eflanag01's review against another edition
4.0
One of the most difficult reads of my life. Reads like Faulkner meets beatnik colloquial rambling. I thought it was somewhat unnecessarily difficult but recognize how extremely intentional it all is to create this abstract novel full of geometric shapes of language and prose. It seems to seek to solve the social mathematical phenomena of the grand beauty and completeness of an individual’s soul living within mediocrity and thus challenges the conventional dynamic arch of character growth. Often problematic but sometimes great enough to matter in its entirety.
Listen to Jazz music while reading.
Listen to Jazz music while reading.
decadent_and_depraved's review against another edition
4.0
This is a strange book. It is disjointed and experimental. It barely makes sense and, at times, it will frustrate you. That being said, it is a good book, with some editing, I believe it could have been a great book even!
This book could be divided into 5 parts, so I will proceed to tell you something about each one of them.
Chapter 1
Jack going around New York being observant and stuff. This is by far the dullest part of the book. If you find the patience to get through it, it is only up from there.
Chapter 2
Jack constructs the myth of Cody.
Chapter 3 - The Tape
The first part of chapter 3 is a straight-up transcript of the tapes which are largely Jack and Cody talking while high on tea and wine. This is easily the best part of the book and I wanted it to go on forever. I myself have played with the idea of doing this sort of convo to text thing and seeing it executed so well fills me up with courage. As for the contents of the tapes, Jack and Cody had such a great dynamic that it is hard not to find something profound in every one of their sentences. The conversations are raw, direct, vulnerable, and seeing as this is not common, especially in male friendships, reading their words warmed my heart. If you cannot be bothered to read the whole book, at least read this part.
Chapter 3 - Imitation of the Tape
The second part of chapter 3 is a mixture of Jack's relentless admiration for Cody and some of their adventures. This part is by far the most experimental and obscure, but somehow retains a certain air of vulnerability and paints a rather abstract image of Jack's love towards Cody. There is something here in Jack's writing that leaves you with a certain degree of understanding for his need to mythologize Cody and makes you wonder whether you will ever find someone like that, or, perhaps, once you reflect, whether there might have already been someone like that.
The Visions of The Great Rememberer
I appreciated this chapter for what it was. Allen Ginsberg attempting to shed some light on the meaning of particular passages and their significance in the larger Duluoz canon. It was truly helpful.
This book could be divided into 5 parts, so I will proceed to tell you something about each one of them.
Chapter 1
Jack going around New York being observant and stuff. This is by far the dullest part of the book. If you find the patience to get through it, it is only up from there.
Chapter 2
Jack constructs the myth of Cody.
Chapter 3 - The Tape
The first part of chapter 3 is a straight-up transcript of the tapes which are largely Jack and Cody talking while high on tea and wine. This is easily the best part of the book and I wanted it to go on forever. I myself have played with the idea of doing this sort of convo to text thing and seeing it executed so well fills me up with courage. As for the contents of the tapes, Jack and Cody had such a great dynamic that it is hard not to find something profound in every one of their sentences. The conversations are raw, direct, vulnerable, and seeing as this is not common, especially in male friendships, reading their words warmed my heart. If you cannot be bothered to read the whole book, at least read this part.
Chapter 3 - Imitation of the Tape
The second part of chapter 3 is a mixture of Jack's relentless admiration for Cody and some of their adventures. This part is by far the most experimental and obscure, but somehow retains a certain air of vulnerability and paints a rather abstract image of Jack's love towards Cody. There is something here in Jack's writing that leaves you with a certain degree of understanding for his need to mythologize Cody and makes you wonder whether you will ever find someone like that, or, perhaps, once you reflect, whether there might have already been someone like that.
The Visions of The Great Rememberer
I appreciated this chapter for what it was. Allen Ginsberg attempting to shed some light on the meaning of particular passages and their significance in the larger Duluoz canon. It was truly helpful.
jordynhaime's review against another edition
4.0
This one was quite the journey...much more difficult than any of Kerouac's works I've read before but essential if you want to get to know Kerouac as a writer.
ninethreeo's review against another edition
1.0
HAD to read this for a college course. Absolutely infuriated me. Threw it across the room when I finally finished it
rachel_darling's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sentient_meat's review
4.0
The other side of On the Road. Kerouac's Visions of Cody is the more experimental and darker side of the trip made famous in On the Road. Definitely worth a read.
smcscot's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very thick book, with many inanities spread out through it. There are large swathes of text of weed induced conversation, which seemingly lead nowhere. There are large portions where you weave through Kerouac's fevered brain, in stream of conscious, where pages and pages flow by without any form of punctuation. There were many points where I was frustrated because I was so bored with the book (in fact in his "Visions of the Great Rememberer" essay, Ginsberg even says there are large portions of this book which are so boring as to be unreadable), and nearly stopped reading it. But then, something wonderful happened. All that waffling, precise, and nearly pedantic recounting came around full force, and the reader is left with the wonder and evolution of the foremost, modern literary rebels.
The reader is left with the immense understanding of the journey that Kerouac took, which gives the Dulouz legend perfect bookends.
This is one of those books. If you've read Kerouac and love him, you have to read it. If you don't know anything about him, nor if you don't care about the beats, it may not be worth it. But if you've ever loved "On the Road"or any of his other books, this is a must read. Work through it. It's worth it.
The reader is left with the immense understanding of the journey that Kerouac took, which gives the Dulouz legend perfect bookends.
This is one of those books. If you've read Kerouac and love him, you have to read it. If you don't know anything about him, nor if you don't care about the beats, it may not be worth it. But if you've ever loved "On the Road"or any of his other books, this is a must read. Work through it. It's worth it.
jordynhaime's review
4.0
This one was quite the journey...much more difficult than any of Kerouac's works I've read before but essential if you want to get to know Kerouac as a writer.
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