The Dharma Bums - Softcover

Kerouac, Jack

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0451143221 ISBN 13: 9780451143228

Publisher: Signet, 1959

Synopsis

Another autobiographical novel from Kerouac, THE DHARMA BUMS, encompasses the ideals of freedom set forth by Whitman and Thoreau, with Buddhism thrown in for good measure. Focusing on the friendship between Ray Smith (modeled on Kerouac) and Japhy Ryder (Gary Snyder), the Buddhist sub-theme is evoked in Smith and Ryder's wish to introduce the concept of Dharma to others. Acknowledged by Kerouac scholars to be a more mature work than ON THE ROAD, THE DHARMA BUMS is called "perhaps the most representative expression of the Beat sensibility in a work of fiction" by Sue L. Kimball in "Critical Survey of Long Fiction."

About this title

Review:

One of the best and most popular of Kerouac's autobiographical novels, The Dharma Bums is based on experiences the writer had during the mid-1950s while living in California, after he'd become interested in Buddhism's spiritual mode of understanding. One of the book's main characters, Japhy Ryder, is based on the real poet Gary Snyder, who was a close friend and whose interest in Buddhism influenced Kerouac. This book is a must-read for any serious Kerouac fan.

About the Author:

Jack Kerouac (1922-1969), the central figure of the Beat Generation, was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1922 and died in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1969. Among his many novels are On the Road, The Dharma Bums, Big Sur, and Visions of Cody.

About this edition

• Publisher: Signet
• Publication date: 1959
• ISBN 10: 0451143221
• ISBN 13: 9780451143228
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback