ON THE ROAD

by John Kerouac ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

The anarchic quest for meaning and purpose takes place on the road as Sal Paradise, Dean Moriarty and their young friends traverse the Northamerican continent, back and forth, up and down, in cars stolen and borrowed, in buses, planes, or by thumb. The emergent and motivating values are manifest in a sensualistic adoration of Experience at any level, at any time, at any place. Conversations which last for days, drunken brawls, love-making, protracted stopovers with a young family here, a widowed woman there, hoboes, agricultural workers -- everything must be seen and heard to mask and sublimate the restless uncertainty of their ways and days. The book is description and not plot, but the author has given us such an excellent and compassionate picture of that segment of the generation which was left to fend for itself after World War II in the absence of goals and, therefore, direction, that it holds its own. Mr. Kerouac's lyrical style follows his first book The Town and the City which met an encouraging reception from the critics.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: 0899661343

Page Count: -

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1957

Categories: FICTION