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pighead 's review for:
On the Road
by Jack Kerouac
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I’d like to preface this by saying that I’m by no means a literary expert—I’ve read fewer than a dozen prose books in my life as of writing this review.
That being said, I found the first half of the novel incredibly engaging. I was completely captivated by the idea and excitement of embarking on a journey like this for the first time. Unfortunately, the second half of the book didn’t live up to the same standard and left much to be desired.
The excitement of early travels and jobs soon devolved into what felt like Sal and Dean's endless indulgence of sex, partying and drugs. They would settle up in a town for a week, have sex, party, then eventually leave town and repeat the cycle again. I'm a pro-drug and sex positive individual, I have no issues with such themes, but when it falls into a repetitive pattern with little variation within the novel, I grow weary. Throughout the novel, there are also numerous instances of misogyny and offhand racist remarks that felt very jarring.
It's characters are deeply flawed, although I never expected them to be any different. Cause at it's core, this is a story about damaged, reckless people living life on the edge.
And despite all of its flaws, there's a part of me that still loves this book, maybe it's a classic worthy of 5 stars, or maybe it's a love fueled by my desire to go on an adventure.
That being said, I found the first half of the novel incredibly engaging. I was completely captivated by the idea and excitement of embarking on a journey like this for the first time. Unfortunately, the second half of the book didn’t live up to the same standard and left much to be desired.
The excitement of early travels and jobs soon devolved into what felt like Sal and Dean's endless indulgence of sex, partying and drugs. They would settle up in a town for a week, have sex, party, then eventually leave town and repeat the cycle again. I'm a pro-drug and sex positive individual, I have no issues with such themes, but when it falls into a repetitive pattern with little variation within the novel, I grow weary. Throughout the novel, there are also numerous instances of misogyny and offhand racist remarks that felt very jarring.
It's characters are deeply flawed, although I never expected them to be any different. Cause at it's core, this is a story about damaged, reckless people living life on the edge.
And despite all of its flaws, there's a part of me that still loves this book, maybe it's a classic worthy of 5 stars, or maybe it's a love fueled by my desire to go on an adventure.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, Alcohol
Minor: Addiction