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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
I wanted to enjoy his drunken ramblings about hippies and Buddhism more than I actually did. The story would have been enjoyable, but I couldn't get into his writing style.
Books like The Dharma Bums prove that it's important to read the right kind of book at the right time. Published in the 50s, I can imagine younger folks whose perspectives of the world had been broadened or changed because of this book, especially those who had only been familiar with western ideas. As someone who doesn't fit the demographic, though, I cannot appreciate its value as a novel. Perhaps it'd be a better experience if it had been in the form of poems or journal entries, so as to prompt introspection and scrutiny from Kerouac-Smith. But as it is, I find the prose disjointed and the quasi-real-life characters shallow -- worse, the representation of Buddhism oversimplified.
Kerouac wrote this after the wild acclaim he received for On the Road, and this is a more mature take on the voyage of self-discovery. While On the Road was an endless and frenetic road traipsing back and forth across the U.S., Dharma is more an internal journey. Semi-autobiographical, Kerouac writes of his own search for meaning through Buddhism and a joy for unspoiled nature. And wine. Lots of wine.
The travels of Sal and Dean have been replaced by Ray (Kerouac) and Japhy. Japhy serves as a spiritual guide, and while the Buddhist related dialog feels at times simplistic, it reflects Kerouac's earnest interest. This novel also provides a more intimate peek into the primary writers and poets of the Beat Generation, and the chapter that recounts the fictionalized Ginsberg screaming out Howl (titled "Wail" in the book) is stunning.
It is a shame that Kerouac is primarily associated with On the Road, because The Dharma Bums is a superior work.
The travels of Sal and Dean have been replaced by Ray (Kerouac) and Japhy. Japhy serves as a spiritual guide, and while the Buddhist related dialog feels at times simplistic, it reflects Kerouac's earnest interest. This novel also provides a more intimate peek into the primary writers and poets of the Beat Generation, and the chapter that recounts the fictionalized Ginsberg screaming out Howl (titled "Wail" in the book) is stunning.
It is a shame that Kerouac is primarily associated with On the Road, because The Dharma Bums is a superior work.
Buddhism as a religious reaction to World War II makes complete sense to me. I was more sympathetic of these characters than of those in “On the Road” though they still bugged me throughout. I can’t blame them though— their most formative years had been ripped from them by the War and therefore were in a completely reactionary stance.
Might be my last Kerouac for awhile though.
Might be my last Kerouac for awhile though.
I read On The Road a couple of years ago as one of those that I wanted to read because of the impression and impact that it made on its generation. I discovered The Dharma Bums thanks to an article that I read that suggested alternatives for classic reads. This book was listed as a better read than On The Road. Having already read the one I was immediately attracted to the idea oft second book by Kerouac. Both stories follow hitchhiking poets across the United States in the 1950's but The Dharma Bums is swimming in Buddhist philosophy(as the title suggests) and consequently, a great deal more relatable to me as a reader. I enjoyed both books but this is one of my favorites.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Kind of writing this review for Both ‘Piers of the Homeless Night’ and ‘Dharma Bums’,
Just cannot get away from the opening of the former:
Just cannot get away from the opening of the former:
“
HERE DOWN ON DARK EARTH
Before we all go to Heaven
VISIONS OF AMERICA
All that hitchhikin
All that railroadin
All that coming back
To america
Via mexican & canadian borders
“
Piers of the homeless night is, in all honesty, what got me into Karouac, it made me see his name scattered everywhere. - I found many a poem that I had read and loved and never fully clocked his name. - It changed how I wrote for a while, it was just exciting. And when I found Dharma Bums in a charity shop for two quid, and I read that it too was about all that hitchhikin and all that railroadin and all that coming back to america via mexican and canadian borders, I thought “Wonderful”.
This is what I had hoped Dharma Bums had been, all this excitement, all this pace and gobbledegook and playfulness and imagery and never slowing down, and never finishing a thought with this kind of biblical ability to recount events only ever separated by “and then”, “and then”. - And he has such an incredible ability to muster up an image, like he does with his poetry, and the telling of his story through the eyes of others so hilariously.
It wasn’t. In parts it was fun, I liked the first hike that they did as a group, all their yodelling and disorganisation, the dramatics of it all as he burrows into the cliff face and the humour as he realised he can't fall off a hill and at most he would just roll down a bit. Mostly though, it was insatiable. Karouac has an amazing ability to reflect upon himself as a character, flaws and all. Honestly, he has a lot of flaws. When he goes off on a half baked Buddhist tangent to a friend of his as she is having a crisis (psychosis would lead her to take her own life the very same night). Upon her death, he seems actively annoyed that no one will just take on board his loosely Buddhist ramblings and decides to go off on his own adventure, (the premise of the book).
I don’t know, I suppose the whole time I was waiting for him to find some sort of reckoning, that might reward the reader for making it through all of that, in the end I just think he is a bit of a narcissist and someone who is apparently very aggravated at his surrounding people’s lack of self reckoning whilst himself being the least self reckoned of the all.
A hypocrite, a fool and a tool.
the stuff about trains flashes to mind every time a train rolls by our house...lovely stuff...