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On the Road: The Original Scroll Paperback - 2011
by Jack Kerouac
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About this book
Perhaps
the most famous and influential of the Beat novels, Jack Kerouac's On
the Road represents much of what
made the Beat and Counterculture movements so unique and important.
The plot concerning the road trips and adventures experienced by
Kerouac and his friends is well-known, as are the rumors and tall
tales of the books' production.
Kerouac often claimed that the wrote On the Road in a mere three weeks on a single 120-foot scroll of paper. Although that scroll does indeed exist and is featured in museums, Kerouac kept detailed journals of his travels that would later become passages and chapters in the finished product. The book was first published by Viking in 1957.
Viking Press would go on to publish an edited version of On the Road in 2007 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first printing. They substituted the fictional names for the real Beat protagonists, and they even included some of the more sexually explicit passages that were edited out of the 1957 edition.
Due to the cultural significance of the book, true first editions/first printings of On the Road are quite valuable. But be warned: it is easy to mistake reprints or book club editions for the real thing, so always check with an expert before making a significant purchase.
Kerouac often claimed that the wrote On the Road in a mere three weeks on a single 120-foot scroll of paper. Although that scroll does indeed exist and is featured in museums, Kerouac kept detailed journals of his travels that would later become passages and chapters in the finished product. The book was first published by Viking in 1957.
Viking Press would go on to publish an edited version of On the Road in 2007 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first printing. They substituted the fictional names for the real Beat protagonists, and they even included some of the more sexually explicit passages that were edited out of the 1957 edition.
Due to the cultural significance of the book, true first editions/first printings of On the Road are quite valuable. But be warned: it is easy to mistake reprints or book club editions for the real thing, so always check with an expert before making a significant purchase.
Reader reviews for On the Road: The Original Scroll
Review summary
Reader reaction to On the Road is sharply divided. Many describe it as repetitive, plot-thin, and exhausting, with unlikable characters and dated sexist/racist attitudes that made the experience uncomfortable or abortive. Others praise Kerouac’s breathless, musical prose and the book’s evocation of freedom, travel, and postwar Beat counterculture, with some noting its historical importance even when personal enjoyment was low. A few mention that it may land better when read young or in the right headspace; the audiobook narration also drew praise.
Readers say this book is:
overratedrepetitiveaimlesschaoticvivid prosebreathless pacenostalgicculturally significantsexist/racistunlikable charactersWrite a review for this book
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From the publisher
First edition identification
On The Road was first published by Viking in 1957. True first printings of the book include the $3.95 pricing information on the top right hand corner of the front inside dust jacket flap. Later printings and subsequent book club editions do not feature the price in that location. Additionally, a photo of Kerouac is featured on the back inside cover flap along with a brief description of the author.
Details
- Title On the Road: The Original Scroll
- Author Jack Kerouac
- Binding Paperback
- Edition Re-issue
- Pages 280
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Viking, London
- Publication date 2011-04
- ISBN 9780241951538 / 0241951534
- Weight 0.44 lbs (0.20 kg)
- Dimensions 7.01 x 4.34 x 0.6 in (17.81 x 11.02 x 1.52 cm)
- Reading level 940
- Category Literature - Classics / Criticism
- Dewey Decimal Code FIC
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On the Road (Penguin Essentials)
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