Published in 1958, this book is a fascinating preview of the 1960s. Like On the Road, it is based on Ker[Revised, pictures and shelves added 10/19/22]
Published in 1958, this book is a fascinating preview of the 1960s. Like On the Road, it is based on Kerouac's adventures in the late 1940s and early 1950s as he and his buddies helped create the counterculture. They migrated cross-country between bases in Greenwich Village and San Francisco. They hopped freights as hobos (at the end of that era).
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Kerouac and buddies talk endlessly about Buddhist concepts including dharma of the title. One definition (of many) for this word is "cosmic law and order, as expressed by the teachings of the Buddha.” I should also say that none of these concepts are discussed in any depth in the book – they are just throw-aways.
Kerouac is credited with inventing the phrase ‘beat generation’ but his group disowned it when the press turned it into the pejorative ‘beatnik,’ precursor of flower children and hippies.
So, Jack and his buddies hang out in San Francisco, partying. You can always spot Jack at the party: he's the guy chugging from a jug of cheap wine, a precursor to his death from alcoholism in 1967. The group also occasionally goes backpacking. A good part of the book is an excellent stand-alone backpacking story.
This is a good story with good writing but there is an annoying "Oh gosh! Golly gee" aspect to the writing as if Jack were the world's biggest Eagle Scout, gone bad with the booze and the women.
To me it's fascinating to see this work as a precursor to the cultural revolution of the 1960s. Here in the late 1940s and early 1950s we have: Zen vs. materialism; haiku; criticism of suburban ‘TV zombie families;’ revolt against the suburban lifestyle; hot tubs; love of nature and backpacking; buying your clothes at Goodwill; yogurt; free love; taking all your clothes off at parties (still hasn't quite caught on); cooking with mesquite; hibachis (remember those?), and, of course, jeans and guitars. Hard drugs weren't in yet, at least in Kerouac's crowd.
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Top photo: Figaro Café in Greenwich Village, a ‘beatnik’ hangout frequented by Kerouac from forbes.com The author (1922-1969) from biography.com ...more
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