On The Road By Jack Kerouac

2nd Book Trade with Ana.
She exchanged for Everything is Illuminated.

Firstly, the cover is so rad isn't it. Penguin is cool.
On the Road was exactly what I envisioned it to be, a man's book about life, ambitions, friendships and relationships.
Kinda like Catcher In the Rye but in a more macho, less melodramatic way.
As it is, I took a long time to finish this.
I have to admit its a little monotonous especially in the beginning (or isnt this life?)
until I chanced upon the famous quote,

"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!"

And thereafter, I started reading more poetic expressions and the journey got smoother.
Of course, the main character in the story wasn't Sal (the narrator + writer himself) but that of Dean Moriarty, his buddy forever. A man with dreams abound and a wanderlust. Sal kinda looks up to him I guess and with that we know comes disappointment.
So begins their road trips; their need to leave but to leave behind other things.
Perhaps even arriving at the end of broken dreams but having experienced so much more.

 

HMMMM.