jared7 's review for:

The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac

3.75

adventurous inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This was a hard book for me to rate.  There are moments where it is inspiring, moments where it is frustrating, moments where it is entertaining, and moments where it has you feeling sad.  It is one of those books that takes you on a journey and when you're done it leaves you right back where you were, but you are somehow better for it without really understanding why.  It is hard to get past the fact that all of these Buddhist experiments are taking place in Berkeley, CA by those entitled enough to have the opportunities.  This makes some of their adventures tough to read, especially with how they justify incorporating women in demeaning roles.  This book is good in that it makes you think, but there isn't much anyone should take away from these characters themselves.