On the Road is a full-length novel written by American “Beat Generation” writer Jack Kerouac, published in 1957. The novel is largely autobiographical, based on the author’s experience of traversing the American continent in the mid-20th century. Once it came out, it caused an uproar in public opinion, with both praise and blame. But it is recognized as the most classic and representative work of the hippie movement and the “Beat Generation” in the 1960s.

Most of On the Road is autobiographical, without segmentation, without thinking, and in one go, describing the absurd experience of several young people across the American continent in the mid-20th century, reflecting the spiritual emptiness and confusion status of American youth after the war. It had a huge influence on American literature. As an ice-breaking work that broke through the conservative culture of the United States after the war and pursued the liberation of individuality, On the Road has influenced American culture, art and values from various aspects.

On the Road not only created a new literary path in literature (creating a new genre – Spontaneous Prose), but more importantly, it was the epitome of the Beat Generation in the 1950s in the United States, reflecting their behaviors and feelings, as well as the beginning of the Beat Generation being noticed in the United States. Beat Generation is full of passion for life, and their life is wild and uninhibited; they pursue freedom and desire to be liberated from traditional conformity; they explore the true meaning of life through various experiences; their revolutionary journey is full of ups and downs that the world does not understand, etc.

With unpretentious, near-naked authenticity, On the Road autobiographically recounts the multiple road trips of several young people across the United States. Dissatisfied with reality and not knowing how to solve it, they are physically and mentally exhausted, and decide to escape the boring and depressed life by embarking on a journey to pursue their true self and freedom. All this accurately poked at the pain points of countless young people in the 1950s. As a result, this book quickly sold well throughout the United States, and became one of the most watched literary classics of the 20th century.

On the Road’s actual influence, however, extends far beyond the realm of literature, permeating every aspect of pop culture. Although it’s 2023 now, this old book written more than 70 years ago is still inspiring young people to embark on a new journey. Even if you’ve never read it, this cultural symbol that is still not out of date may have subtly inspired you.

// Table Of Contents //

• Fast This Time: Jack Kerouac and the Writing of On the Road
• Rewriting America: Kerouac’s Nation of “Underground Monsters”
• “Into the Heart of Things”: Neal Cassady and the Search for the Authentic
• “The Straight Line Will Take You Only to Death”: The Scroll Manuscript and Contemporary Literary Theory
• Suggested Further Reading
• Acknowledgments
• Note on the Text by Howard Cunnell
• On the Road: The Original Scroll
• Appendix by Howard Cunnell

// Download URLs //

Edition	Format	Download	Size
The Original Scroll	PDF		1.64 MB

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