Scan barcode
ashwaar's review against another edition
4.0
I picked up Jack’s Book in 2019 when I went to San Francisco and visited City Lights Bookstore. Of course, I had to get something Beat related and so I picked this up, more as a keepsake than a novel I was super keen to read.
I have read my fair share of non-fiction books about the Beat Generation, but I have not picked one up in quite a few years, and it was really lovely to rediscover the enjoyment I have reading about this piece of history. I think Jack’s Book can be a really valuable resource both for people reading about Kerouac for the first time, and for those who already know some of the background of the Beats.
I also really liked the interview-style structure, with different contributions from people including Lucien Carr, Allen Ginsberg and Carolyn Cassady. It was really interesting to read not just another play-by-play of Kerouacs life, but actual opinions and the impressions he gave those around him. I think it makes the whole book seem a lot more personal and historically relevant, and instead of glamourising the actions of these writers and artists, I felt a bit more melancholic about it all.
Read the full review here: https://book990337086.wordpress.com/2023/01/10/jacks-book/ and follow me on Instagram at @hey_itsasha
I have read my fair share of non-fiction books about the Beat Generation, but I have not picked one up in quite a few years, and it was really lovely to rediscover the enjoyment I have reading about this piece of history. I think Jack’s Book can be a really valuable resource both for people reading about Kerouac for the first time, and for those who already know some of the background of the Beats.
I also really liked the interview-style structure, with different contributions from people including Lucien Carr, Allen Ginsberg and Carolyn Cassady. It was really interesting to read not just another play-by-play of Kerouacs life, but actual opinions and the impressions he gave those around him. I think it makes the whole book seem a lot more personal and historically relevant, and instead of glamourising the actions of these writers and artists, I felt a bit more melancholic about it all.
Read the full review here: https://book990337086.wordpress.com/2023/01/10/jacks-book/ and follow me on Instagram at @hey_itsasha
More...