Reviews
Doctor Sax and the Great World Snake by Richard Sala, Jack Kerouac, Robert Creeley, Jim Sampas
witchboyofboston's review against another edition
5.0
My fave Kerouac work. The blend of the supernatural and bizarre secondary story blends supremely with the primary story of life in Lowell. I highly recommend going on one of the night tours during the Kerouac festival after reading this one.
agataherbata's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
may be the most beautiful thing i have ever read, captures childhood and boyhood in the way that i can only compare to tom sawyer but with kerouac’s own sensibility that draws me in head-first every time
emma_ireland's review against another edition
2.0
REALLY wanted to love this, but no. It was dire. An extra star for occasional lines that stood out from the page like those 3D pictures we spent ages squinting at in the 90s. Although, in retrospect they might just have been spots of coherence in this MASSIVE INCOMPREHENSIBLE RAMBLE. In its favour, a lot of the chapters are mercifully short.
caixlin's review against another edition
4.0
absolutely incomprehensible unless you have explicit knowledge of the 4 block radius of lowell that he’s talking about and also the Merrimack river, but luckily, I have both!
wobimenahan's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
dandreamelissa's review against another edition
4.0
While I spent most of my time reading this book and asking myself "What the hell is going on?" I did get some enjoyment and insight while reading Dr Sax. The prose is sometimes non sensical and confusing, and at places is jumpy and moves out of chronological order.
I did get a sense of what it felt to grow up as Kerouac did, but the story was to messy to truly enjoy.
I did get a sense of what it felt to grow up as Kerouac did, but the story was to messy to truly enjoy.
sal_mccoy's review against another edition
5.0
This was quite a difficult read as it is dense with literary references and allusions.
It will take further study to fully comprehend and appreciate what Kerouac regarded as his most accomplished literary work.
It will take further study to fully comprehend and appreciate what Kerouac regarded as his most accomplished literary work.
buddhafish's review against another edition
2.0
26th book of 2020.
I'm reading a lot of Kerouac at the moment; this is my 7th. You may imagine my excitement then, on finding that this is Kerouac's own favourite of all of his work, and my edition has a quote from Time that reads: Kerouac's best book.
It is not. I'm sorry Jack, but this was mostly nonsense to me. There were some good lines, you can't help that, but on the whole, nonsense. About Doctor Sax and his big cape, and a Castle and vampires and a giant snake that wants to what, eat the world, or something?
Kerouac wrote this whilst staying in Mexico City with William S. Burroughs - I imagine a lot of drugs were used in its making. I also read somewhere (can't remember where) that Kerouac stopped chapters because Burroughs had simply walked into room in real life, so he wrapped up and ended where he was. Madness. I respect it, in an odd way. But it didn't make for a very good book. Though Kerouac says this is his favourite, out of the 7 I have read so far, this is the worst. Sorry. We disagree on something.
I'm reading a lot of Kerouac at the moment; this is my 7th. You may imagine my excitement then, on finding that this is Kerouac's own favourite of all of his work, and my edition has a quote from Time that reads: Kerouac's best book.
It is not. I'm sorry Jack, but this was mostly nonsense to me. There were some good lines, you can't help that, but on the whole, nonsense. About Doctor Sax and his big cape, and a Castle and vampires and a giant snake that wants to what, eat the world, or something?
Kerouac wrote this whilst staying in Mexico City with William S. Burroughs - I imagine a lot of drugs were used in its making. I also read somewhere (can't remember where) that Kerouac stopped chapters because Burroughs had simply walked into room in real life, so he wrapped up and ended where he was. Madness. I respect it, in an odd way. But it didn't make for a very good book. Though Kerouac says this is his favourite, out of the 7 I have read so far, this is the worst. Sorry. We disagree on something.
twigdip's review against another edition
4.0
Didn't enjoy this as much as the more linear classics - Dharma Bums, On the Road. But great example of freed up creative writing.