Books

New York: The Viking Press, 1957. First edition. Near Fine/Very Good +. A Near Fine copy with a small spot to the closed foredge of the text block, internally clean and unmarked. In a Very Good+ unrestored first issue jacket. Spine a bit faded, small chips and tears at the spine ends and extremities, otherwise an attractive example. Housed in a blue clamshell case. "It changed my life like it changed everyone else's," Bob Dylan said of On The Road. Jack Kerouac’s classic Roman A Clef, published in 1957, was the defining work of the beat generation. It follows the travels of Sal Paradise, a stand in for Kerouac himself, and is based on a series of journeys Kerouac took from 1947 to 1950. The work was typed up on a continuous “scroll” of sheets that Kerouac had taped together. On The Road appears on both Modern Library’s list of the 100 best novels of the century and on Time Magazine list of the 100 best English language novels from 1923-2005. “[I]ts publication is a…

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.

A true first edition can be identified by a black cloth binding with white lettering on the spine, a mention of 'New York Herald Tribune' on the back cover but without 'New York Times' on the back cover, and a photo of Jack Kerouac watching a parade.