Rating: 
Summary: Blah
Review: Another wonderful, practically edge-of-conscious novel with no definite plot by everyone's favorite perfectly insane Beat writer. In many ways I enjoy this book even better than 'On the Road.' It contains the same exciting beauty, applied to different subjects,and the same eccentric freedom fighters as lead characters. Every once in a while it attains the perfect harmony it seeks, turning long stretches with no apparent action into meditations on the beauty of nothingness, of loneliness, etc. We see the budding alcoholism of our narrator, which wil turn into a book ('Big Sur') of its own. We see what Kerouac saw in Buddhism, and we'll see converts in the book's readers. Kerouac has perhaps more real-life affect on his readers than any other American novelist, one of the few writers anywhere who really can change lives. Blah.
Rating:
Summary: a book to go chomp chomp on
Review: This is the first Kerouac book I've read and it is a wonderful book to experience. The story is interesting, the ideas are important, and the prose is explosive.The two main subjects dealt with in the book seem to be:
1) the illusion of the world of appearances
2) the meaninglessness of the world These topics are considered over and over (among some others) and looked at from different emotional perspectives. The ideas at times make the characters depressed, and at other times, they're at peace with these ideas. I think it is this type of examination, of the different stances towards "the void," which is the real topic of the book--and this is as important a topic as there is. Also, I worried about an abrupt ending to the book as I read it, but found the last paragraph to be my favorite of all. I highly recommend the book.
Rating:
Summary: Dharma Bums
Review: Kerouac takes the reader on an amazing journey of the discovery of life in this one. If you have read any of his other books, by all means pick this one up and enjoy it. Those unfamiliar with Kerouac's work may wish to start elsewhere. He is basically a writer who let's the emotion flow onto the page with little regard puctuation or other writing mechanics. He may sometimes seem to wander and become unfocused, but the high points of his writing are more than worth the trouble.
Rating: 
Summary: Intro to Kerouac
Review: I had been told for months on end by a Lit professor that I should pick up "On the Road". From what I had heard, however, it was not something that I needed to tackle without having first read something else (and less dense) by Kerouac. So, on a whim, I bought "The Dharma Bums" at a local bookstore just before I went home for one weekend.
As luck would have it, my car broke down at an out-of-the-way gas station, so I had some time to kill while I was waiting on a ride. I began to read...and read...and read. What I found was pure Beat genius, a zest for life, and an inward desire in myself to say "Screw it," and hike the Smokies. Kerouac, with his brilliantly crafted observations, dialogue, and imagery, brings us into a universe of windy freedom and presents the world as an answer to the problems that it itself causes.
If there are any problems with this novel, I'm certain that some people will get bored with some of the beautifully written, yet tedious, description and imagery. In spite of that, I recommend this book to anyone who needs a break from there mundane nine-to-fives. Read it.
Maybe I'll get on with "On the Road," now.
Rating: 
Summary: Bums but not Dharma
Review: If you are interested in Beat literature, American lit, the 50s or the American experience in general, by all means read this book. You'll learn a little about all of the above and be entertained by a talented, exciting writer. If you're interested in Buddhism, please read something by an authentic Buddhist teacher (i.e. the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, etc.). Jack Kerouac's own life and the lifestyle presented in this book have little connection to the practice of Buddhism.
Rating: 
Summary: Failed to be powerful...or even interesting
Review: One might expect an interesting, down-to-earth account of one poet's buddhist discoveries and spiritual growth, but this wasn't done right: the characters are one-dimensional, contrived, and act like buddhist wanna-bes. (Is a person a real Buddhist if he is proud of his Buddhism?) What was a powerful and introspective journey for Kerouac, is not for the reader. I can tell that it's there, but Kerouac just doesn't get it all the way across. I found myself rolling my eyes, but still trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. If this will be your first Kerouac read, as it was for me, choose something else or it may forever turn you off to Kerouac, who could be an otherwise fabulous story-teller. If he is, let me know.
Rating:
Summary: I'm gonna get blasted for this, but...
Review: ... I just couldn't get into this book. It's a beat classic, so I hear, and it's about traveling and living free and enjoying life on lots of levels. From the descriptions and glowing reviews, I figured I should have loved it. I even read it while I was traveling up the US/Canadian west coast, and I grew up familiar with many of the areas mentioned in the book. In spite of all that, I didn't like it at all. For one thing, it's full of these obscure Buddhist terms and concepts, and although religion is sort of a hobby of mine, I didn't know enough to make sense of all the boddishatva-dropping, and the writing wasn't good enough to make up for that. I guess I just don't like it when the narrator introduces dialogue with "sez I."
Rating:
Summary: And then, he came to me to give me a reason . . .
Review: Kerouac is now the book that should be in the hands of all the youth that want to have an orientation on life. Japhy Ryder is now the man, and Ray is the way to get through this pathetic world. This author really came to give me a light in my sad life.
Rating:
Summary: Makes me want to go hiking!
Review: This is the 2nd Kerouac book i've read (the first was "Maggie Cassidy") - and i found it enlightening and entertaining. It tells the story of a few young men and their lifestyle - that of a Dharma bum. The have very few possessions which they kepe is small shacks or in backpacks, and spend their time discovering nature and the dharma in this world. Kerouac's writing style varies - in certain parts it seems like pure fiction (describes parties, characters' interactions with family, etc.), at some points it seems very philisophical (i learned a bunch about Buddhism), and at some points it is just very descriptive (i live in NYC, and it made me miss nature.) There were a few parts that were "wordy," but overall this book reads quickly and is very enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Better Than "On The Road"
Review: While the Kerouac book that gets all the hype is On The Road, I found Dharma Bums a much more rewarding reading experience. It was written during a period when Kerouac was deeply committed to the Buddist Faith and much in the same manner as On The Road it is a chronicling of Kerouac's daily activities and interactions in the Beat culture of the late 50s and early 60s. Great Book.
| 
