The legendary 1951 scroll draft of On the Road, published as Kerouac originally composed it IN THREE WEEKS in April of 1951, Jack Kerouac wrote his first full draft of On the Road—typed as a single-spaced paragraph on eight long sheets of tracing paper, which he later taped together to form a 120-foot scroll. A major literary event when it was published in Viking hardcover in 2007, this is the uncut version of an American classic—rougher, wilder, and more provocative than the official work that appeared, heavily edited, in 1957. This version, capturing a moment in creative history, represents the first full expression of Kerouac’s revolutionary aesthetic. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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"Reading this book was difficult, as I felt as if I had jumped into absolute chaos anytime I read it. I couldn't help but feeling as if I was yelling it as I read it, even though I was reading it silently. The style of chaotic writing definitely lends itself well to match the absolute insanity of what was going on in the lives of Jack and his friends. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to travel, can have a good time whenever and wherever they are, and can solidly stick to a book because it takes a a little "umph" to be able to jump in the current with which this book takes you." — Esme (4 out of 5 stars)
"Reading this book was difficult, as I felt as if I had jumped into absolute chaos anytime I read it. I couldn't help but feeling as if I was yelling it as I read it, even though I was reading it silently. The style of chaotic writing definitely lends itself well to match the absolute insanity of what was going on in the lives of Jack and his friends. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to travel, can have a good time whenever and wherever they are, and can solidly stick to a book because it takes a a little "umph" to be able to jump in the current with which this book takes you."
" El mejor libro del siglo XX. "
" I believe this was probably was a ground breaking book for it's time and I appreciate it's place in American History. That said it wasn't really my type of book. "
" Hey, everyone goes through their Kerouac phase, right? Mine was about 10 years ago but I really had a good time reading this. "
" read the scroll version. if you like jazz music, you like this book. "
" The same old story...but different. Just different enough that it feels a little like reading it again for the first time but with more Sex, Drugs and Rock'n'Roll, er...Jazz on Kerouac's end (and probably less on mine). "
" I read this a few years ago and I didn't finish it. I had already read On The Road as it was originally published, so reading this version was a bit redundant. "
" It was an interesting read, but not one of my favorites. I read it because I was reading a Bukowski biography and The Beats were mentioned several times. I prefer Bukowski's writing. Nothing beats honesty, and you don't get more honest than Bukowski. "
" the hedonism and pointlessness of the early beats "
" Loved this original scroll version. Make some time, pour a drink and read it straight. "
" I didn't read this exactly but absorbed it vicariously through Peter who read it for a book club. No formatting, includes everything except paragraph formatting... "
" Brilliant. I was totally caught up and I love his style. The discription of 'a fun racy read' is very fitting. "
" still working on this. Completely different than the first release "
" This book is fantastic. I loved the freeness of it and the stream-of-consciousness writing style. "
" I remembered how much I enjoyed reading this book in the late 60s, but I now found the level of activity and the intensity of emotions slightly exhausting. I also missed the jazz/text intro that was included with the original publication. "
" Most likely my favorite book of all time. Original scroll, original names. Re-release of the original book, but 50 years later, with real people and places instead of the fictional replacements. Absolutely original. "
" I TRIED to get into this book... and just couldn't. "
" My favorite book. I liked this edition more than the original publication. "
" The best version of his best book! "
" I ended up liking this a lot more than I thought that I would, though I think I'd really give it a three and a half. "
" I really enjoyed this read. Neal is such a wild character. This makes me want to go adventure-ing so bad... "
" Loved it. Period. it was a little hard getting use to not having paragraph break but in a way it adds to the insanity that his writing represents. big fan. "
" I've read this a million times. Each is clearer and truer than the last. "
" This book made me want to load up a backpack and leave. "
Jack Kerouac (1922–1969) was an American novelist and poet who influenced generations of writers. He is recognized for his style of spontaneous prose and for being a pioneer of the Beat Generation. His first novel appeared in 1950, but it was On the Road, published in 1957, that epitomized the beat philosophy to the world. This novel created a sensation by chronicling a spontaneous and wandering way of life in a style that seemed founded both on jazz and on drug-induced visions. Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, he attended local Catholic schools and eventually Columbia University. He published eighteen novels and several collections of his poetry.
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