Angelheaded Hipster: A Life of Jack Kerouac

Rating:
Summary: A quick, poignant introduction to Kerouac
Review: Great photos, nice text. This isn't the book for the hardcore fan of Kerouac or the Beats, but for someone like me, who really enjoys spending a few hours with those boys now and then. You can whiff the Beat cigarettes, sexism, and excitment in these pages. But you also learn about the depressive, conservative, and finally alcoholic side of Kerouac. I'm glad I bought this book, and I would recommend it to most.

Rating:
Summary: A Visual Delight
Review: I have to admit, I'm a beat-freak. And I suppose when we think of Beats, we automatically think of Jack Kerouac (or Ginsberg or Borroughs)--I know I think of Jack. JACK KEROUAC: ANGELHEADED HIPSTER was a great find on my part. It's a rich visual biography of Kerouac. The book houses a montage of beautiful pictures of Jack, et. al, and is designed in a very aesthetic way--the typeface is supposed to remind us that typewriters did exist back then (I guess they still do, but their not as popular). I liked the book best for it's the photographs Kerouac. The text is not that hard to read, but if you're looking for more substance about Jack, I recommend you buy another Kerouac biography. The book does give you a sense, nonetheless, of who this legendary man was. For folks that want to see the man the book calls "The James Dean of the Typewriter," this book is the one for you. I found myself flipping through the book day-dreaming about being with him during such a revolutionary, exciting, and historic period. (I suppose it was just my luck that I was born two decades too late.) This would be a great addition to anyone's collection.

Rating:
Summary: all right overview
Review: If you are new to the Beats, this is a pretty good overview of them. Things that make this book stand out are the pictures, which are not all the usual ones, and the "where are they now" section in the back of the book. But really, could it hurt to do a bit more editing? I mean, I found several typos, and, according to this book, Jan Kerouac died in 1966, three years before her father....