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Post by sickmouthy on Feb 19, 2007 13:50:24 GMT
True, true, they are very different. I came to Hunter after I'd read Kerouac though, and the hopes I'd had for Kerouac were borne out much more in Hunter. It's a long time since I read On The Road but I don't recall being particularly struck by spiritual or philosophical matters though. I very rarely find things that are meant to be profound, profound though. I dunno perhaps I've made a mistake suggesting On The Road for this book club, because despite being the only book of his you ever find in Waterstones (and being great in its own right in my opinion) it doesn't fully represent everything about Kerouac. But his personal philosophy is very much there in abundance. Read my introduction for more on that.. Will do. I may even reread the book itself once I'm done rereading His Dark Materials. Although probably not - I seldom if ever reread stuff and I've got such a stash of unread 3-for-2s that I ought to give time to first.
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glastra
Libertine
Knitter Extraordinaire
Posts: 139
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Post by glastra on Feb 20, 2007 13:27:46 GMT
Has anyone read 'Dharma Bums'? I've been tempted for a while, but would like to know what it is like? Dharma Bums is my favourite book, period. I highly recommend it.
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Post by lltoastll on Feb 20, 2007 14:40:33 GMT
i got my copy a week ago and have started to read it.
the use of diction is pretty great, and i like the first person narration...even if it is limited; the way Kerouac writes makes it seem omniscient.
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Post by enfantterrible on Feb 23, 2007 12:50:23 GMT
I started reading it last night.. its all coming back to me. what is weird is his lack of parents/random aunt..
my favourite bit has to be his relationship with Terry. Its beautifully simplistic x
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Post by blake on Feb 23, 2007 13:06:21 GMT
I started reading it last night.. its all coming back to me. what is weird is his lack of parents/random aunt.. That bit is odd, the charterer of his Aunt is in reality Kerouac's mother he presumably changed it for legal or artistic reasons. The "mother" charterer appears later in a lot of Kerouac's books named as that. His real relationship with his deeply conservative and anti-Semitic Mother was a key (destructive?) influence on Kerouac's life, she rather amazingly though financially supported him way into his adult life. Just as the existential "feeling that everything is dead" discussed in the first page is credited to the breakup of his first marriage in reality said bleak state of mind was brought on by the death of Kerouac's father, this is discussed in harrowing terms in Kerouac's (otherwise subpar and extremely bitter) final novel Vanity Of Dulouz. I always found it weird and sort of idyllically romantic in a twisted sort of way how he has this intense relationship with Terry, I mean he's willing to live with Mexican peasants and work in the cotton fields with her, that he just ups and leaves her behind without much explanation. But that sort of illogical restlessness is a key theme of the book.
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Post by dinaaaa on Feb 23, 2007 18:57:04 GMT
I've started reading it a couple of days ago. Starts off quite slowly, but I'm enjoying it very much now.
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Post by batgirl on Feb 23, 2007 18:59:50 GMT
A certain pint sized indie axe man uses Kerouac as his username on his bands messageboard.
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Post by blake on Feb 23, 2007 20:04:51 GMT
A certain pint sized indie axe man uses Kerouac as his username on his bands messageboard. haha spill the beans, whom?
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Post by batgirl on Feb 24, 2007 11:00:03 GMT
Not that exciting really, Tim Wheeler of Ash.
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Post by blake on Feb 24, 2007 14:36:09 GMT
Bless I like Tim Wheeler. Ash are charming, one of the first bands I got into as a young'un.
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Post by batgirl on Feb 24, 2007 14:59:25 GMT
Hahaha, they were my first real musical love, 13 or so years ago now, yikes.
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Post by hark on Feb 26, 2007 15:49:04 GMT
I could never get into this book. Although, to be honest, I've never really liked American literature. I find their style really offputting and dull.
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Post by betweenrequiem on Feb 26, 2007 17:44:34 GMT
I have to do a project over this book. I've bought it, I've yet to read it and I pretty much know nothing about Kerouac but by seeing some of the comments about this book I'm breathing a little bit easier.
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Post by AnneYgerne on Feb 27, 2007 21:05:26 GMT
ok, I understand now the meaning of your sig picture Josh, ha!
I'm actually pretty much enjoying this book, so much I'm not even reading any of my other ones anymore.
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Post by enfantterrible on Mar 1, 2007 22:59:28 GMT
i finished it! i really loved re-reading it - thanks lbc. x
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glastra
Libertine
Knitter Extraordinaire
Posts: 139
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Post by glastra on Mar 2, 2007 3:09:53 GMT
I'm gonna start reading it tomorrow since I just finished the book I was working on...I'll be done in time for the 12th, I promise lol
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Post by blake on Mar 4, 2007 18:36:04 GMT
Anyone else reading/read this fucker? Cos its like MARCH now and I have public demand to start another round of this shiznit.
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Post by AnneYgerne on Mar 5, 2007 8:31:18 GMT
Anyone else reading/read this fucker? Cos its like MARCH now and I have public demand to start another round of this shiznit. I'm 1/4 into the book at this moment. Considering all my activities, it's quite an accomplishment actually. Ok: I'll skip watching Battlestar Galactica this week in order to finish the book by the week end.
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Post by enfantterrible on Mar 5, 2007 21:20:58 GMT
i've finished it and as i said it was very nice to read and just as i remembered however i don't think that it is going to make my top book of all times.
i'm quite a realist i think and sometimes i caught myself in the book going 'yeah whatever. don't lie - you would have been raped/mugged/put in jail by now'.. but america back then must have been pretty different.
another thing: the americans are known for their narrrow-mindedness which makes me wonder about the huge level of acceptance that sal receives. i know that he is nowhere near as crazy as Dean but still he was a bit mental. yet no one outright rejects him
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Post by thornyking on Mar 7, 2007 2:56:55 GMT
Anyone else reading/read this fucker? Cos its like MARCH now and I have public demand to start another round of this shiznit. I finished it a while ago, but I don't have much insight about it so I didn't post. The beginning was either dull or it wasn't interesting me, but afterwards I found myself really enjoying it and stayed up until hours in the morning; I ended up really enjoying the book. Oh, I loved Dean.
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