Reviews

Lonesome Traveler by Jack Kerouac

c_brow's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

richard_f's review against another edition

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4.0

Truly raw.

purghy's review against another edition

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3.0

Good for the road. Especially the third part of the book. There are annoying parts but there are also very insightfull and descriptive ones about the world around us that makes you think. For a long time :)

bibliothekblue's review against another edition

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3.0

I liked how spontaneous his writing appeared, seems to go way back to his childhood where he would get easily influenced by writers, his brother and other stories (other lonesome travellers) and instantly decided to become a writer and lonesome traveller as well. Admittedly, as a non-native English speaker his writing style was confusing at times (maybe he was under some influence of substance?) and I had to re-read many passages in order to follow his journeys; especially the first two trips through Mexico & the US did not catch me. But when he returned to NYC, his writing kind of changed, he turned almost nostalgic and romantic. It made me understand his love for New York. After NYC, he went on a mountain trip by himself and gained deep understanding of human nature through his solitude (he defo dropped some wise words there!).

*After all this fanfare, and even more, I came to a point where I needed solitude and to just stop the machine of “thinking” and “enjoying” what they call “living”, I just wanted to lie in the grass and look at the clouds…”*

Finally, my favourite part was his trip to Europe where he discovered South of France and felt “reborn” between Cézanne trees and Van Gogh cobble stone houses (I quite like his artsy descriptions of French towns). For another 10 minute, he soaked up all my attention with his splendid description of art works at a museum in Paris and if you are familiar with all these artworks, his observations will touch you even more. I guess on a good day, Kerouac really has this ability to captivate his readers with his spontaneous, honest and “hobo” prose writing.

eml28's review against another edition

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3.0

I really struggle with Kerouac's writing style hence why it took me so long to read 150 pages! I need total undisturbed silence otherwise the words go right over my head

spraffy's review

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slow-paced

2.0

fuimgay's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced

3.75

lofimichelleeo's review against another edition

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3.0

Not big on how he writes about people and city life, but Kerouac's descriptions of the outdoors get me every time.

lucri's review

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adventurous informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

brtk's review against another edition

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4.0

Constantly meandring between brilliance and gibberish