On the Road, written in April 1951 by Jack Kerouac, has been called a defining work that best represents the “Beat Generation”. It is somewhat autobiographical as much of the plot is based on events taken from Kerouac’s life. It is like a next generation “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” with the substitution of the Mississippi river for the highways of America. It is the story of Sal Paradise and his renegade friend Dean Moriarty. Sal tells us of his journeys across America and paints a perfect picture of the post-war times he lived in.
On the road is really all about the journey rather than the destination. Although there is usually some reason for which he embarks on his Transamerica journeys, it is the call of the road and desire to constantly “go” that drives him. This book would make the most sedentary reader feel like packing up a suitcase and head for the nearest road with a thumb in the air.
But what makes this book really magical is the character Dean Moriarty, who is actually based on Neal Cassidy. Dean’s lunatic view of life gives the reader a strange feeling of happiness amidst a gritty world. He helps the reader understand “TIME” in the sense that we need to appreciate everything around us, absorb it all in, and not let time slip by. The descriptions of the people, places, and feelings are captivating, honest, and fascinating. Those who thoroughly enjoy the book and itch for more can do so by picking up “The Big Sur”, by Jack Kerouac, which resumes the story ten years later.
