Michael's review
Tristessa
by Jack Kerouac
Michael's review
Tristessa by Jack Kerouac
Michael's review
rating:
Despite suspicions (mostly my own) of anti-intellectuallism, I'm persisting with my investigation into books small enough to fit into one's jacket pocket. Clearly a book's worth cannot be measured in mass, but to what extent is it really possible to honor the peak of the sacred (the "novel") in less than, say, 150 pages? And to what extent can the formal consideration of length impact conventions in narrative, character development, etc.? My own pre-existing hypothesis is that a shorter format entitles the author to much greater formal liberties and, consequently, the potential for meaningful new ideas in literary structure and content. This appeals to me as a reader who is perpetually seeking new emotional and intellectual phenomena. To me, that's the whole point of reading (and writing).
Having said that, in the particular case of Tristessa, I don't know enough about Kerouac to know whether this (and his similarly-written Subterraneans) are sincere experime...more
Having said that, in the particular case of Tristessa, I don't know enough about Kerouac to know whether this (and his similarly-written Subterraneans) are sincere experime...more
