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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.
blackcatsandpaperbacks's review against another edition
3.0
This was like reading a strange 1930's fever dream...
cruelspirit's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Back in the summer of 2019 I decided to get into Kerouac. I bought copies of On The Road, Dharma Bums, and Dr. Sax. I read On The Road and Dharma Bums in pretty quick succession but kept putting off Dr. Sax, until now.
When reading On The Road and Dharma Bums I felt like an interesting literary prose, associated with the beats, was missing. I'm happy to say that this is not the case with Dr. Sax. The rhythmic cadence and free flow of the prose are what I have been looking for from Kerouac. It is like the literary equivalent to a Jazz song, moving as it pleases and ending when it wants to. Even though this book was written in 1952, the fact that it was published in 1959 feels very fitting; considering how iconic that year is for Jazz music.
Unfortunately the prose wasn't enough for me to really love this book. The narrative is definitely its weakest point. The free flowing and sporadic ethos of Dr. Sax definitely doesn't help when telling a story, at least not here. It's hard to get into the story and the quality of the narrative rises and falls quite often throughout.
It doesn't help that I haven't been to New England and have no real associations with a lot of what Kerouac is talking about outside of this book. Like other Kerouac books, Dr. Sax suffers from being in between highly descriptive and incredibly vague.
Out of all of the Kerouac books I've read I found this one to be the least enticing in terms of a narrative and least memorable. I'm going to give Big Sur a chance at some point but maybe Kerouac just isn't for me.
When reading On The Road and Dharma Bums I felt like an interesting literary prose, associated with the beats, was missing. I'm happy to say that this is not the case with Dr. Sax. The rhythmic cadence and free flow of the prose are what I have been looking for from Kerouac. It is like the literary equivalent to a Jazz song, moving as it pleases and ending when it wants to. Even though this book was written in 1952, the fact that it was published in 1959 feels very fitting; considering how iconic that year is for Jazz music.
Unfortunately the prose wasn't enough for me to really love this book. The narrative is definitely its weakest point. The free flowing and sporadic ethos of Dr. Sax definitely doesn't help when telling a story, at least not here. It's hard to get into the story and the quality of the narrative rises and falls quite often throughout.
It doesn't help that I haven't been to New England and have no real associations with a lot of what Kerouac is talking about outside of this book. Like other Kerouac books, Dr. Sax suffers from being in between highly descriptive and incredibly vague.
Out of all of the Kerouac books I've read I found this one to be the least enticing in terms of a narrative and least memorable. I'm going to give Big Sur a chance at some point but maybe Kerouac just isn't for me.