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Summary: All is Nothing
Review: Anyone who has any respect for nature, the Dharma, life, or philosophy will gain from this book. Kerouac always has a way of drawing a reader in and putting you in his place. It's a beautiful and eye-opening book.
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Summary: why wasn't there a rucksack revolution?
Review: everyone with an open mind should read this book. this was the first kerouac book i ever read, and it spoke to me, told me that i needed to simplify my life--get back to the books, the writing, etc. etc. most importantly, it taught me that all is nothing, which has delivered me. if you've never read kerouac, i strongly suggest you start with this.
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Summary: CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN!
Review: I have been to California and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, but after reading this thought provoking novel I realized I have never been there. Before I was just going through the motions of a tourist. Now when I go back(hopefully this Summer)I am really going to experience the beauty of the mountains and nature. This novel stirred up some very powerful emotions inside of me such as living life how I want to live it, not how everybody else wants me to live it (Up to this point in my life I am not sure I have been doing that). If it was not currently Winter I would be heading toward the American West with my rucksack, ready to climb the mountain. Read this novel I guarantee you it will be a rewarding experience.
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Summary: Prose from a Budding Buddhist Bum in Japan
Review: The joy and sadness of life is just that. After reading the Dharma Bums I decided I would go hiking and meditate alone for the millineum. Anyone who has ever pondered life, religion, lonliness or love would understand Jack's struggles. He lays out his feelings on all these subjects with the brutal honesty that only our hero can. The sadness is that he tried to replace his zealous nature with Zen, but his wanderings had just begun. Great therapy for the Budding Buddhist or the Born-again Beat.
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Summary: Let's not be pretentious....
Review: Alright, lets be honest for a moment: Kerouac does repeat himself - that is a fact. But what he also does is make us readers feel as though its the first time we've heard it. Thats a sign of a good writer. He's my favorite writer, and this is one of his best works. Its all about his getting involved in Buddhist philosophy, mainly because of the protagonist of this book, Japhy Ryder (Gary Snyder). The book is intimate, witty, and at times hilariously bizarre. Its not just good, its great. Its a must-have for your library. But dont just put it on the shelf, dammit, read it!
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Summary: Wonderful Book, A truly inspiring tale of religion and life
Review: I loved every inch of this book. Like "On The Road" it beautifully captures a time that was different, a time that was safer but also beginning to crumble at the foundations. The book tells the journey of young Ray Smith, an ambitious man on the road. It also highlights "Dharma Bum" Japhy Ryder, a sort of hero in the eyes of the narrator, a true icon. Kerouac was an amazing and simple writer and he will forever be remembered for his wonderful stories, many of which hit uncomfortably close to home...
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Summary: a different Kerouac
Review: A more laid back series of tales from the life of Jack Kerouac. Very relaxing, unlike "On the Road". Makes you want to go climb a mountain.
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Summary: Conceited book
Review: Had to offset the praise handed down by so many people for Karourac's writings. Very overrated as a writer. This book is filled with the resemblance of substance, but has nothing in it. It is a contradiction of itself.
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Summary: Carressing the finger of god
Review: If there were a more enlightened journey, show me the way! Doubt so. This is the quintessential reading for anyone who wish to sample the beauty of Kerouac's writing. The marrow is not in the destination, but the journey, the trip. Latch on to god's finger, kiss it, and when you feel like it, let go and see where you land!
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Summary: It was a crazy mixed up book...
Review: This was the first book I have ever read on Kerouac, I got so interested In is writing that Im now on a second. To me, Jack felt constrained by the frailty of the human body and its overall worthlessness in the whole scheme of things. This book tells his story about a chance meeting with a Zen buddhist called Japhy Ryder who Kerouac respected deeply, he talks of his travels on freight trains along the coast and trips hiking up mountains, in essence he thought too much and the more he thought the more constrained he felt.His best line in the book was "I spent a whole year being celibate in the belief that lust was the direct cause of birth which was the direct source of suffering and pain" Its a good book, hard to understand in parts if your not American but it was interesting and witty.
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