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vaguelyredhead's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, and Alcohol
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Sexual content
tobiassoar's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
There are moments of brilliance where I truly understand how novel this book was in its time.
However, the majority of the time I was either bored or repulsed by the racist and paedophilic passing comments by the narrator.
I understand it’s a product of its time and should be treated as such, but it was truly a slog to get through at times.
And if he loved Dean so much, they should have just kissed.
However, the majority of the time I was either bored or repulsed by the racist and paedophilic passing comments by the narrator.
I understand it’s a product of its time and should be treated as such, but it was truly a slog to get through at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Classism
timmytunter's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Drug use, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Alcohol, and Colonisation
originalmelodie's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Pedophilia
islandofgreen's review against another edition
Definitely feel that this is a classic that hasn't aged well. I can see its appeal to some with the very descriptive and often beautiful prose, and can see how some people would connect with the main character in some ways - he's a self-proclaimed misfit and doesn't know what he wants to do with his life - he just wants freedom to do his own thing and see his friends.
I, however, couldn't get into it. I found the writing dry and the pace of Sals' adventures to be too fast with too little meaning behind them. I just don't understand what the point or the message of this book was. Not only that, but I found the characters completely unappealing - not just in terms of their views (which were racist and sexist) but also just the fact Dean is reckless and selfish and Sal just follows him around.
Really I don't think I'm the target audience for this book as a woman - in the book people of my demographic were overly sexualised and objectified, which in reading made me feel very uncomfortable.
On the topic of uncomfortable - the amount of paedophillic comments made in this book - something I could not get past and eventually made me put down this book before finishing it.
I, however, couldn't get into it. I found the writing dry and the pace of Sals' adventures to be too fast with too little meaning behind them. I just don't understand what the point or the message of this book was. Not only that, but I found the characters completely unappealing - not just in terms of their views (which were racist and sexist) but also just the fact Dean is reckless and selfish and Sal just follows him around.
Really I don't think I'm the target audience for this book as a woman - in the book people of my demographic were overly sexualised and objectified, which in reading made me feel very uncomfortable.
On the topic of uncomfortable - the amount of paedophillic comments made in this book - something I could not get past and eventually made me put down this book before finishing it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pedophilia, Racism, and Sexism
madzzzzzx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
i picked this up as it’s renowned as a text that inspired american media which i can understand. this book romanticises lifestyle on the road but has these awful characters to intentionally create irony in the romanticising these bad habits. i also enjoyed the homoerotic nature and friendship between sal and dean.
this book does not age well.
this book does not age well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, and Cultural appropriation
bonesfor5dollars's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
I went into this book with the curiosity of the 'Beat Generation.' Counterculture movements have been a fascinating topic to me and so to read a book that 'captures the beat generation,' I was quite eager to dig into this book. However, what I got out of this was pure disappointment and just a poorly-aged book that contains questionable characters and ideas. While the writing style of Kerouac can be interesting at some points, I feel the book is entirely bogged down by the characters who are probably the most unlikable characters that I've seen in a book. How they describe people of color is just baffling especially from Sal, who has some of the most baffling descriptions and observations of African Americans, and Mexican Americans. The main characters also sexualize underage women a lot and get extremely bad by the end of the book, when they are in Mexico. Also, the manner in which women are presented in this book is just terrible as well, as the main characters often exploit women either for sex or for money and make comments on how women are objects.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Homophobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Domestic abuse and Sexual content
wisteriaearl's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I enjoyed how Kerouac described the American natural landscape. He captures the beauty of travelling when he remarks on the scenery. But I didn't care for the characters nor how he described topics other than nature. Also, the real people Kerouac based these characters on are more interesting.
He knows how to write beautiful prose but in terms of capturing the Beat Generation, I prefer Ginsberg's Howl.
He knows how to write beautiful prose but in terms of capturing the Beat Generation, I prefer Ginsberg's Howl.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Racism
nomatophobia's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book might have changed my life whether or not it's deserving. In the time that I was reading this, I took a few fun spontaneous adventures of my own and I'd like to believe it was a little bit inspired by the chaos of these pages. That being said, this is the definition of "does not hold up." I'm not sure how much of this was intentionally offensive because it seems for the most part it just wanted to show how the characters got along with so many different kinds of people, but if you tried to count the amount of slurs in here you'd go crazy. The lack of plot didn't bother me as much as bearing my 21st century eyes to this much bigoted language.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol
kai_okay's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, and Pedophilia