Lonesome Traveler by Jack Kerouac -- A Review

Jack Kerouac was on the cusp of becoming one of the best known of the Beat poets and writers when this book was written.

Cover image for Lonesome Traveler, by Jack Kerouac

Lonesome Traveler

When Jack wrote Lonesome Traveler, he was working at various jobs while he tried to get On The Road published. He observed, lived through and recorded a time period of change in the USA. It was a time of questioning, a time of epic road trips and the introduction of variety in American literature style.

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In this autobiographical work, Jack Kerouac writes about the years of his wandering, when he worked as a railway brakeman in California, a steward on a tramp steamer, and a fire lookout on Desolation Peak in the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest.

Lonesome Traveler includes San Francisco stories, New York scenes (the clubs, the parties), and a saved-for big trip to Europe. Jack was getting his culture education and wasn't afraid of working to achieve his goals. This generation was restless, curious, and a forerunner of the social movements to come. No longer content to sit and grow old in the same place as their parents, the young adults of this time period (the 50s) wanted to see the USA and the world'.

Kerouac also reveals more about himself in this book, as he talks about his goals, his work and how he writes. His personal life is always a bit 'in limbo' as his relationships don't tend to survive. He does remain in touch with the other members of the Beat group, albeit sporadically. A bit different from his stream of consciousness rambling, Lonesome Traveler is an enjoyable read with a lot of detail packed into the narrative.  I recommend this book for those who like the historical detail of the Beat poets and writers, or those who like to read about the man, Jack Kerouac. 


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An Alley in 'Frisco

In recognition of his literary contributions, Jack Kerouac has an alley behind City Lights Bookstore named for him. 'If you're going to San Francisco' as the song goes, be sure to stop by and drop in at the City Lights Bookstore. Ferlinghetti, the longtime owner-poet-writer, ensured many of the Beat authors were represented there, along with poets and other authors.

Kerouac Alley in San Francisco, CA. by AC, prop DG Hudson

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Have you ever read any of the Beat writers? Are you a fan of Kerouac's novels? Ever seen Kerouac Alley?

Please leave a comment to let me know you were here and I'll respond. Thanks for dropping by! I'll soon be reading and reviewing several more recent books, one by Jessica Bell, and several by other current indie writers. 

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References:

American poet, painter, liberal activist, and the co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Ferlinghetti

City Lights Bookstore, San Francisco
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Lights_Bookstore

A to Z post on Jack Kerouac
https://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.ca/2016/04/k-kerouac-jack-author-z-blog-challenge.html

Jack Kerouac, American writer
https://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.ca/2012/07/jack-kerouac-american-writer.html

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Jack Kerouac, American Writer

A Time of Questioning in American literature. . .

Jack Kerouac Alley, San Francisco, CA - courtesy of AC photos

Were the Beat writers and poets, circa 1946 - 1962, the last great American movement in writing?  Many of these writers questioned traditional values and morals in a world recovering from war.  What kind of future could they expect?  In his novels, Kerouac captures the restlessness of the young men and women of those days.  Media blurbs called him the father of a 'beat generation'.


Jack Kerouac, born March 12, 1922 – deceased October 21, 1969, was a writer who used his own life as background material for his novels.  In his books, you'll find a taste of American life in the late forties and fifties, a time of 'quiet unrest'.  Hoping the dark times were past, this generation wanted freedom to roam, to conquer the road with their newly minted cars, to see what everyone else was doing in America.



Jack joined the US Merchant Marines and the US Navy (twice) before deciding to concentrate on writing.  His companions were fellow writers Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, Gregory Corso, Neal Cassady, and several others.


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Collection of Jack Kerouac Books - by DG Hudson

The books listed below are the ones I've read; some we purchased in San Francisco when we visited the City Lights Bookstore.  Another reference book about the writer is Kerouac, a biography by Ann Charters (Warner Paperback, 1974) if you'd like to read about the different periods in his life.  BEAT Literature, A Monarch Notes booklet, Monarch Press, Inc., 1966, which we found in an antiques shop in Canada, portrays the editorial opinion of the day.


Suggested Books by Kerouac:

Vanity of Duluoz - G.P. Putnam's Sons, Capricorn Books, 1967

On the Road - Penguin Books, 1991, orig 1955

Dharma Bums - 1958, copy MIA

Dr. Sax - Grove Press, Inc., 1959

The Subterraneans - Grove Press, Inc., 1971, orig 1958

Tristessa - McGraw-Hill Book Company 1978, orig 1960

Satori in Paris - Grove Press, Inc., 1966

Mexico City Blues (242 choruses) - Grove Press, Inc., 1959

Book of Dreams - City Lights Books, 1976, orig 1961

Lonesome Traveler - Grove Press, Inc.,1970; orig 1960

Visions of Cody - McGraw-Hill Paperbacks, 1972, orig 1960

Scattered Poems - City Lights Books, Pocket Poets Series, 1971


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More book titles can be found online, the list above is representational and not complete. Behind the City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, is Jack Kerouac Alley, formerly Adler Place, a one-way alley transformed thanks to one of the bookstore owners, Lawrence Ferlinghetti.  Jack and many of the beat writers hung out at the bookstore and the nearby bar.

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Have you read any of Jack Kerouac's novels?  If yes, which one(s)?  Do you consider these novels dated?  Does the term Beat Generation mean anything to you?  Have you heard of On the Road, or Dharma Bums? 


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References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Kerouac General Info, Wikipedia


http://www.citylights.com/  City Lights Bookstore, San Francisco, USA


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Kerouac_Alley  General Info about the alley.

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