Comments on: Crackpot Theory #64: Why Jack Kerouac is still popular even though he sucks

By: Vinny

Vinny — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 14:16:03 +0000

So, I was sick a few days ago and feeling like dying on the couch. Couldn’t sleep, so why not get a quick read in to divert my attention. I remembered my wife’s uncle Leo, who I liked, was born in Lowell MA, just like Kerouac, raved about him. Not only that, my Dad was born to French speaking Quebecoise parents, similar to Kerouac, but my Dad grew up in Springfield MA. So I felt a connection, and I would be putting a “classic” under my belt.
After reading 8 chapters, I started googleing “On The Road sucks”. I felt it was poorly written. It was about a bunch of self important assholes who got drunk, smoked pot, cheated on multiple partners, got them pregnant, and left them, stole cars among other things. That would be ok if the story were untrue, or had, or was making a point. But it seems to be a rambling semi-autobiographical word vomit story based on real characters.
I fucking hate this book. I hate Karouac. I’m going to go to one of the websites that have political figures printed on toilet paper, and see if they can print out this book on a roll or two. Then I’m going to make a pot of the hottest chili.

By: C.

C. — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 08:29:28 +0000

In reply to fiftyfootelvis.

You guys take things way too seriously. He didn’t cause a generation to do anything. Kerouac is in general not even that popular. A generation of writers did not spring up and write like him LMAO. And of course he will not be liked by the ultra pop monger generation of now. This is the cynical “I am great too no really I am” gen of fuck everything this selfie is good isn’t it yeah it’s pretty good I’m gonna put my smug and useless ass to sleep now before corporate tomorrow.

Wah! Why can’t people talk about me like they talk this guy! Seriously, some of the responses on this blog are fucking pathetic.

By: C.

C. — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 08:24:48 +0000

In reply to C..

Ha, not Jodi, I guess Nick said that. But anyway, John, you sound like some random hipster douche yourself that needs to get on with life. Is it your duty to critique every writer and tear everything down so they can be on your level? You sound like someone that can’t write or is jealous of people that succeeded in writing. Which doesn’t even make a lot of sense most writers are remembered after they are dead, which is useless to them and why would you hold a grudge anyway? Just accept the fact that the book is known to have pulled down some barriers.

Again, your whole entire thing here is ridiculous. Just look at your pathetic attempt at trying to distinguish a Kerouac fan. You have no idea what a Kerouac fan is…. I have no idea why you even made the silly attempt. We are I guess supposed to believe that because you don’t like his writing it sucks, and we must all now accept this as truth. Yeah okay bud.

By: C.

C. — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 08:18:22 +0000

In reply to John. No, she wasn't really saying that. She was saying that you have put a stage up for yourself and you are asking people to comment on what you think is some sort of truth in your life. She didn't agree with you and gave her reasons. Just fucking deal with it maybe. Not everybody thinks the way you do. Kerouac had a lot to offer. Like everyone he has his flaws.

By: fiftyfootelvis

fiftyfootelvis — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 13:36:32 +0000

I agree with a lot of what you wrote, butI liked On The Road when I first read it, and I still think it’s pretty good. It is one of those iconic works, like the first Ramones album, that started a revolution but don’t have the same resonance for future generations looking back.
Without Ramones, punk rock would not have happened. And without On The Road, the whole 60’s, love generation, Woodstock thing would not have happened. At least not in quite the same way.

Beyond that, there are two things that bother me about On The Road (and The Dharma Bums for that matter) that are seldom mentioned.

1. The misogyny. The treatment of the female characters is terrible, especially for a book that pretends to be progressive and truth searching.

2. Kerouac’s claims that he wrote it in one long stream of consciousness sitting without edits when in fact it went through several rewrites. His writing got progressively worse as he started to believe his own bullshit and he caused a generation of writers to think this was the best way to write.