On the Road

On the Road is a 1957 novel by Jack Kerouac, based on his travels across the United States with his friends, and is considered a defining work of the Beat and Counterculture generations. The novel is a roman à clef, with many key figures of the Beat movement represented by characters in the book. Kerouac wrote the first draft in three weeks on a continuous reel of paper, later revising and editing the manuscript. The novel was published by Viking Press in 1957, and was hailed by The New York Times as "the most important utterance yet made by the generation Kerouac himself named years ago as 'beat'." On the Road was ranked 55th on the Modern Library's list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century and was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005. The plot follows the travels of Sal Paradise and his friend Dean Moriarty, inspired by Kerouac and Neal Cassady, respectively, with the narrative taking place in the years 1947 to 1950. The book is largely autobiographical, with Sal being the alter ego of the author. The characters of the novel are largely based on Kerouac's friends and family. The book received mixed reactions from the media upon its release in 1957.On the Road: Initial Reaction, Critical Study, Music, and Influence

Initial Reaction:

• Gilbert Millstein's review in The New York Times praised On the Road as "a major novel" and "an authentic work of art."
• The backlash began a few days later in the same publication, with David Dempsey's review dismissing the content as a "passionate lark" rather than a novel.
• Other reviewers were also less than impressed, with concerns about repetition and lack of believability in the characters.
• Time magazine considered the book partly a travel book and partly a collection of journal jottings, but praised Kerouac for commanding attention as a kind of literary James Dean.

Critical Study:

• On the Road has been the object of critical study since its publication, with opinions ranging from the story being about loss to it being a book of broken dreams and failed plans.
• Kerouac's writing style has attracted the attention of critics, with some considering it a transitional phase between traditional narrative structure and a "wild form" of writing.
• Music is an important part of the scene that Kerouac sets in On the Road, with references to jazz and other musical artists and records throughout the book.

Music in On the Road:

• Kerouac establishes the time period with references to the musical world, with bop music going like mad all over America.
• Main characters Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty are enthusiastic fans of jazz/bebop and early rhythm-and-blues musicians and records.
• Kerouac notes several musical artists and their records throughout the book, as well as music as a general backdrop.
• Jazz and other types of music are often featured as the characters listen to music in clubs or on the radio.

Influence:

• On the Road has been an influence on various poets, writers, actors, and musicians, including Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Jim Morrison, Jerry Garcia, David Bowie, and Hunter S. Thompson.

• Allen Ginsberg was written into the novel through the character Carlo Marx, and the beats' values of liberation and spontaneity attracted him to the movement.

• Ray Manzarek of The Doors wrote in his book Light My Fire that if Jack Kerouac had never written On the Road, The Doors would never have existed.On the Road Summary

• On the Road is a novel by Jack Kerouac published in 1957, which has had a significant cultural impact.

• It is a semi-autobiographical account of Kerouac's travels across America with his friends, particularly Neal Cassady, in the years after World War II.

• The novel is considered a defining work of the Beat Generation, a cultural movement that rejected mainstream values and celebrated spontaneity, freedom, and non-conformity.

• It is also known for its unique writing style, which incorporates long, stream-of-consciousness sentences and a jazz-inspired rhythm.

• The novel has been praised for its depiction of the American landscape and the search for meaning and identity in a post-war world.

• It has been translated into many languages and has influenced numerous writers, musicians, and filmmakers.

• On the Road has been adapted into a film, which was directed by Walter Salles and released in 2012.

• The film starred Sam Riley as Sal Paradise, Garrett Hedlund as Dean Moriarty, Kristen Stewart as Mary Lou, and Kirsten Dunst as Camille.

• The Beat Generation was a cultural movement that emerged in the 1950s and rejected mainstream values.

• The term "beat" has been interpreted in different ways, but it is often associated with a sense of weariness, disillusionment, and spiritual seeking.

• Jack Kerouac and other Beat writers promoted the movement through articles and essays that explained their philosophy and aesthetics.

• The Beats were influenced by jazz, Buddhism, and other non-conformist sources, and they celebrated spontaneity, freedom, and non-conformity.