jackbowerman's review against another edition
5.0
Kerouac does it again. This could be Kerouac at his best. I read this cover to cover whilst waiting for a plane and feel ready to read it cover to cover again. It's rammed full of Kerouac wit, plays on words and sounds, and a notable sense that his writing is immune to judgement. This immunity, sometimes arrogance, means the story or narrative (sometimes neither - just a mélange of words) is printed exactly as made sense to Kerouac, whether it does to the reader or not. It gives the sense that no editor on earth has the authority to change the way a single word or punctuation falls.
The novella tells the autobiographical story of Kerouac's travels to Paris and Brittany to research his family history. Ironically, the area Kerouac's family had left is the area my family recently immigrated too, and so I enjoyed the humour around the Breton tongue, place names and geography.
Unsurprisingly of Kerouac, this great voyage to track his genealogy ended less in family research and instead in him simply walking the streets at night and enjoying the local bars.
The novella tells the autobiographical story of Kerouac's travels to Paris and Brittany to research his family history. Ironically, the area Kerouac's family had left is the area my family recently immigrated too, and so I enjoyed the humour around the Breton tongue, place names and geography.
Unsurprisingly of Kerouac, this great voyage to track his genealogy ended less in family research and instead in him simply walking the streets at night and enjoying the local bars.
ross_runs_reads_and_dips's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
n_linnea's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ivesrossi's review
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Hezká knížka s melancholickým nádechem.
danielafin's review against another edition
3.0
What goes on (and what goes on inside your head) when you try to find your roots while traveling to France. And maybe try to find yourself as well. Short chapters, long sentences, interesting language.
emma_ireland's review against another edition
3.0
Easy reading by Kerouac's standards but gives the distinct impression it was bashed out without much interest on his part. It was towards the end of his life though, I believe, so perhaps it's an achievement that he managed to get it written at all. I'd just finished reading the biography Memory Babe when I started this, which may account for the gloomy despondence Satori in Paris left me with. It's the most amusing of his books that I've read, however.
elliejohnson_'s review against another edition
slow-paced
meh. no sartori occurs. just a bunch of drunken sexcapades translated into stream of consciousness. "look at me, i'm aloof and cool"
dani_the_adventurer's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
vincentkonrad's review against another edition
2.0
It’s all about how much better at french kerouac is than french people lol