"On The Road" is the first published novel by Jack Kerouac that really sold in quantity.

Jack was the father of the Beat Generation. It is a semi autobiographical tale of his life with friend Neal Cassady as they criss crossed America. It had enormous impact on me. I did many trips on the west coast and a few across country as a result. For many years I was under the impression this was one long continuous piece of paper. It turns out it is 10 piece of paper, 12 feet long that were taped together with scotch tape which were passed through an old manual typewriter. Rejected by many publishers. It was written in 1951 and not published until 1957. It essentially put Kerouac in the public eye and sold very well. It made him an instant celebrity.

The book is listed as one of Modern Library's 100 Best Books: Fiction for the 20th Century.

Falls under the category of Books that will induce a mindfuck.

Remember: Travel changes your brain!

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Sources: Gruen, John, "The New Bohemia", a capella books, Chicago, 1990. Miles, Barry, "Jack Kerouac, King of the Beats", Henry Holt and Co., New York, 1998 Last Updated 05.20.03