In 1960 Jack Kerouac was near breaking point. Driven mad by constant press attention in the wake of the publication of
On the Road, he needed to 'get away to solitude again or die', so he withdrew to a cabin in Big Sur on the Californian coast. The resulting novel, in which his autobiographical hero Jack Duluoz wrestles with doubt, alcohol dependency and his urge towards self-destruction, is one of Kerouac's most personal and searingly honest works. Ending with the poem 'Sea: Sounds of the Pacific Ocean at Big Sur', it shows a man coming down from his hedonistic youth and trying to come to terms with fame, the world and himself.
About the AuthorJack Kerouac (1922-69) was an American novelist, poet, artist and part of the Beat Generation. Most of his life was spent in the vast landscapes of America or living with his mother. Kerouac's best known works are
On the Road and
The Dharma Bums.ReviewsKerouac's grittiest novel... sensual and uninhibited * The New York Times *
Stunning and vivid * Sunday Times *
Book InformationISBN 9780141198255
Author Jack KerouacFormat Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Penguin ClassicsPublisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 145g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 11mm