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Just finished Kerouac's "Tristessa" as recommended/mentioned here a few weeks ago.

 

I would be interested to know what others think of this novel.

I only know a few of his novels, and I found stylistically it sat right between the "bebop" of On the Road/Dharma Bums, and the darker, alcohol induced depressiveness of Big Sur.

Synopsis: Kerouac anthropomorphizes a Mexican junky, somehow twisting her into a vision of Buddhistic glory that she can and will never be able to live up to. He returns a year later to find her a "sad mutilated Madonna" and possibly engaged to a friend of his. There is partying, obsession, guilt, and domestic fowl.

 

I like the drive of Kerouac's early work (no pun intended), but he seems to be getting pickled here. Not so much as in Big Sur, but he drifts off at times, like the junkies he's hanging around with, and sloppily scatters images, breathtaking though they may be. He sometimes awkwardly attempts to be James Joyce when he's stylistically more like, I dunno, Dylan Thomas.

 

Fave quote:

"Look, I'll save her yet- Trouble is, what would I do with her once I'd won her? - it's like winning an angel in hell and you are then entitled to go down with her to where it's worse or maybe there'll be light, some, down there, maybe it's me's crazy- "

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-waCxkEhmsKI/VJBBtBoHZsI/AAAAAAAC_wA/633lMoi3f40/s1600/Jack%2BKerouac%2C%2Bhaving%2Ba%2Bnight%2Boff%2Bfrom%2Bthe%2Bmad%2Bones.png

And I madly dream of mad trains blowing in the night whoo across the land forever and...ah frig, peed myself again.

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Just finished Kerouac's "Tristessa" as recommended/mentioned here a few weeks ago.

 

I would be interested to know what others think of this novel.

I only know a few of his novels, and I found stylistically it sat right between the "bebop" of On the Road/Dharma Bums, and the darker, alcohol induced depressiveness of Big Sur.

Synopsis: Kerouac anthropomorphizes a Mexican junky, somehow twisting her into a vision of Buddhistic glory that she can and will never be able to live up to. He returns a year later to find her a "sad mutilated Madonna" and possibly engaged to a friend of his. There is partying, obsession, guilt, and domestic fowl.

 

I like the drive of Kerouac's early work (no pun intended), but he seems to be getting pickled here. Not so much as in Big Sur, but he drifts off at times, like the junkies he's hanging around with, and sloppily scatters images, breathtaking though they may be. He sometimes awkwardly attempts to be James Joyce when he's stylistically more like, I dunno, Dylan Thomas.

 

Fave quote:

"Look, I'll save her yet- Trouble is, what would I do with her once I'd won her? - it's like winning an angel in hell and you are then entitled to go down with her to where it's worse or maybe there'll be light, some, down there, maybe it's me's crazy- "

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-waCxkEhmsKI/VJBBtBoHZsI/AAAAAAAC_wA/633lMoi3f40/s1600/Jack%2BKerouac%2C%2Bhaving%2Ba%2Bnight%2Boff%2Bfrom%2Bthe%2Bmad%2Bones.png

And I madly dream of mad trains blowing in the night whoo across the land forever and...ah frig, peed myself again.

 

VT, I finished Tritessa a few weeks ago ... I was my first experience with Kerouac, and for better or worse, it left me wanting more ( kinda like the topic ?? )

 

The bit about walking back to his home thru the rain, passing thru the streets and observing life struck me as absolute brilliance, and I am not even sure why ... I enjoyed the book, liked his style -- sloppy and vivid -- and I look forward to reading more .... I was a bit letdown after I finished it though - the ending was sort of anticlimactic, but I understand how it fit - unsatisfied in a way .....

 

.

Edited by Lucas
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Just finished Kerouac's "Tristessa" as recommended/mentioned here a few weeks ago.

 

I would be interested to know what others think of this novel.

I only know a few of his novels, and I found stylistically it sat right between the "bebop" of On the Road/Dharma Bums, and the darker, alcohol induced depressiveness of Big Sur.

Synopsis: Kerouac anthropomorphizes a Mexican junky, somehow twisting her into a vision of Buddhistic glory that she can and will never be able to live up to. He returns a year later to find her a "sad mutilated Madonna" and possibly engaged to a friend of his. There is partying, obsession, guilt, and domestic fowl.

 

I like the drive of Kerouac's early work (no pun intended), but he seems to be getting pickled here. Not so much as in Big Sur, but he drifts off at times, like the junkies he's hanging around with, and sloppily scatters images, breathtaking though they may be. He sometimes awkwardly attempts to be James Joyce when he's stylistically more like, I dunno, Dylan Thomas.

 

Fave quote:

"Look, I'll save her yet- Trouble is, what would I do with her once I'd won her? - it's like winning an angel in hell and you are then entitled to go down with her to where it's worse or maybe there'll be light, some, down there, maybe it's me's crazy- "

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-waCxkEhmsKI/VJBBtBoHZsI/AAAAAAAC_wA/633lMoi3f40/s1600/Jack%2BKerouac%2C%2Bhaving%2Ba%2Bnight%2Boff%2Bfrom%2Bthe%2Bmad%2Bones.png

And I madly dream of mad trains blowing in the night whoo across the land forever and...ah frig, peed myself again.

 

VT, I finished Tritessa a few weeks ago ... I was my first experience with Kerouac, and for better or worse, it left me wanting more ( kinda like the topic ?? )

 

The bit about walking back to his home thru the rain, passing thru the streets and observing life struck me as absolute brilliance, and I am not even sure why ... I enjoyed the book, liked his style -- sloppy and vivid -- and I look forward to reading more .... I was a bit letdown after I finished it though - the ending was sort of anticlimactic, but I understand how it fit - unsatisfied in a way .....

 

.

 

Nice! Thanks Lucas!

 

Interesting that it's your first experience with Kerouac. Which one are you going to read next?

I started "The Subterraneans" yesterday and not sure what to make of it yet.

It would be fascinating to see what a competent, strong-willed editor would've done for some of Kerouac's work.

 

You might enjoy the original On the Road scroll, in all its ragged and heady glory with no names changed.

 

Kerouac is a very (at times heavily) poetic writer, and his imagery can pack a wallop by putting so much into so few words. An astounding talent with an incredible eye for, well, pretty much everything; his major flaws seem to be with his substance abuse affecting his writing, French-Canadian Catholic guilt (a little more intense than standard issue Catholic guilt), half-assed (three-quarter assed?) knowledge of Buddhism, and his characterization/treatment of females in his writing. (very quick to go up a pedestal, madonna/whore thing going on at times)

 

http://archives.waiting-forthe-sun.net/Graphics/InfluencesGraphics/kerouac_cat_bio.jpg

Now cats, cats are much better than peoples. Cats'll never let you down, except when they die and then all you can do is drink and cry and drink some more then write "Big Sur".

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Reading Bob Wright's autobiography, The Wright Stuff. I worked at CNBC for years and am just finally getting around to this book. He's also very active in autism awareness. Anyway, it's a good read.
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Just finished Kerouac's "Tristessa" as recommended/mentioned here a few weeks ago.

 

I would be interested to know what others think of this novel.

I only know a few of his novels, and I found stylistically it sat right between the "bebop" of On the Road/Dharma Bums, and the darker, alcohol induced depressiveness of Big Sur.

Synopsis: Kerouac anthropomorphizes a Mexican junky, somehow twisting her into a vision of Buddhistic glory that she can and will never be able to live up to. He returns a year later to find her a "sad mutilated Madonna" and possibly engaged to a friend of his. There is partying, obsession, guilt, and domestic fowl.

 

I like the drive of Kerouac's early work (no pun intended), but he seems to be getting pickled here. Not so much as in Big Sur, but he drifts off at times, like the junkies he's hanging around with, and sloppily scatters images, breathtaking though they may be. He sometimes awkwardly attempts to be James Joyce when he's stylistically more like, I dunno, Dylan Thomas.

 

Fave quote:

"Look, I'll save her yet- Trouble is, what would I do with her once I'd won her? - it's like winning an angel in hell and you are then entitled to go down with her to where it's worse or maybe there'll be light, some, down there, maybe it's me's crazy- "

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-waCxkEhmsKI/VJBBtBoHZsI/AAAAAAAC_wA/633lMoi3f40/s1600/Jack%2BKerouac%2C%2Bhaving%2Ba%2Bnight%2Boff%2Bfrom%2Bthe%2Bmad%2Bones.png

And I madly dream of mad trains blowing in the night whoo across the land forever and...ah frig, peed myself again.

 

VT, I finished Tritessa a few weeks ago ... I was my first experience with Kerouac, and for better or worse, it left me wanting more ( kinda like the topic ?? )

 

The bit about walking back to his home thru the rain, passing thru the streets and observing life struck me as absolute brilliance, and I am not even sure why ... I enjoyed the book, liked his style -- sloppy and vivid -- and I look forward to reading more .... I was a bit letdown after I finished it though - the ending was sort of anticlimactic, but I understand how it fit - unsatisfied in a way .....

 

.

 

Nice! Thanks Lucas!

 

Interesting that it's your first experience with Kerouac. Which one are you going to read next?

I started "The Subterraneans" yesterday and not sure what to make of it yet.

It would be fascinating to see what a competent, strong-willed editor would've done for some of Kerouac's work.

 

You might enjoy the original On the Road scroll, in all its ragged and heady glory with no names changed.

 

Kerouac is a very (at times heavily) poetic writer, and his imagery can pack a wallop by putting so much into so few words. An astounding talent with an incredible eye for, well, pretty much everything; his major flaws seem to be with his substance abuse affecting his writing, French-Canadian Catholic guilt (a little more intense than standard issue Catholic guilt), half-assed (three-quarter assed?) knowledge of Buddhism, and his characterization/treatment of females in his writing. (very quick to go up a pedestal, madonna/whore thing going on at times)

 

http://archives.waiting-forthe-sun.net/Graphics/InfluencesGraphics/kerouac_cat_bio.jpg

Now cats, cats are much better than peoples. Cats'll never let you down, except when they die and then all you can do is drink and cry and drink some more then write "Big Sur".

 

Thanks VT, I just ordered On The Road !!!

 

:LOL:

 

Looking forward to it

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Read some PGA golf tour books as the US Open was this pat weekend.

 

Read Steven Tyler's autobiography, "Does the noise in my head bother you" and it was ok. The writing was too much of him being goofy and corny and it wasn't a real serious take on his life with Aerosmith..

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http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xu5dWw4Hxqc/T9bTJBB0PLI/AAAAAAAAAAo/hYLm1dykR-4/s1600/last-exit.gif

 

His style of writing took me a while to get used to, but when it did I enjoyed it a lot.

 

Then started reading this:

 

Crimeandpunishmentcover.png

 

Highly recommended!

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Just finished Kerouac's "The Subterraneans", which apparently was written in three days (or nights, depending on your source).

 

synopsis:

An out-of-control Jack Kerouac (er, 'Leo Percepied') convinces himself that he's in love with a young, mentally unstable "negro" and proceeds to f*ck up her life for a few weeks, and then writes about it immediately afterwards.

 

takeaways:

This seems like it was written in three days

JK has serious mother issues

JK has serious issues with women

JK is riddled with guilt ("rotten with it" Burroughs might say) over many many things

JK is a helluva(n) interesting writer

Some absolutely stunning images in an absolutely depressing story.

 

Up next: Kerouac's "Lonesome Traveler"!

 

http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347250808l/103405.jpg

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Babel-17.jpg

 

cool cover. how was the book? worth 40 cents? :P

It was an interesting concept but I wasn't super into it. It had lots of great old sci-fi tropes and presented some nice dialogues about how we use and interpret language but his descriptions of battles and the main conflict were a bit too vague. The ending also left a lot to be desired.

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