false 50140 19 Big Sur is a 1962 novel that recounts the time when Kerouac (here known by the name of his fictional alter-ego Jack Duluoz), at the height of his fame, stayed for a period of time--a few days, actually-- at a cabin in Big Sur, owned by Kerouac's friend and Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, struggling to get over what might be a nervous breakdown, alcoholism or both. For a while the writer lives a happy, contemplative life of simple pleasures, until his craving for company drives him back to the city. The book is very dark, and deals very directly and explicitly with delirium tremens. 92349 1962 Big Sur total:2947|5:715|4:1102|3:894|2:201|1:35| 2947 11102 3994 195 5 4 false false Mon Jan 07 14:07:54 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 07 14:38:02 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 3 false false Tue May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Wed May 02 07:24:37 -0700 2007 Wed May 16 07:45:37 -0700 2007 On the Road. We watch in horror and sometimes sick fascination as his mind ...more...]]> 3 2 false false Thu Jan 21 00:00:00 -0800 1999 Thu Jan 24 12:49:39 -0800 2008 Thu Jan 24 12:52:28 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 1 false false Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 1998 Fri Nov 30 20:43:51 -0800 2007 Fri Nov 30 20:51:39 -0800 2007 On the Road) are iconic and uncritically adored by teenagers and hippy-dippy morons, while his best works are overlooked.

Big Sur ranks among his best. It's Kerouac at his lowest, having be...more...]]> 3 1 false false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sat Jul 07 14:23:57 -0700 2007 Sat Jul 07 14:51:32 -0700 2007 Jack Kerouac, so I understand starting at this book (one that finds him toward the end of his life, chased by groupies and in full alcoholic bloom) may have been a poor choice. That said, I ultimately found myself shifting between seeing the man as the talented innovato...more...]]> 4 1 false false Thu Feb 05 06:59:03 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 05 07:00:07 -0800 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 05 08:44:47 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 05 08:59:44 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1971 Tue Jul 07 07:57:33 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 09 08:13:38 -0700 2009 To understand "Big Sur", you have to know this background, and fast-forwa...more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Aug 25 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 25 18:24:08 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 25 18:59:08 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 1 false false Wed Jul 15 19:02:07 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 18 16:56:07 -0700 2008 Wed Jul 15 19:02:07 -0700 2009 on the road"'s yang. this is the aesthetic line in the sand where the lantern-jawed, photogenic, exultant kerouac of the 40s and 50s meets the boozy reactionary mama's boy shut-in of the ...more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 05 18:17:37 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 17 19:07:05 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 1 false false Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Wed Dec 05 09:43:07 -0800 2007 Wed Dec 05 09:45:02 -0800 2007 On The road was a bit too "riding on the seat of your pants, crazy times, last dollar but who cares" ... i enjoyed the more reflective quality of this one.
more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 1990 Fri Sep 11 10:17:25 -0700 2009 Fri Sep 11 10:20:17 -0700 2009 Sartori in Paris), artistic (Pic), and familial (Vanity Of Dulouz) assimilation. These la...more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed May 06 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed May 06 21:42:17 -0700 2009 Wed May 06 22:22:31 -0700 2009
And so it's not with judgement, but with admiration for his transparency, that I read Jack Kerouac's narration of his sojourn to a friend's cabin (Lawrence Ferlinghetti's) in Big Sur while he was in the throes of alcoholis...more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Mar 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 16 18:07:17 -0700 2009 Fri Mar 20 15:54:40 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Aug 21 11:37:27 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 28 06:06:56 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Jul 11 15:21:39 -0700 2008 Fri Jul 11 16:07:54 -0700 2008 On the Road, The Dharma Bums, and The Subterraneans come first, and should, they are all indispensible. Thereafter, there are gems but you have to look for t...more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jun 10 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue May 27 19:55:34 -0700 2008 Tue Jun 10 17:29:17 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue May 05 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 28 05:43:51 -0700 2009 Tue May 05 12:52:46 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat May 23 06:46:23 -0700 2009 Sat May 23 07:11:06 -0700 2009 more...]]>