Books

Jack Kerouac (1957) On the Road, US first edition, first printing, published by Viking. Beautifully rebound in full black leather and unique design. Bound by Richard Tong, a prize-winning binder and publisher from the UK to the highest standard. Accompanied is an original cheque, handwritten and signed by Jack Kerouac. Both items are housed in a buckram Solander case lined with suede. The cheque is housed under a protective removable plastic sheet. About the design and materials used: The book is bound in finest black goatskin supplied by Harmatan and Oakridge, one of the finest suppliers of leather in Europe. The front board shows the title ON THE ROAD in white and in perspective as if the letters were central road markings giving the viewer the feel of being in the car and on the road with Kerouac. The spine shows Jack Kerouac in white letters. The black buckram Solander case shows dividing road marking across both sides and spine with the title and author's name on opposing lanes mimicking traffic on the road. The Solander case is lined with black felt so that the book's leather will not rub against a hard surface. The book's top edge has been silvered. Marbled endpapers have been inserted with a design reminiscent of Edvard Munch's The Scream, somewhat appropriate given Kerouac's biography. The original cheque is filled in by hand by Kerouac for the amount of USD 194.50 to the order of Macey's and signed by him. The date is 28 May 1958, and most likely the funds came from the royalties of On the Road which became a bestseller. Perhaps Jack bought his mother a kitchen appliance with this cheque. Condition: the book presents in fine condition with no previous owner's names or scribbles throughout. An occasional stain on some of the pages only pronounces the authenticity of the book from 1957. One of the landmark books of 20th-century literature and the most important example of America's Beat Generation (a term which Kerouac himself loathed). The original scroll which Kerouac typed in 1951 within three weeks in a frenzy was auctioned off in 2007 for the incredible amount of 2.43 million US dollars. First and Fine.

Jack Kerouac's 1957 novel "On the Road" is an emblematic portrait of the Beat Generation, capturing the yearning for freedom and authenticity against postwar American conformity. This semi-autobiographical work, based on the adventures of Kerouac and his friends across America, is often seen as a defining work of the countercultural movements of the 1950s and 60s. It chronicles the cross-country voyages of Sal Paradise, Kerouac’s alter ego, and Dean Moriarty, a free-spirited, charismatic rebel. "On the Road" is structured around several trips made by Sal and Dean, describing their escapades as they travel back and forth across the country. These journeys are less about the destinations and more about the experiences they gather, the people they meet, and the quest for meaning in a society perceived as rigid and materialistic. The narrative style of the book, known for its spontaneous, stream-of-consciousness prose, mirrors the tumultuous, impulsive lives of its characters. The novel not only explores physical journeys but also personal and spiritual ones. Dean's frenetic energy and Sal’s introspective nature contrast sharply, yet both characters are united in their disdain for conventional values. They indulge in jazz, poetry, and drug use—exploring alternative forms of consciousness and relationships.