The author of "Hip: The History" reveals the lessons of the original hipster bible, "On the Road"
Legions of youthful Americans have taken "On the Road" as a manifesto for rebellion and an inspiration to hit the road. But there is much more to the novel than that.
In "Why Kerouac Matters", John Leland embarks on a wry, insightful, and playful discussion of the novel, arguing that it still matters because at its core it is a book that is full of lessons about how to grow up. Lelands focus is on Sal Paradise, the Kerouac alter ego, who has always been overshadowed by his fictional running buddy Dean Moriarty. Leland examines the lessons that Paradise absorbs and dispenses on his novelistic journey to manhood, and how those lessons about work and money, love and sex, art and holinessstill reverberate today. He shows how "On the Road" is a primer for male friendship and the cultivation of traditional family values, and contends that the stereotype of the two wild and crazy guys obscures the novels core themes of the search for atonement, redemption, and divine revelation. "Why Kerouac Matters" offers a new take on Kerouacs famous novel, overturning many misconceptions about it and making clear the themes Kerouac was trying to impart.
