Matthew's review
Tristessa
by Jack Kerouac
Matthew's review
Tristessa by Jack Kerouac
Matthew's review
rating:
The back cover of this book contains the following quote from Allen Ginsberg: This entire short novel Tristessa's a narrative meditation studying a hen, a rooster, a dove, a cat, a chihuaha dog, family meat, and a ravishing, ravished junky lady, first in their crowded bedroom, then out to drunken streets, taco stands, & pads at dawn in Mexico City slums.
Sounded pretty damn interesting to me, but it wasn't. It was a short work that felt long, a minor piece of writing barely worthy of notice. If it was by a less well known author it would have gone out of print long ago. Very little happens withal except for people sitting around spouting pseudo-profound nonsense, and there isn't even as much atmosphere in the book as there is in Ginsberg's generous description. It was apparently based upon a real episode in Kerouac's life, but I didn't feel at all as though the characters were real. I wouldn't recommend it.
Sounded pretty damn interesting to me, but it wasn't. It was a short work that felt long, a minor piece of writing barely worthy of notice. If it was by a less well known author it would have gone out of print long ago. Very little happens withal except for people sitting around spouting pseudo-profound nonsense, and there isn't even as much atmosphere in the book as there is in Ginsberg's generous description. It was apparently based upon a real episode in Kerouac's life, but I didn't feel at all as though the characters were real. I wouldn't recommend it.
