On the Road: The Original Scroll

De: Jack Kerouac

Narrado por: John Ventimiglia

The legendary 1951 scroll draft of On the Road, published word for word as Kerouac originally composed it.

Though Jack Kerouac began thinking about the novel that was to become On the Road as early as 1947, it was not until three weeks in April 1951, in an apartment on West 20th Street in Manhattan, that he wrote the first full draft that was satisfactory to him. Typed out as one long, single-spaced paragraph on eight long sheets of tracing paper that he later taped together to form a 120-foot scroll, this document is among the most significant, celebrated, and provocative artifacts in contemporary American literary history. It represents the first full expression of Kerouac's revolutionary aesthetic, the identifiable point at which his thematic vision and narrative voice came together in a sustained burst of creative energy. It was also part of a wider vital experimentation in the American literary, musical, and visual arts in the post-World War II period.

It was not until more than six years later, and after several new drafts, that Viking published, in 1957, the novel known to us today. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of On the Road, Viking will publish the 1951 scroll in a standard book format. The differences between the two versions are principally ones of significant detail and altered emphasis. The scroll is slightly longer and has a heightened linguistic virtuosity and a more sexually frenetic tone. It also uses the real names of Kerouac's friends instead of the fictional names he later invented for them. The transcription of the scroll was done by Howard Cunnell who, along with Joshua Kupetz, George Mouratidis, and Penny Vlagopoulos, provides a critical introduction that explains the fascinating compositional and publication history of On the Road and anchors the text in its historical, political, and social contexts.

©2007 Jack Kerouac (P)2007 Penguin Audio

Absolutely Incredible

We are so blessed to have had Kerouac to tell us this tale - this perceptive portrait of a defining American age...

Even better than the published version

I’ve read On the Road several times over the years, but this was my first time with the Original Scroll. Hearing the story with the real people’s names attached and nothing edited out by prudish censors made the book so much truer and immediate. The narrator also does a fantastic job. I love his casual style and NY accent. It is exactly the voice I wanted Jack to have. Whether you’ve read OTR a dozen times or never yet, this is a wonderful version of one of the greatest books in American literature.

Wonderful

Absolutely an incredible novel with beautiful writing, Kerouac transports you through the story of his life with his words. The narration is well done and only adds to it.

perfect voice

This audiobook does an amazing job of capturing Kerouac's rhythm and voice. As a longtime fan I was skeptical, but I highly recommend it.

essential audiblechoicethe road goes on foreverlet jack be your guide.

a grate trip across americaaperfect listen fo long rideslet jack be your co pilot neds some coltrane back groud music.

An American classic

Although it's quite a lengthy book, it is magnificently written like one long train of thought of a man traveling across America in the late 1940s and early 50s. The narrator does in excellent job giving life to the story.

A Classic Brought to Life

This edition is as authentic as it gets. The text is exactly what Kerouac first wrote on the legendary single spaced typed scroll. The presentation is excellent, making it easy to follow the story and insights of the author. The clean, straight forward narration style served the content well. Great audio book.

one of my favorite books of all time

This book is better than the regular copy it explores events in depth and laying down more context than the regular copy. It amazing read and will definitely read it again.

Perfect Voice for the beats

This is an absoluletly perfect reading of one of the best American novels ever written.

Characters referred to by real names

I had read the original published version back in the 80s when was in my 20s. I still enjoyed the ride but was a bit more into at the time. I loved hearing all the participants being referred to by their actual names. Clears up any confusion as to who is who. I've found it hard to believe that they could have found so many loose women back then but perhaps in the circles they traveled in it was possible. One things for sure, that Neil Cassidy was one crazy cat.