Hello.
If this is the first time you read On the Road, let us know what your thoughts and impressions are about this original version. If you've read it before, let us know how it compares to the version you have read.
You can also tell us what you knew about Kerouac before embarking on this voyage and what other books you may have read. What do you know about the period that On the Road was written in? How do you relate to this story?
See you in class.
Olivier Pelletier
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Well, I have mixed feelings about "On the Road". On one side, I feel it's better than "Kiss of the Fur Queen". That dreaded book will never leave my mind. The thing about on the road is that, the story may be fine, but the format ruins it. I loathe it. I can't read a book without chapters or at least paragraph. It hurt my eyes and it makes me skip lines. I have had to re-read pages many time. Ergo, it reads extremely slow. I'm still willing to give this a chance because a few parts did get me hooked up. My first impression, though, is that I dislike it. I never read from Kerouac before and he seems pretty good and clear, I would just prefer a different format for the book.
ReplyDeleteFinally, I always wanted to do a roadtrip in my life and I still plan on it. I will have a car unlike Jack though.
It took me so many hours to read the first pages of On the Road!
ReplyDeleteI need more ponctuation. I need paragraphs. I need a clear storyline and a purpose to the story.
I really, really don't like On the Road. Is it bad? No. But it's so hard and I can't remember half of what happens, since there are so many events. Each time I take a break, I forget the last page I read and I have to read it again.
I also don't like the fact that it's the draft version. Why are we reading a draft? I had never read any of Kerouac's books and it's hard for me to appreciate the author if we're not even readong the corrected version...
And, I can't find any way to relate to the story.
Since I haven't even read the first 100 pages, maybe I will like the rest more...
Ève Kirouac-Turmel
On the Road is the best of the three book of the class because the majority of the words is understandable. It is maybe hard to read because of the quantity of actions and the absence of paragraph but the history of the book is interesting. Furthermore, I found the book long to read: there is no paragraph and it’s about 450 words per page= It can be depressing by moments.
ReplyDeleteÉmilie B.G
I 'like' On the Road, but I would like it better with chapters... ahaha It's really long to read and it gets annoying because he's always like, oh I did that but i'll talk about it later, i meet that person but it's not important now. So why are you talking about it **** ? What he tells is pretty interesting though. Can't wait to see what will happen next (:
ReplyDeleteSabrina Lecompte
For now, I like "On the Road". It's simple to read because the words are not complicated. It's just the fact that there are no paragraphs that bothers me a bit, because it means that there is no break when we read and there are more words per page. However, I like the story, I would like to do a road trip like him, and I think the story is relaxing in a way, there is no big drama (well, for now...)and sometimes when I read I just feel like I'm doing this road trip with him, which is cool, because of the way he describes what happens.
ReplyDeleteCatherine
Hello,
ReplyDeleteTranslation was an excellent book and On the Road is at least as good as the previous one, maybe even better. The story is about adventure and we can see the character going on a journey and see how he evolves. I don't want to say too much, for I'm going to explain much further in two weeks.
As for the format, it's true that there are neither paragraghs nor chapters, but this is what makes it special because this book is really strait forward and I think Kerouac did it on purpose because the book is a trip and he wants to say too much thing at the same time.
Antoine Després
I was so exciting to read On The Road that I felt into it right after reading the first pages. It is a great book of adventure and I can't wait to see how they did the movie. I am eager to see the caracters represented by real actors, like Kristen Stewart (as Marylou).
ReplyDeleteTo go back to the book, I agree with the class that this is way less easier than a 'normal' book, but that's what makes it a masterpiece, isn't it? The fact that he wrote it straightly, like if your grandfather was telling you his story.
See you tommorrow !
Ma
Still don't like it, though this time around I feel I've found the culprit. It's an American book, through and the through. It's crossing the US, it's Jack Kerouac's strong, patriotic love for his country. For an American, I get how it could be interesting, but the very fact annoys me to no end. I don't think the US is all it's blown up to be, and I think this unfounded passion for the US is undeserved. I am annoyed by this book. I wish to burn it.
ReplyDeleteI found translation interesting, even though I think it lacked depth. As for Jack Kerouac's book, it hurt my eyes! I don't really get into the story, and its format just doesn't encourage me to read it. I took me hours to get trough so little pages, and I hope we won't have to speed read it like we did with the 2 last chapters of Kiss of the Fur Queen.
ReplyDeleteDavid Boucher Dagenais
I agree that is difficult to read On the Road because we don’t have any break and we don’t know when we should stop. Every event is important, but also looks useless. It is difficult to remind the entire event after reading. However, the author does use the very simple words (you understand in the beginning, after reading you forget all). I don’t mind to read the first, even better for me. The original version is what the author really thought and what he wanted to tell (except he doesn’t want to show the original version).
ReplyDeleteCompare with two books we had to read, I may be interested of On the Road, but it’s still too much to read…. In the end of the semester, On the Road is really too much, but, at least it’s better than Kiss of Fur Queen.
Florence Chiang
What I knew about Jack Kerouak before the reading of the book was nothing. I'm impressed about what this eponymous work. Jack Kerouac had an incredible experience and I'm surprised that he's not dead. One big obstacle occured to my reading. I did not have my glasses! So I could not finish it. In fact, I asked somebody to read aloud for me. Finally, I known the story.
ReplyDeleteThe punctuation of the text does not help the reader to understand. Nevertheless, the plot was evident: he's on the road. In the year 1947, travelling was easier than today and it is shown in the book. It also looks like Mr. Kerouac was using a writing machine. He was taping fast and using contracted words like ''thru''.
Mathieu Bussières
I appreciate reading On the Road, the story is interesting and inspiring, but I don't like the fact that it's a draft version,no paragraph, no chapter... Moreover, I'm confused between all the character, he has like three thousand friends and I'm not able to remember who's who. However, It's fun to travel with him while reading:)
ReplyDeleteJany
iHola bobos y bobas!
ReplyDeleteOn the Road is a nice novel, but the fact that there is no paragraphs nor chapters is annoying! Surely it is because this is not the usual way books are written, and it makes it very long to read.
And I did not know anything about Kerouac before.....
So that's it!
Ariane
Kerouac is new to me, although for some reason his name rings a bell in my head... I read he influenced writers like Ken Kesey who wrote One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest!
ReplyDeleteAlthough it bores me sometimes and I don't like reading with time limits, I still enjoy it because it's different and raw, like someone earlier said it's as if you were being told the story by your grand father.
I personnaly think That On The Road is a great book. It is interesting ; adventurous, raw, simple and tells the journey of young folks hitch hiking, driving and crossing the U.S., living the present moment, something we all tend to forget. The lack of paragraphs doesn't bother that much, even though I find it long to read because of it. I like that the author writes in a simple way and so it is easily understandable, also that he reports the speeches as it is spoken ( sonofabitch, Jeez, Goddamn etc. ).I did not knew Kerouac before reading the book and he looks like a mighty interesting man to have a chat with or party ! Ps: any book is interesting compared to Kiss Of the Fur Queen, thank God we have finished it and Kerouac keeps our interest throughout the story so I enjoy reading it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know anything about Kerouac before, never heard his name. But I think I'm gonna like this book, the story seems to be good, and I also think that this book is way more better than the 2 others, let's just hope I ain't wrong.
ReplyDeleteMax