad, but I've been assured it's a lot like 'The Catcher in the Rye', mainly because they're both rambling, fairly non-linear tales that re focused a lot more on character than plot. 

However, while 'The Catcher in the Rye' seemed to be involved entirely on character development, there doesn't seem to be any in 'On the Road', though I'm not yet a hundred pages in. At the moment, the greatest problem I have with it is that it's fairly flat; I can't really feel any sense of connection with Sal Paradise, and the San Francisco part just depressed me.

I do like it though, and I hope it picks up as I get deeper in.


----------



## kerpoe (Nov 26, 2004)

Glad to here a response! Just to let you know though the similarities between "Catcher In the Rye" and "On the Road" are existing merely because of J.D Salinger's love for "On the Road."

Hope you enjoy the read!

KERpoe


----------



## zero (Nov 26, 2004)

I read this book when I was younger, and agian this last year.  

Matter of fact, it's sitting right here next to me now.


Kerouac is brilliant.


----------



## A_MacLaren (Nov 27, 2004)

I think that the start of the book set up an expectation regarding Dean Moriarty, and so far (I'm a hundred and  fifty pages in), he's only been involved in about a third of the action. He's an interesting character and seems to be the point of the book, but so far it's been a lot more concerned with fairly dull little anecdotes about living with a Mexican girl picking cotton.


----------



## ChickenCow (Jan 8, 2005)

I love On The Road. I'm only sorry that I didn't get to read it before this year. And I thank God that it's one of my English teacher's favorite books, otherwise I may have not discoverd it until much later. I love the way the Sal's voice and sentence structure changes throughout the book, and I love his name, Sal Paradise.  I don't know which I like better, this book or Catcher in the Rye. I like each of them for different reasons.
On the Road rocks!  8)


----------



## kerpoe (Jan 9, 2005)

Glad to here you have had the benefit of being educated by an interesting teacher!


----------



## farmer (Jan 9, 2005)

One of my favorite books since I read it in 9th grade, then read it again recently and liked it even more for the obvious reason that I'm older and can understand more.  All of Kerouac's books are interesting if not as literature then as subculture studies.


----------



## kerpoe (Jan 9, 2005)

Very true...I read it in 6th and now have recently read as a 9th grader....Howeved in our school districts they only emphasize on the importance of "Maya Angelou" and shit-poseur poetry and not anything of the beats that had one-hundred times the impact on society then she did.

Fucking teachers trying to maintain bonds with the drab-facade of the fixties. Well, i suppose there are cool teachers to...  8)


----------



## farmer (Jan 9, 2005)

Wait a minute, kid.  Don't talk shit on Maya Angelou.  She's had a great impact.  Maybe when you are older you will be able to appreciate her more.


----------



## farmer (Jan 9, 2005)

A MacLaren:

Keep reading.  Dean comes on full force.  

How about the passage where the dude pisses off of the flatbed?  Funny shit.


----------



## kerpoe (Jan 9, 2005)

farmer said:
			
		

> Wait a minute, kid.  Don't talk shit on Maya Angelou.  She's had a great impact.  Maybe when you are older you will be able to appreciate her more.



Oh no doubt, I just don't appreciate how teachers can't recognize the impact other poets that are perhaps "dark" and "obscene" have had on society.

Sorry I came on strong there, I just did an assignment on "my favorite poet" and naturally I wrote on Allen Ginsberg and when I recieved the paper back my teacher wrote a note on it that said "Allen Ginsberg is not a poet, he's a bad influence on society." Which pissed me off! Now I have to do a paper on "Maya Angelou" instead.


----------



## farmer (Jan 9, 2005)

I see.  Your teacher is a freaking idiot.


----------



## kerpoe (Jan 10, 2005)

Thank You, and sorry once again.


----------



## kerpoe (Feb 17, 2005)

People say that Kerouac is Hemigway-esque, I'd described him more as Remarque-esque


----------



## doctor (Oct 13, 2005)

zero said:
			
		

> Kerouac is brilliant.



Yes. He is.


----------



## Saponification (Oct 14, 2005)

I've only read _The Dharma Bums._ It was okay. I picked it up because it was about Buddhism and the Western adoption of Zen, but _On the Road_ is on the "to read" list.


----------



## Harry Haller (Oct 14, 2005)

farmer said:
			
		

> I see. Your teacher is a freaking idiot.


 
hahahaha, that is good stuff.

I liked On The Road but I don't think Kerouac is spectacular. I enjoyed both On The Road and Atop An Underwood. He is energetic, but I don't find him quite brilliant. I don't think he is comparable or nearly as good as Hemingway either. Vaguely comparable to Catcher in the Rye.

I think Salinger's Nine Stories is brilliant though. I've read those gems many many times. Hemingways short stories also fall into that category as well as many of his books.

Saponification- check out Hermann Hesse. Narcissus and Goldmund and Siddhartha especially. Steppenwolf is not "as" strongly buddhist but it is certainly in there. All three are very good reads though.


----------



## Harry Haller (Oct 15, 2005)

starrwriter said:
			
		

> Your username is the same as the main character in "Steppenwolf," but you don't think the book was Hesse' best work? Hmmm...
> 
> I thought it was his best novel with "Siddhartha" a close second and "Demian" third. I couldn't get through "Narcissus" for some reason.


 
No, I was referring to buddhist philosophy which I gathered was where his interests were. I preferred Narcissus to Siddhartha. I also agree that Steppenwolf is his best and find them all to be very close. Those that I have read anyway. I think Steppenwolf could have been better without the pamphlet section which seems to bother me more each time I read it. The book has some of the greatest lines and thoughts though. My copy looks ridiculous because of all of the underlined words and phrases.

BTW, shhhh. I don't think anyone else has noticed. It is more fun that way.


----------

