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The author of Hip: The History reveals the lessons of the original hipster bible, On the RoadLegions of youthful Americans have taken On the Road as a manifesto for rebellion and an inspiration to hit the road. But there is much more to the novel than that.In Why Kerouac Matters, John Leland embarks on a wry, insightful, and playful discussion of the novel, arguing that it still matters because at its core it is a book that is full of lessons about how to grow up. Leland's focus is on Sal Paradise, the Kerouac alter ego, who has always been overshadowed by his fictional running buddy Dean Moriarty. Leland examines the lessons that Paradise absorbs and dispenses on his novelistic journey to manhood, and how those lessons— about work and money, love and sex, art and holiness—still reverberate today. He shows how On the Road is a primer for male friendship and the cultivation of traditional family values, and contends that the stereotype of the two wild and crazy guys obscures the novel's core themes of the search for atonement, redemption, and divine revelation. Why Kerouac Matters offers a new take on Kerouac's famous novel, overturning many misconceptions about it and making clear the themes Kerouac was trying to impart.
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Subjects
Biography & Autobiography, NonfictionShowing 3 featured editions. View all 3 editions?
Edition | Availability |
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1
Why Kerouac Matters
2008, Penguin Group USA, Inc.
Electronic resource
in English
1429547928 9781429547925
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2
Why Kerouac matters: the lessons of On the road (they're not what you think)
2008, Viking
in English
0670063258 9780670063253
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zzzz
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3
Why Kerouac Matters: The Lessons of On the Road (They're Not What You Think)
August 16, 2007, Viking Adult
Hardcover
in English
0670063258 9780670063253
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aaaa
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Feedback?July 22, 2019 | Edited by MARC Bot | remove fake subjects |
April 10, 2019 | Edited by LeadSongDog | Edited without comment. |
June 18, 2010 | Edited by ImportBot | add details from OverDrive |
April 28, 2010 | Edited by Open Library Bot | Linked existing covers to the work. |
October 25, 2009 | Created by WorkBot | add works page |