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svmreads's Reviews (412)
TL;DR: On the Road is the 1950s version of Eat, Pray, Love (with more sexism) and you can't change my mind.
This book does not deserve all the praise for being the voice of an American generation. There were some redeeming qualities, most notably how Kerouac captures the spirit of America and creates this idea of the “all-American road trip.”
However, On the Road’s flaws frequently tend to outshine its gems. While at times gorgeous, Kerouac tends to ramble and his style becomes almost Dickensian at times. Evoking the wisdom of Michael Scott, Kerouac likes to start sentences without knowing where they’re going and just hopes he finds them along the way. There were several times where I was forced to skim pages because he would talk about a minor character and all of the details of their personal life (which had no impact on the story) for two whole pages.
On the Road’s biggest shortcoming is that, to put it bluntly, it is a largely autobiographical account written by a straight white financially privileged male. In some cases, this is not the worst thing, but for a coming-of-age novel dealing with themes such as freedom, this vantage point makes the book a nuisance to read. For starters, Sal Paradise, Kerouac’s alter ego, is not a likeable protagonist. A Columbia University dropout who lives with and is financially supported by his aunt, he lacks a personality of his own as he frequently associates with and yearns to be with people he deems more exciting than himself. His attempts at “finding himself” through driving cross country appear very privileged, especially when he can wire his aunt at any time when he is running low on money. Sal’s road trips are essentially the 1950s version of Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Sal’s foil is the potentially even less likeable Dean Moriarty, an often shirtless and lawless man-child who is almost never held accountable for his actions. While Dean’s spiritual revelations and passion for life make him a far more interesting character than Sal, his treatment of women is grotesque. While both Sal and Dean highly objectify women and treat them as nothing more than commodities, Dean’s character is much more involved, as he holds relationships with three different women during the course of the book, while at the same time expressing admiration for women much younger than himself. The double standards than Dean has for women are, to put it lightly, absolutely insane. He expects his three lovers, Marylou, Camille, and Inez, to all be loyal to him as he drives around the country and has sex with other women. In addition, he impregnates Camille and Inez (Camille twice) and then immediately runs off and provides no support for his children. Dean’s double standards are fully displayed when he gets into a fight with Marylou in San Francisco. Out of all of Dean’s wives, Marylou is the only one who will not put up with Dean’s cheating habits. Once Marylou expresses this, along with the fact that she has been sleeping with other men, Dean hits her and permanently disfigures his thumb. Despite his frequent sexual misconduct, On the Road treats Dean as the story’s hero, the consequences for his actions only extending to receiving the light-hearted nickname “The Holy Goof.”
This book is written by a straight white man for straight white men, and I'm still baffled as to why it's considered a classic.
This book does not deserve all the praise for being the voice of an American generation. There were some redeeming qualities, most notably how Kerouac captures the spirit of America and creates this idea of the “all-American road trip.”
However, On the Road’s flaws frequently tend to outshine its gems. While at times gorgeous, Kerouac tends to ramble and his style becomes almost Dickensian at times. Evoking the wisdom of Michael Scott, Kerouac likes to start sentences without knowing where they’re going and just hopes he finds them along the way. There were several times where I was forced to skim pages because he would talk about a minor character and all of the details of their personal life (which had no impact on the story) for two whole pages.
On the Road’s biggest shortcoming is that, to put it bluntly, it is a largely autobiographical account written by a straight white financially privileged male. In some cases, this is not the worst thing, but for a coming-of-age novel dealing with themes such as freedom, this vantage point makes the book a nuisance to read. For starters, Sal Paradise, Kerouac’s alter ego, is not a likeable protagonist. A Columbia University dropout who lives with and is financially supported by his aunt, he lacks a personality of his own as he frequently associates with and yearns to be with people he deems more exciting than himself. His attempts at “finding himself” through driving cross country appear very privileged, especially when he can wire his aunt at any time when he is running low on money. Sal’s road trips are essentially the 1950s version of Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Sal’s foil is the potentially even less likeable Dean Moriarty, an often shirtless and lawless man-child who is almost never held accountable for his actions. While Dean’s spiritual revelations and passion for life make him a far more interesting character than Sal, his treatment of women is grotesque. While both Sal and Dean highly objectify women and treat them as nothing more than commodities, Dean’s character is much more involved, as he holds relationships with three different women during the course of the book, while at the same time expressing admiration for women much younger than himself. The double standards than Dean has for women are, to put it lightly, absolutely insane. He expects his three lovers, Marylou, Camille, and Inez, to all be loyal to him as he drives around the country and has sex with other women. In addition, he impregnates Camille and Inez (Camille twice) and then immediately runs off and provides no support for his children. Dean’s double standards are fully displayed when he gets into a fight with Marylou in San Francisco. Out of all of Dean’s wives, Marylou is the only one who will not put up with Dean’s cheating habits. Once Marylou expresses this, along with the fact that she has been sleeping with other men, Dean hits her and permanently disfigures his thumb. Despite his frequent sexual misconduct, On the Road treats Dean as the story’s hero, the consequences for his actions only extending to receiving the light-hearted nickname “The Holy Goof.”
This book is written by a straight white man for straight white men, and I'm still baffled as to why it's considered a classic.
I read this title right after finishing Bossypants, and thus thought they were going to be similar, but I was wrong. While Tina Fey approaches her memoir with anecdotal essays, Amy Poehler takes a more traditional, chronological approach, which has its pros and cons.
I do think that Poehler is excellent at bringing the reader into her world, and her passion for performance is evident. However, like Fey, she does shoehorn in a lot of unnecessary jokes I think for trying to remind people that this is a comedian's memoir. She also complains a lot about the writing process, which gets old after a while.
Overall, not bad but not the best memoir.
I do think that Poehler is excellent at bringing the reader into her world, and her passion for performance is evident. However, like Fey, she does shoehorn in a lot of unnecessary jokes I think for trying to remind people that this is a comedian's memoir. She also complains a lot about the writing process, which gets old after a while.
Overall, not bad but not the best memoir.
Update: I took off a half star because the more I've been thinking about it, the more I realized that this book wasn't as funny as I had initially thought. A lot of the jokes are forced I think to remind the reader they're reading a comedian's memoir.
Overall, a fun, easy read. There were some parts that I greatly enjoyed, especially when she discussed her experiences with 30 Rock. Her commentary on everyday sexism as a working mom was also insightful. The order of the essays was a bit odd, in my opinion, but that might have been the case because I’m used to a more chronologically predictable structure.
If you’re looking for a book that has some humorous witticisms and is good to read before bed, this is a good choice.
Overall, a fun, easy read. There were some parts that I greatly enjoyed, especially when she discussed her experiences with 30 Rock. Her commentary on everyday sexism as a working mom was also insightful. The order of the essays was a bit odd, in my opinion, but that might have been the case because I’m used to a more chronologically predictable structure.
If you’re looking for a book that has some humorous witticisms and is good to read before bed, this is a good choice.
I absolutely devoured the second half of this book! I thought that the book had a bit of a slow start, but it developed into a slow burn with an absolute cliffhanger of an ending.
My immediate comparison would be to 1984 by George Orwell, but The Handmaid’s Tale I found to be more compelling due to its themes and the fact that Margaret Atwood is more subtle about communicating her message than Orwell.
I cannot wait to read The Testaments!
P.S. Moira is the best character full stop.
My immediate comparison would be to 1984 by George Orwell, but The Handmaid’s Tale I found to be more compelling due to its themes and the fact that Margaret Atwood is more subtle about communicating her message than Orwell.
I cannot wait to read The Testaments!
P.S. Moira is the best character full stop.
I shockingly didn’t hate this book! Yes this book does lose a star because it is about a privileged white boy being an absolute hypocrite the entire time (I had to put it down at one point because I needed a break from his voice haha), but unlike books with similar protagonists like On the Road, Holden’s voice was much more compelling.
Should this book be considered a classic? I’m still unsure of that. However, this is a good story, Holden is a very memorable character, and there is plenty to be discussed thematically. I almost wish this book was assigned reading for me in school.
Should this book be considered a classic? I’m still unsure of that. However, this is a good story, Holden is a very memorable character, and there is plenty to be discussed thematically. I almost wish this book was assigned reading for me in school.
First off, thanks Scribner for the ARC!
This was a hugely relatable read for me, as Crewes discusses all of the small moments, denials, and acceptances of the fact she was gay. Her experience coming out as gay was so realistic and I wish I had this book when I was younger and questioning. She also mentions how catching up on queer culture and attempting queer dating is difficult, which I also largely related to. Without giving away any spoilers, the ending was SO wholesome, and it’s lovely to see a queer story with a wholesome ending.
Overall, while the beginning was a bit slow for me at times, this was a great book which I highly recommend!
This was a hugely relatable read for me, as Crewes discusses all of the small moments, denials, and acceptances of the fact she was gay. Her experience coming out as gay was so realistic and I wish I had this book when I was younger and questioning. She also mentions how catching up on queer culture and attempting queer dating is difficult, which I also largely related to. Without giving away any spoilers, the ending was SO wholesome, and it’s lovely to see a queer story with a wholesome ending.
Overall, while the beginning was a bit slow for me at times, this was a great book which I highly recommend!
Great for fans of the Try Guys, and inspiring for those who aren’t as familiar with them. I really enjoyed reading this book (and even teared up a bit), and I’ll definitely be taking the advice given in the book into my own life.