adavidgraham's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jguinn2474's review against another edition
I love Kerouac's enthusiasm for life, travel, spiritual seeking, and his bold declarative sentences. I even like his messiness. But I detest his pompous self-congratulation and phony friends. Bukowski never confused a night of drinking as anything other than what it was, Kerouac finds it historic.
jackbowerman's review against another edition
5.0
In true Kerouac fashion, The Darma Bums is a novel of the search for meaning, for "It", through means of the road, adventure, and the Beat life.
Interestingly, Kerouac comes through the pages as very wise, with a strong hold of his morals, and a clear understanding of what brings him pleasure and contentment - there is blatant progression here compared to his earlier novel 'On The Road'. But Kerouac's later novel, 'The Lonesome Traver', seems to portray a spectacular regression of his morals, stability, and mental state.
Kerouac's protagonists typically embody the urban bum - but my favourite part of 'The Lonesome Traveler' was when he was actually out in the wild, up in the mountains, working a stint at a fire look-out. So I personally really enjoyed this novel's descriptions of nature and wildlife, as opposed to the usual dirty streets and bars in his works. I was also happy to find the novel ending with a different description of this stint as a fire look-out on Desolation Peak. It's interesting, having read a few Kerouac's now (albeit not in the order they were published), to recognise recurring characters and events in his life that creep into his standalone works of somewhat fiction.
The way he describes events, people, and places is truly exceptional. I often wondered when reading this whether it would even be possible for an author to reach this level of enchanting description today - I think it owes massively to a time before technology, without distraction, without instant communication, and when you are stuck alone with your thoughts. Kerouac explicitly writes about being stuck alone with his thoughts, being bored with nothing to do, and the poems and extracts he wrote on this are beautiful.
I think that what I primarily enjoy about Kerouac's writing is it's genre/style. There is no real beginning, middle, and end. This novel is simply a written description of some time spent with a close friend. It's very much journaling and I wonder whether he was constantly journaling during this time, whether he went back and edited those journal entries, or whether it was all written after the fact. Regardless, he has an incredible way of writing in spontaneous prose and letting the words flow onto the pages as they come to him. I almost feel like Kerouac would frown upon editing descriptions he had originally written in the moment.
Interestingly, Kerouac comes through the pages as very wise, with a strong hold of his morals, and a clear understanding of what brings him pleasure and contentment - there is blatant progression here compared to his earlier novel 'On The Road'. But Kerouac's later novel, 'The Lonesome Traver', seems to portray a spectacular regression of his morals, stability, and mental state.
Kerouac's protagonists typically embody the urban bum - but my favourite part of 'The Lonesome Traveler' was when he was actually out in the wild, up in the mountains, working a stint at a fire look-out. So I personally really enjoyed this novel's descriptions of nature and wildlife, as opposed to the usual dirty streets and bars in his works. I was also happy to find the novel ending with a different description of this stint as a fire look-out on Desolation Peak. It's interesting, having read a few Kerouac's now (albeit not in the order they were published), to recognise recurring characters and events in his life that creep into his standalone works of somewhat fiction.
The way he describes events, people, and places is truly exceptional. I often wondered when reading this whether it would even be possible for an author to reach this level of enchanting description today - I think it owes massively to a time before technology, without distraction, without instant communication, and when you are stuck alone with your thoughts. Kerouac explicitly writes about being stuck alone with his thoughts, being bored with nothing to do, and the poems and extracts he wrote on this are beautiful.
I think that what I primarily enjoy about Kerouac's writing is it's genre/style. There is no real beginning, middle, and end. This novel is simply a written description of some time spent with a close friend. It's very much journaling and I wonder whether he was constantly journaling during this time, whether he went back and edited those journal entries, or whether it was all written after the fact. Regardless, he has an incredible way of writing in spontaneous prose and letting the words flow onto the pages as they come to him. I almost feel like Kerouac would frown upon editing descriptions he had originally written in the moment.
theostwt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A much more hopefully vision of the future and through zen. Very nicely contrasts the desire to get lost and find yourself in on the road with a more spiritual and calming clear path towards nirvana . Having read the books in the wrong order the ending is very bittersweet given what happens in the Big Sur ,how the glimpses of the love of the natural world and the serenity it brings Jack are all eaten away by addiction. There are even hints of the coming end with the story of japhy and rays final argument when he rejects the meeting of the Buddhists to drink port on skid row again. My favourite so far
dannycakez8808's review against another edition
3.0
Unfortunately I did not care much for this story. The sentences were very long winded and it was quiet pretentious. I loved the setting of the story since I am from Nor Cal myself.
bbboeken's review against another edition
4.0
Op zijn gemakkelijkst, en geheel incorrect te onschrijven als Murakami, maar dan in deftig Engels. Hilarisch en soms heel stilmakend, is dit een gigantische trip (in beide betekenissen van het woord). Ik denk dat ik klaar ben om "[b:On the Road|6288|The Road|Cormac McCarthy|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21E8H3D1JSL._SL75_.jpg|3355573]" te lezen.
deanpeters's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
bellevue's review against another edition
4.0
Although it has a good premise and idea, it annoys me how pompous he is.
kristidurbs's review against another edition
3.0
Zen Buddhism and jumping trains and mountain climbing and sexuality and drinking and haikus and emptiness and chaos and hitch hiking and truth and half truths and yodelayhee and pseudo enlightenment and more drinking and more mountain climbing and monks and Desolation and a rainbow and God and the end.
(The mountain climbing parts were the best, and, surprisingly, I think I preferred Dharma Bums to On the Road.)
(The mountain climbing parts were the best, and, surprisingly, I think I preferred Dharma Bums to On the Road.)
ilovelucy's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0